Painting ordinary wallpaper

[blackbat]

Hi all,

I'm hoping to paint the existing wallpaper in my hall i.e. use it as lining paper.

Don't really want to strip it all and put real lining paper up, we may be moving in the near future.

As a test I've tried painting a square metre or two with white emulsion to see if it bubbles or peels but the paper seems fine, no evidence of lifting.

However there is a very slight relief to the pattern when I run my fingers over it and the pattern is a strong blue / white contrast.

Therefore the pattern shows through faintly even after a couple of coats of cheap Dulux emulsion both in terms of embossing and colour.

I'm thinking of using the white emulsion for a couple of coats to hide the pattern and level out the very slight dips, then applying one or two coats of the chosen (mushroom) colour at the end.

Are there any tips you can offer that will help to hide both the strong pattern and the relief?

How good is 'One-coat' paint?

Are there any additives or thickening agent that I could add to the white emulsion for the first coat to help hide the relief?

[Mike P]

Lol

Mike P

[blackbat]

well go on then...explain why

[David WE Roberts]

Just adding something to emulsion so it will make rough walls smooth.....

...if you know how to do that you could make several fortunes.

Options:

(1) Strip the wallpaper (2) Paint it several times and pretend the raised pattern is a feature (easiest). (3) Get someone to skim the wall with plaster (although doing that over paper is potentially dodgy unless the paper is very well fixed).

I believe Dulux do a special product which is supposed to spread on walls and ceilings and take out imperfections. Many plasterers have noted with delight the discarded buckets of this product when they are asked in to sort out the results. Covering a rough surface and getting a smoth finish is a skilled job.

HTH

Dave R

(4) Carefully paint around all the patterned bits untill the wall is smooth. If you paint onto the pattern you will just raise it higher.

[Stuart Noble]

Not if the surface is level. I've flattened a couple of Artex ceilings, and I'd say it's one of the simpler plastering jobs. In this case I might try trowelling on a fine surface filler

[blackbat]

Maybe I worded that badly... I guess I was looking for a *very slightly* textured paint, similar to the effect when one first applies a roller before the paint dries.

I'd sooner strip the walls and get it skimmed if I could afford a plasterer :-)

Agreed - maybe I should have emphasised how slight the relief of the pattern is. It certainly doesn't warrant the Dulux stuff you're talking about.

Also the paper is butted, rather than overlapped and I have had quite reasonable results with a very thin skim over the joints.

Hmmm, on my test area I have applied 4 coats of emulsion with a roller. The pattern has almost disappeared. I'm just looking for a method to use fewer coats.

[David WE Roberts]

Use a brush? The roller won't fill in around a pattern particularly well - it will paint the raised bit but not fill in the dips. Perhaps do the first coat with a brush and work the paint in well around the pattern, then try the next coat with a roller.

[blackbat]

Thanks for the answer but I'm thinking I'll have to bite the bullet and strip the paper. Didn't want to play golf for a fortnight anyway.

[The Natural Philosopher]

[blackbat]

??? never used it...surely you're not suggesting adding it to the paint?

[The Natural Philosopher]

no. suggesting skimming over the paper first.