Emulsion where paper was

gazza975526570

Hi

Im wanting to redecorate my daughters room and currently there is wallpaper on. Ive started stripping and the first layer comes off really easy leaving the backing paper on.

Is it best to strip this fully before emulsioning or can you emulsion over the backing paper?

The wall itself seems pretty smoothe but i know from when i have totally stripped walls in the past and then emulsioned it doesnt look great

If i do strip fully should i be doing something to prep the walls first?

Thanks all

arnie&caseysma!

I have painted over the backing paper in one room in my house and it looks fine. If it leaves all the backing paper then go ahead. If you decide to fully strip the walls if they are quite bad then put up some lining paper which you can easily paint ontop of.

mummyteare

Hi, I'm not a expert although we have been completely redecorating. I think it depends on your standards and how good the walls are when you've finished stripping. In one room in our house we had 4 layers of paper which had all been painted over!
One thing - be careful with steamers as they can take the plaster off if you aren't careful and you could end up having to skim the walls like we did.
If you walls are ok with just the underliner on the go for it although it maybe fuzzy where you've stripped the top layer.

gazza975526570

I want it to look nice and dont mind putting the effort in but just not sure which of the 2 is the best option?
Im imagining if i give it a go and just paint on the backing paper that if it looks poor it will be a nightmare to then get the paper off the wall?

JanCee

gazza975526570 wrote:

I want it to look nice and dont mind putting the effort in but just not sure which of the 2 is the best option?
Im imagining if i give it a go and just paint on the backing paper that if it looks poor it will be a nightmare to then get the paper off the wall?

Just do a test patch. I have an old property and I have found after many years of trial and error that painting over backing paper/wallpaper gives a better result than stripping back to bare walls.

uncle_buck_3

I wouldn’t recommend emulsioning over the backing paper left by the wallpaper….unless it’s very well stuck it will more than likely come loose when you start applying the emulsion.

Now if you apply “Sods Law” to this dilemma any paper that is going to come loose wont until you’re on the last wall...then you will have to remove it & you will have a different texture on the last wall to all the rest.

Well that's what would happen if I tried it....so personally I wouldn’t risk it!

misgrace

What you will find is sometimes there will be rips and tears on the backing paper where the top paper hasnt come off cleanly,you would have to gently sand the tear bit, and fill lightly, also, you might find the backing paper is rough, (furry feel to it), if this is the case, then get a bit of old used sandpaper, and just go over the backing paper to get rid of nibs and rough furry bits, then when you paint it, it probably will bubble up, but it will go back.

I am a P&D and I dont like doing this, but if a client insists then I find the best solution is to dilute PVA and apply that over the backing paper, this will stop it from lifting, or peeling off prior to painting,and you will get a much smoother finish when you come to paint it.

Personally I would always strip the whole lot off, but if its too big a job, then perhaps this is your best option.

lolly1963

Another tip if you do remove all the backing paper to emulsion.
Make sure you clean all the walls down first with sugar soap solution, to completely remove any paste residue. It WILL react with the emulsion when it gets wet and will look flaky and bumpy.

gazza975526570

Thanks all for your tips.

Well ive decided to strip the paper and have done half a wall.

Next problem is thre is emulsion under where the paper was and after i have steamed the paper the paint underneath is really patchy, stringy, with bite having off.

How do i now sort this problem?

andrew-b

If i were you i'd use a stripping knife and fine/medium grade sandpaper to remove as much of the flaking paint as possible then wash down with sugar soap before putting up lining paper and then paint on top.

Andy

Martyn_H

gazza975526570 wrote:

Thanks all for your tips.

Well ive decided to strip the paper and have done half a wall.

Next problem is thre is emulsion under where the paper was and after i have steamed the paper the paint underneath is really patchy, stringy, with bite having off.

How do i now sort this problem?

I had this problem too. When the emulsion dries after being softened it will curl and crack, although it will still be stubborn and hard to remove in places.

My advice is to remove as much emulsion as possible when dry, apply a solution of size to the walls, and then use Anaglypta wallpaper. This has the advantages of cost and masking imperfections in the plaster, and should hide any remains of emulsion that did not come off in the preparation.