How to Paint Over Wallpaper

The desperate need for painting over wallpaper arises when your wallpapers get struck to the wall inflexibly. Painting over wallpapers can be very simple if you just follow some simple steps and exert special care. Following the below mentioned step by step guide shall help you immensely in the task of painting over wallpapers after which it will be difficult to guess that there was even any wallpaper beneath the paint! So let us begin by gathering the things which are needed for this purpose:

How to Paint Over Wallpaper How to Paint Over Wallpaper

Oil primer
Drywall tools
Drywall mud
Paint
Painting tools
Caulk
Caulking gun
Plastic sheeting

The process of painting over wallpapers is as follows:

First of all, cross check that the wallpaper is properly adhered to the wall. If you find any loose seams or bubbles then remove them immediately. Use a razor knife to pull out any areas that have lifted off the wall by cutting it across. It is recommended that if you find a torn edge in the wallpaper which is struck to the wall firmly, then leave it as it is.
You will have to remove the switch plates, mask off the baseboard and take the nails out. However, you do not have to mask the ceiling as of now.
It is strongly advised to apply primer on the wallpaper before painting them because failing to do so shall result in the water based paint lifting the paper off the wall and with loosened seams. Therefore you will have to apply a fast drying oil primer to the wallpaper which will make sure that a tight bond is established with the wall and prevention of stains through the paint is also maintained.
Apply one coat of the primer and allow it to dry off. After it has dried off, all the holes, cracks and gaps which need attention will become visible. Make sure that you save the primer later for drywall repairs. Cover the entire floor and the objects in it with plastic sheeting so that the sanding dust doesn’t get settled there.
Take a wide drywall knife and a pan to sweep off a broad and thin coating of drywall mud on each of the seams. Allow this to dry and then sand it. It is very much possible that you might need to apply another coat because of its shrinking chances. After the drywall is prepared, you will need to apply caulk all along the ceiling line and trim. Now apply the primer that you had saved earlier over these drywall areas.
Now is the turn of the painting task. It is recommended to use a washable flat or eggshell paint because of its lower sheen which will help in hiding any irregularities of the wall. You can finish off the brushwork and then set to roll paint the walls.