How to paint over wallpaper 

Superb video as always. Thank you, Ultimate 'andyman, for proving possible things the arm-chair experts say aren't. You have surely saved more money time & temper all over the world than I would have thought possible. Cheers from India

Thanks for the time and effort in edition and doing the actual job, I was told many moons ago by a very old decorator to never paint over old wallpaper but the results was very surprising. Have a nice weekend fella.

Thanks Chez! I'll definitely be looking into this come Spring time to cover up the pink wallpaper in the bedroom left from the previous owners!

I’ve finally found time to edit this video from a couple of jobs done in 2016. I have to admit that I don’t like narrating over videos because it is so time consuming. This video probably took a couple of days to edit! It’s a lovely sunny day here today, I hope everyone has a great Sunday ;-)

Took me back many decades to a rented property I was in for a couple of years. It was an old pre-fab, timber framed with metal skin. The inner walls were galvanized sheet metal and some evil swine of a previous tenant had gloss painted woodchip in the rear bedroom. Best incentive to move we ever had. :D

Great video. I had looked at this Cover Up paint first as I have a wallpapered wall that I would prefer to paint and from your video it looks ideal to use, can't wait to get started now :)

Thanks a lot for this video mate. Really useful.

I love Zinsser 123! Sticks to bloody everything. And if it doesn’t, there’s always Zinsser B.I.N. Thumbs up to Zinsser products in general! 👍🏻 Awesome video. Ta. I’ve got a wallpapered stairwell to do. The wallpaper cover-up will help enormously.

Thank you very much! Many told me it’s “impossible” to paint over wallpaper. They must of not done it right. Thanks again

Great vid, very informative. Will be using this paint method very soon :)

Really helpful video, thanks! And that sounds like a very strong Blackburn accent!!!

thanks...i been thinking about my 40 years old wall paper....now i just prime it and decide new color.....u been vary helpful

i think this zinsser primer is fantastic product save a lot off time loved your video as always.

I’ve never thought of painting wallpaper. Always seemed “wrong” or “lazy” but I’ve learnt that there are times when this is the best solution. Great video. As always . 👍

Great video as usual, and I see why you have painted over wallpaper as opposed to removing it. Age of the house etc... But done properly it can revamp an old tired house tremendously... great job... P.S. Definitely want one of those Wooster Pelicans.....

Great job !!!

Excellent video , thanks

Neat. I never heard of this method of painting. Very nice.

Nicely presented!

Thank You so much for your post!

Ok i'm convinced so I'm gonna try the 'Wallpaper Cover up'.

I have used Loctite water resistant superglue for seam repair. Gripper acrylic primer with good results in 3 houses. Zinsser 123 is easier to obtain so I will try it. So thankful to be able to paint over wallpaper in this current house to prep for sale. However if I can help it I will not purchase another house with wallpaper. It has really set me back in time and other resources. In a few years we may get an RV that will require painting wallpaper as they are all so dated. If you paint them light colors inside they sell fast. Same with houses. Thank you for your help. Good video.

Lick of paint makes a world of difference doesn't it. I recently painted some kitchen cupboards in a property the resident were very pleased! Nice video.

I have wallpaper that is already coming off and behind looks like wood, what would you recommend?

Hi, im sorry if i missed the detail, but i am a bit confused as to when to use the 1.2.3 primer and when to use the wallpaper cover up? Thanks!

Very good video thank you

Thank you for the video I will give it a try 😉

oddly satisfying. have a like from me.

Would the wallpaper cover up hide wallpaper thats is ripped underneath paint? Wife decided to poorly remove old walpaper and then painted over it so you can see the lines of the ripped paper. Or should i used something like smooth over then sand it?

Top vid again sir. I used the zinseer primer in my bathroom on bare plaster that I sanded . I know its probly not gold idea to do this but the paint has been INCREDIBLE, no difference from day I did it over 12 months ago. High steam and moisture room so if it can nandle this then it can handle anything. Its pricey but after first experience its SSSSOOOO worth it. Where can you get them small jugs you used for the small roller? Look very handy

Good product for sprucing up a property your going to sell (so you won't be the one trying to strip painted wallpaper at some point in the future). Having been asked to paint over some really dirty wallpaper once to help someone out and being given cheap paint to do it with I can testify that unless you want to have to paint it completely, 3 times,(!) a product like this is worth getting.

Great video bloke! How does the wall paper cover up paint differ from regular wall paint? Ps. The audio on the video seemed to be of lesser quality than your usual tutorials.

Good advert for zinsser!

Thank you for your help. I have a room with already painted textured wallpaper, one of the walls has been painted with a dark colour on top of the wallpaper the rest of the wallpaper has been painted on by paler paint. I want to try paint them all white. Do I have to use the sugar soap and water on them to prepare ( worried will all turn to a mess) or do I apply the white paint directly on the paper. Do I need a primer on darker wall? Also what kind of paint do I use for best result on top of the painted wallpaper: water-based, oil-based, Matt, eggshell etc. Thank you for reply

I once painted over a whole bedroom with ordinary apple white emulsion and it looked just fine

Great Vid as always! Can the wallpaper coverup be used as a basecoat on woodchip wallpaper stuck to the ceiling?

Hi. i have some thing that looks like lining paper that I want to paint. would you still recommend a primer? what could be the consequence of just painting a couple of layers of emulsion. thanks in advance.

Thank you for the video. I had a few questions if I may, I have a tin of magnolia which is silk and another tin of magnolia which is matte, would I be able to use both and if so which one would I use first?

Thanks so much for this helpful video and answering back to so many of the comments people leave. Do I still need to prime the wallpaper when it seems like the wallpaper has previously been painted successfully (possibly with primer at that time)? Thanks

Thanks for the video. I currently rent a house that has wallpaper painted over. Unfortunately my cat has scratched some areas of the wall where the wallpaper was not fully flat, ripping off layers of material. I do not know where to go from here to try to repair these small areas. Can you give any advice on how I'd go about fixing this?

Very useful.

Hi mate. Is that Zinzer primer acrylic or oil based and what type of glue did you use to affix the loose edges of wallpaper please? (We have different brands in Australia)

Great video!! Quick question. I have 3 walls with painted lining paper on that have a couple of tears in from previous blu-tack posters. Would this method work for covering up those imperfections in the paper, ready to repaint? Thanks!

Lovely bright but very cold day down here in the Midlands, you’ve got to stop showing me useful tools to buy as you are costing me a small fortune. Dewalt light arrived on Friday and is fab. Pelican - off to have a look :-) Enjoy your day and thanks for sharing. Regards. Mike

Amazing

Excellent

Great video as usual. As an amateur, I'd never heard of Zinsser 123. Any idea if it would it be suitable for using on my daughter's bedroom where she has left 'oily-looking' blu-tac marks on the walls from her posters, or will the marks just wash off with sugar soap?

... 01/24/2020: Great tips using an oil-based primer so no bubbles in wallpaper. But, I have seams that are lifting. Should I just glue them down, or tear off lose paper and sparkle-in in the void left by removed paper? What do you think I should do? What about using a tool that cuts tiny holes in paper, and then use the primer?

Hello ultimate handyman. OK so we have a 3200 square-foot home recently repainted, several rooms where the wallpaper was painted over. I've just come across this video and noticed there are several products used. What I want to know is what do I do when I come across seams that have lifted away from the wall and also where you see vertical ridges? Which products do I use at this point after it's been painted and setting for a couple of months to then cover those up again and make the wall smooth? Thanks so much!

Thank you greatly. I am not able to remove the paper nor can i hire it done. So this will have to do and I pray it works. I have never seen that product at Lowes so will have to order it. We do have Zinnser 123 but your can said 123 Plus. ? Is there a difference? I hear the primer must be acrylic based. I can not use oil based BIN in this house due to respiratory issues. I have many rooms to do so will try. I appreciate your video. Sometimes you don’t have a choice but to paint it.

Hi nice one mate

5:07 --- is it the so-called "embossed" or "textured" wallpaper? I did not know Zinsser wallpaper cover up, your result looks interesting, did you get a totally smooth/texture-less finish after the paint-over? Or perhaps the texture/pattern is still there, just now in a shining new colour?

Do I need to use both, the Zinsser 123 and the Zinsser wallpaper cover up? I’m doing my living room and this is a great idea. I hate peeling wallpaper. By the way great video

What would you suggest for textured wallpaper? Great vids btw!

Thanks man

I have removed wall paper in a small bathroom and it took me and my wife 2 entire days. It was a terrible experience and when it was time to paint we had to spend more money to get the glue off that we could not see. Then a year later we painted over our wall papered living room and we have bubbles where the paper has turned loose and an area wear there are alot of small streaks. If I had followed all of the above suggestions it would have fixed the problems. It seems that 75% of the painted over living room is just fine because the original install of the paper was good and the wall paper was still smooth and stuck perfectly. I am considering this time covering over the walls with either paneling, 1/4" sheetrock/sand seams or wood flooring. I have wood flooring that looks like tile on one wall and it looks great and I have a pecan wood flooring half way up the wall up to the chair rail. Covering over the wallpaper cost the same as painting if I do all the work myself and it looked better. Painting took 3 times longer than installing wood flooring over the wallpaper. The laminate flooring that cost $3.00 a sq. ft. I could install myself and it stayed together better because it was 1 inch thick. The cheap .70 sq. ft laminate flooring does not want to stay clicked together on long runs. The other product of flooring I have used on the walls were the 18" x 18" square black rubber glued back stick tiles. The wallpaper was what I used in my first house when I was 25 years old. I hated wallpaper after that and I have installed the products above on walls. They are alot less trouble than wallpaper.

Thanks for sharing

Question…old 1980s mobile home seems to have wallpaper behind already painted walls, which in some places the paint is peeling….hints why I assume it’s wallpaper behind the paint….our mobile was bought this way. What do you suggest is the best process to paint our walls? Scrap off old paint? And then do this process? You’re advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Hey man I got a question which I'm not sure has been answered but how long can painted wallpaper last? I don't mind painting over wallpaper if it lasts. I am planning to use wall paper cover up and dulux easycare

Many years ago I painted over wallpaper that had a slight embossed pattern. What was nice was that the same gentle lines below became a part of the paint pattern, making the paint look more like a re-paper job instead of paint. ........... Now for our friend the U. Handyman -- with different terminology on each side of the Atlantic Pond, what in the world is "sugar soap' ? We would use something with good emulsion if surface has any cooking grease or dust. Was also hoping you might say something about lighter brush strokes, dry brush or other techniques in the painting over wallpaper. Guess your intention was to simply cover the wallpaper well and be done.

The cover up is an oil based paint so is it ok to put a water based top coat emulsion on top of this?

can we use any paint on wall paper after zinsser 123 initial coates/ like Dulux Pure Brilliant White

Thank you very much

Thank you so much for this brilliant video, I followed your method and painted over 2 bedrooms with a green coloured textured wall paper with 1 coat of Zinsser Wallpaper Cover Up, 2 coats of contract brilliant white silk from Wicks. Really reallyu pleased with the finish. 1 quick question for next time, when cleaning with sugar soap and water, should I wait for it to dry before cleaning off with a damp cloth/sponge?

Top stuff that paint, recently did my daughters kitchen in the stuff...to be honest i couldn't be arsed to strip the paper back. Again great video fella, keep em coming

Is there anyone covering that cannot be painted over?

Assuming you've used the right primer, can the top coat be any wall/ceiling paint?

Hi, I've moved into a house where the previous tenants painted over the wallpaper without using any primer. What should I now do if i want to paint over painted wallpaper? Do i use a primer and if so which one - oil based?

I where can I get the Zinsser Wallpaper Cover-up? Cant find it anywhere in US, not even Amazon! Great video!

I have the same wallpaper🤣 painting over it tomorrow

Thanks! Does it stay long and durable?

I've always known to never use a waterbase primer to prime over wallpaper as it can deactivate the glue and the wallpaper can peel. I've always been taught to use an oil base primer like Kilz original to prime with first and then paint over with a latex paint.

Hi, this is a great video! I can't find the Zinsser Wallpaper Cover Up in any store (I'm in the USA). What product could I use instead of it? Thanks!

Why did you use the Zinsser 123 in the bathroom but the wallpaper coverup in the other rooms?

I have applied one coat of zinsser primer but I can still see the bold wallpaper print underneath. Do I still need a second coat?

What the hell is sugarsalt on water ?? I notice that when you are done with the primer that there is still the wallpaper pattern showing through. Is that OK? I would think another coat of primer would be called for, but then again you first coat of paint seems to cover it up well. What is the rule on that? Nice video, as usual.

I've never painted a wall before, but we have some really old wallpaper that I want to cover. After I do the perma white, then I can paint whatever color I want, right?

Can this be used in the bathroom shower area? I have wall paper above the tile walls in my entire bathroom.

Hi, I have wallpaper with a border in the middle. Will this paint cover the edge line of the border? Or should I remove the border? Thanks.

What is the next best thing since Zinsser wallpaper cover up isn’t available in the US?

What if I have a bit of loose plaster behind the wallpaper? Do I try to steam the wallpaper off, remove loose plaster, fill with Polyfilla then stick wallpaper back with some adhesive.

So what primer do I use? What paint do I use. Oil base primer or water base primer? What paint can I use? Oil or water? For wall paper

Do I need to use a cover up ,when the paper I’m covering is white and not patterned..

sorry I couldnt understand. what did you use to clean it?

Where can you buy Zinsser products in this country? And where can I get one of those Pelicans? It's a great idea.

What do you do if you’ve already painted the wall paper without using the primer and it chips of easily?

Had a question I live in a Mobile Home and I am remodeling my kitchen some parts have wallpaper other parts it has the wallpaper peeled of what is my best option to do before painting?

Would this be ok to use if wallpaper has some glitter on it?

FYI-Zinsser Wallpaper cover up does not appear to be sold in USA- could only find it online in the UK

Hi, could you please advice how to paint the already painted wallpaper? Thanks

The extra time required to remove the paper is worth it when looking for a lasting paint job!

Where can i buy the primer for wallpaper ?

The wallpaper version, I believe, is unavailable in Canada so I often use the next best thing - Zinsser BIN Shellac Base Primer-Sealer.

When mixing that can of paint with a drill, I noticed the paint was Zinsser B.I.N. I'm just wondering why you didn't mention it, as it's my favourite paint for covering surfaces like wallpaper.

Can you paint over wallpaper that has been painted over before? Would you then just treat it as an ordinary wall?

I notice you move the roller every which way .... not JUST up n down.....but then... is your final rolling up n down ?

If you can't get or can't afford the paint in this video. Are there alternative. Do you have to sand the wallpaper. If not are they any circumstances where you have to

Sorry, I’m clueless. I want to cover my feature wall in my bedroom which is floral at the moment but it’s just normal paper. Not vinyl or raised. Would I use the cover up? Thanks!☺️

any video on powertool b atteries?

Hello, what’s the type of the wallpaper for your kitchen?