Painting over lining paper

[propertydev83]

We currently have the majority of walls with vertically hung lining paper that has been painted.

The walls are all in good condition and appear to be flat and smooth. The main downside is the lining paper joins showing.

I was debating whether to remove the lining paper to paint the walls, but removing painted lining paper would not be easy, and we could end up with walls that look worse in appearance than what we have now?

If we do emulsion over the previously painted lining paper, should we do any prep on the paper first? Also, is there any good technique or product that can help disguise the joins?

 

[endecotp]

Do you have
- overlaps?
- gaps?
- lifting edges?

 

[propertydev83]

No lifting edges. Those are pretty good.

There is no significant overlap. Some are butted together, some look like there is a couple of mm overlap.

 

[endecotp]

If the overlap is not significant, what exactly is causing the joins to be visible?

(Maybe post a photo?)

 

[mattylad]

Why do you think it will be hard to remove the lining paper?
Get a steam stripper and it's easy.
If the walls are good underneath, fill any knocks & holes, rub them down & paint them.

 

[propertydev83]

Here's pictures of 3 different joins. As you can see, the first two are easily noticed, while the third is hardly noticeable at all.



Perhaps the wallpaper would strip off easy, but it seems a lot of work (stripping, filling, sanding all of the downstairs walls, plus the landing walls) when they don't look THAT bad as is. I thought there may have just been a good "trick" to hiding the joins that do stand out.

 

[endecotp]

The first pic looks like a gap.
The second pic looks like an overlap.

Is that right?

 

[geraldthehamster]

I'd leave it and paint over it. Consider why someone felt the need to line the wall in the first place. You could be making a lot of work for yourself.

Cheers
Richard

 

[propertydev83]

They are both overlaps.

Would there be any issue with just filling and feathering out where visible joins are?

 

[endecotp]

You can fill gaps, but I doubt that would work well for overlaps. Maybe someone else has a good suggestion, but if it were me I'd be tempted to run a Stanley knife either side of the overlap and try to remove that sliver, and the fill the gap.

 

[propertydev83]

You can fill gaps, but I doubt that would work well for overlaps. Maybe someone else has a good suggestion, but if it were me I'd be tempted to run a Stanley knife either side of the overlap and try to remove that sliver, and the fill the gap.

This does seem like the best idea to me.