Painting over wallpaper...advice?

[SarahI1]

Hi there, i know this question has been asked 1000 times, but i've seen 1000 different answers!

So we have a big bathroom which has been tastefully(!) wallpapered by the previous owner, and we want to get rid of it. However, despite having 3 external very solid walls, it seems they have put up a stud wall in there. Could be due to damp or something. Anyway, peeling off bits of wallpaper, we have found out they have papered directly onto plasterboard. It doesn't look like it's been sealed at all underneath and although the top paper layer comes off, the bottom layer of wallpaper sticks and it seems like scraping that off is going to shred the plasterboard. We don't really have the budget for getting the walls skimmed etc.

So, our big question is, is it better to wallpaper over this, or to paint?

And if we are to paint, I've read about using a solvent based primer/sealer, then filling any joins/gaps/messy bits, then painting emulsion over that. I've seen dulux trade primer/sealer which is solvent based, or else the shellac-based (and much more expensie) Zinsser BIN primer sealer. Which would be better?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks,
Sarah

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Are you absolutely sure you can't get the backing paper off? Usually if you get it good and moist with a big sponge it will fall right off...

 

[SarahI1]

We didn't want to get it too wet, as it's directly onto plasterboard and don't want to dissolve the paper coating of the plasterboard...can try again, but have been warned against damaging the board!