Painting over wallpaper

[androidp]

I have stipped the wallpaper off and managed to leave the lining paper in tact. Is it okay to just paint over this or will it look awful as my husband says?!

 

[andyboyo]

We have just bought a house which has lining paper on all of the walls which has been painted neutral shades. Some rooms have been done well and it looks great, but it does show up the inperfections in the walls under soft light.

 

[androidp]

Hi, thanx for that. The room is one of our bedrooms and previously when I've decorated the other rooms and taken off all the paper, I've had to have them skim plastered. I know that the plaster underneath is going to be a nightmare. Think I'll try and get away with it. Cheers.

 

[Zampa]

No...theres two different situations here...one is the lining or backing paper left from the vinyl paper..it isnt meant to be painted, when it first came out the idea was the backing stays on the wall leaving a better surface to paper over....but it never worked. Papring over old paper is aways risky...theres a very good chance youl end up with bubbles or tents even!...caused by the paste soaking into the original paper....much the same as when you wet a wall to get the paper off

No self respecting decorator would take the chance, it isnt worth it.

Paintiing over proper lining paper however is fine...its one of the things its meant for.

Which is what seems to be the case in the second post..

Dont take the chance....strip it, wash the wall down to remove the old paste residue then, if the wall is ok paint it...or if its a bit rough, line it and paint it.

 

[androidp]

All comments have been useful, but when all came to all I decided to strip off the underlying paper entirely - wasn't sure whether it was backing paper or lining paper. Was left with........ a bit of a mess! The plaster is old and not sound.

Have now arranged for our local builder to come in and skim plaster over all walls so that I can paint it. Will be about £200 lighter, but will have SMOOTH walls!