Wallpaper and Wallcoverings - Removing Paper on plaster

I just moved into a turn of the century home and I'm not sure how to handle the current wallpaper in the entry, stairwell and hallway. It was probably hung 30 years ago and is still in great shape (except the rip I put in it trying to get a queen size bed up the stairs!). Most of the walls in the house are plaster- I don't know if or how the walls were prepared for the paper. I'm afraid taking the wallpaper down may cause some of the plaster to come with it. (I've seen some other DIY projects completed in this house that make me shake my head) Is this common in old homes? Would I be better off painting or papering over it?

thanks!

Welcome to the forums!

It is usually best to remove wallpaper rather than paper or paint over it........ but sometimes on the older homes, the paper helps to hold the plaster together. I don't know if there is any way to tell other than doing.

I'm not a paper hanger so I don't know for sure what's involved with hanging paper over paper but know it's done from time to time. If you paint over wallpaper, it's best to use a solvent based primer first - that will prevent the moisture in latex paint from penetrating the paper and disolving any of the adhessive = loose paper :eek:

You might try removal first to see how it goes and what shape the plaster is in. Getting the wallpaper backing wet is key to removal. Scoring the paper usually helps the water to penetrate to the adhesive.

I just moved into a turn of the century home and I'm not sure how to handle the current wallpaper in the entry, stairwell and hallway. It was probably hung 30 years ago and is still in great shape (except the rip I put in it trying to get a queen size bed up the stairs!). Most of the walls in the house are plaster- I don't know if or how the walls were prepared for the paper. I'm afraid taking the wallpaper down may cause some of the plaster to come with it. (I've seen some other DIY projects completed in this house that make me shake my head) Is this common in old homes? Would I be better off painting or papering over it?

thanks!
I'm not sure if you've already tackled this project, but here's my 2 cents. I would recommend stripping the wallpaper and starting with a fresh surface. If you paint over wallpaper, you need to use a fast drying stain blocking paint but you run the real risk of lifting the wallpaper where it has become loose over the years. Also, at night the lighting will cause shadows where the wallpaper has become loose and it won't look good. You would also have to make sure none of the seams on the original wallpaper were overlapped because it would leave a vertical impression (you would have to sand the seams if they overlap before painting). If the wallpaper is as old as you suspect, then it may be paper wallpaper (meaning there isn't any vinyl coating), which is the easiest type of wallpaper to strip (assuming your plaster walls are in good condition and there's only one layer of wallpaper). Test an inconspicuous spot of wallpaper by spraying water on the wallpaper....if you don't have spray bottle, just use a wet sponge. If the wallpaper gets dark, then it means it's paper without any vinyl coating....try and gently lift the wallpaper to see if there is only one layer....it's common for old homes to have several layers....and for a previous homeowner to paint the wallpaper in between layers (then it becomes more difficult).

Good Luck,
Sandra

I would test a small area to see if the plaster comes off. If so, you may have to try painting over it, although that's not the best approach normally.