This section contains answers to frequently asked wallpaper questions. It is meant by no means to be the quick answer to your problems, only an immediate resource for many common problems.
If you need additional advice or clarification of the advice given on this page, please post a
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Please state type of wallpaper, plaster or drywall, amount/type of paint/primer if know, and any other details that may be important.
Can I wallpaper over my existing wallpaper?
Can I wallpaper over paneling/brick or other rough surface?
Can I paint over my wallpaper?
Can I wallpaper over my existing wallpaper?
It depends on the type, style, and condition of your existing wallpaper. I will deal with the two types:
Non-coated Wallpaper:
Wallpaper without vinyl coating is the only wallpaper that can guarantee success. True "paper-papers" are generally high end products or products that are made overseas.
Homeowners can tell if it's a true paper by using a sponge. Wet an inconspicuous area, if there is a darkening throughout the entire surface, there is no vinyl coating. You may also be able to flake off or rub out surface inks too. With coated papers, the opposite results are to be expected.
Another consideration is strikethrough. This is a condition where the original paper's inks or pattern will appear through the new, finish paper. Bleeding of inks may also occur. Both of these errors may take hours to months for the symptoms to show up. Test hangings can assist in determining if either of these will be a problem, but as they can manifest over time, aren't an exact indication.
If you feel there will be no strikethrough or bleeding issues, hang your new paper. Otherwise, perform the same steps as if you were painting your wallpaper.
Vinyl-coated Wallpaper:
You must make every effort to remove the wallpaper first. The reason for this is based on the principle of adhesion. Wallpaper adhesives stick best on porous surfaces. Coated papers have zero porosity. Ergo, the paper doesn't have the same bonding capabilities as it would over a properly prepared surface. The other end of the spectrum holds true as well. Paper applied to un-prepped drywall has too much adhesion, therefore causing damage upon removal.
There is another issue that recently has become a major topic. That concerns mold and mildew. Imagine the mold/mildew invitation when you encapsulate wet adhesive between two layers of non-breathable vinyl. Aside from the lack of adhesion, you also created the ideal environment for mold.
If your vinyl wallpaper is causing excessive damage during removal you should perform the same type of prep that you would for painting wallpaper prior to re-papering.
All types of Wallpaper:
Try to engineer the room so that the seams do not fall on top of old seams. Never paper over existing wallpaper that is not firmly adhering to the wall surface.
Can I wallpaper over paneling/brick or other rough surface?
Preparation: Remove all nails or other protruding objects. For textured surfaces, "knock down" any high points. For paneling, now is the time to ensure that the paneling is secure by adding additional nails. For slick surfaces/paneling, wash with TSP (TriSodium Phosphate) or equivalent grease cutting cleaner.
Now, you can hang bridging material. This is a thick, blank wallpaper designed for irregular surfaces. Once hung, this will "bridge" the grooves in paneling or other unusual surface allowing for the ultimate application of wallpaper or it can even be painted.
Alternate/additional advice: The application of joint compound to the grooves of paneling is an additional precaution when using bridging material. Some wallpaper installers use the "joint compound, then primer" technique instead of bridging material.
For ceramic tile or other slick/glossy surface, sand the surface with 200-400 grit sandpaper followed by rinsing with TSP. Apply a prep coat and then hang your bridging material. Examples of prep coats are Roman's R-35, Zinsser's Z-54, California Paint's Prep 'n Size, Golden Harvest's BITE, Muralo's Adhesium, Duron's Tack Prep, and Benjamin Moore's Wall-Grip.
You may obtain bridging material at most home improvement stores. You may find out more by visiting the following manufacturers online:
http://www.wallliner.com Wallcoverings
http://www.flexiwall.com http://www.hollingsworth-vose.com Hollingsworth & Vose
Imperial Home Decor Group
http://www.ihdg.com Sincol of America
http://www.sincolofamerical.com Specification Chemicals Inc.
http://spec-chem.com How do I paint over my wallpaper?
The best route is to use proper wallpaper stripping techniques first. Sometimes painting over wallpaper is preferred. Where wallpaper is adhered to unprepared drywall, this can be the only way to go.
Before deciding to paint over wallpaper, you should always attempt to strip the existing paper first. If after a valid, dedicated attempt at paper removal, it either causes wall damage or just refuses to come off, then you may take the steps for painting. This decision should not be taken lightly!
Wallpaper stripping over a properly prepared surface is actually easy to do. Stripping painted over wallpaper can be the worst case scenario and will cause you or the future homeowner problems.
Preparation is the key to painting over wallpaper. Remove any loose paper areas first. Then apply joint compound to any nail holes, seam areas, or other damaged spots. Sand these areas smooth after proper curing time. The more time you spend filling holes, patching, smoothing, and sanding, the better your end result will be.
Once you are finished your prep, close your eyes and rub your hand over the entire wall surface. Your hand will tell you where the errors are better than your eye. Without valiant efforts at preparation, it will look just like you painted over wallpaper.
Then apply a good quality primer/sealer such as Scotch Paint's Draw-Tite, Zinsser's Gardz, Roman's Liquid Drywall, Seal-Krete's waterproofing sealer, or Sherwin Williams' PrepRite Drywall Conditioner over the entire surface. Now your wall is 100% ready for paint or additional wallpaper.
How do I strip wallpaper?
The materials and techniques discussed, work on most types of wallpaper. Certain wallpapers require specialized techniques and may require professional assistance.
Wallpaper Stripping Technique
Start by stripping the outer face off of the wallpaper, sometimes this is a vinyl coating and other times, it is just a dense layer of paper. This should leave only the backing material and glue. Prepare a wallpaper stripping solution consisting of water and a little dishwashing detergent.
Wallpaper stripping solution should be sponged on the backing material and allowed to soak (re-wetting as necessary) for at least 10 minutes. A cheap garden-type sprayer will tremendously speed up the soaking process. Attempt to remove the backing material with a wallpaper scraping tool or alternately any flat bladed tool such as a wide putty knife. If this fails, re-wet the backing and allow to soak longer. The more you soak, the easier the job.
If the above stripping solution is not working well enough, you may also try a solution of 2 parts water to 1 part white vinegar and use the same technique. This stripping solution is only effective against wallpaper installed using wheat or starch based wallpaper adhesives. If the adhesive is unknown, use a generic stripper product.
If you have really stubborn wallpaper, obtain some Safe and Simple online
http://www.safeandsimple.com from your local home improvement store, and follow the bottle's directions to remove the remaining backing material.
If you plan on painting the area you just stripped, you must ensure that all the glue behind the backing is removed. To tell if there is still glue remaining, wet the wall and feel it. Any slimy areas mean there is glue left over.
To remove any remaining glue, mix 2 tablespoons of liquid fabric softener into a gallon of water and scrub. You must also carefully rinse the entire wall surface so there are no traces of paste or wallpaper stripper remaining behind, before you paint.
If your vinyl/dense paper facing does not want to peel off the backing, you may try to dry peel it off the wall which may or may not cause wall damage. Paper scoring tools can damage the drywall underneath the wallpaper, but are gentler on plaster walls.
Ensure you read the directions on the package for complete instructions, but a good rule of thumb is to let the tool do the work. Additional lateral pressure will cause undo damage to the wall surface. An alternate method is to use a razor to score a series of Xs into the wallpaper surface. This requires a careful touch as to not damage the underlying wall surface.
In some cases, the scoring and soaking steps will promote or enhance the stripping of the facing material, so after this step, attempt to removing the facing material again. If still no success, you will have to perform repetitive score, soak, and strip steps to remove your wallpaper.
Special Effects with Wallpaper:
http://forum.doityourself.com/showth...914#post654914 
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