Painting over wallpaper (in good condition)

Instructions

Note: For a visual of the steps below outlining how to prepare wallpaper for painting, please reference the PDF flowchart.

Carefully check and glue down any loose edges. Use Selleys Aquadhere PVA Glue
Fill all dents, defects and holes using Selleys Rapid Filla and lightly sand (use 220 grit zinc sterate sandpaper)
Seal waterstains, crayon and pen marks with Resene Sureseal (D42)
Apply Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer (D406)
Refer to Room Flow Charts
1. Repainting hallways, stairways, bedrooms and living areas
2. Repainting kitchens and living rooms – including open plan

Note: For more information on products, view the Product Data Sheet referred to in ( ) after the product name.

Wallpaper in good condition is easy to paint but once painted, the wallpaper will be more difficult to remove.
Some vinyl wallpapers will allow migration of plasticisers into the paint film and this will result in the paint remaining slightly sticky or tacky. Typically if a testpot is used during the colour selection process and it doesn’t get tacky then our other coatings will also be fine. However it can take upwards of three weeks for this tackiness to become apparent.
Use Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer over solid and paperbacked vinyl wallpapers.
Very occasionally you may have an otherwise sound paper with a metallic printed pattern. This will need sealing with Resene Sureseal or Resene Enamel Undercoat (D44) prior to painting.
Some edges may need sticking down and this is best done with Selleys Aquadhere PVA glue applied to both faces, left for at least 20 minutes and firmly pressed or rolled flat.
Small bubbles, often only apparent after the first coat of paint may be cross cut with a sharp blade and the edges glued down.
When stopping holes in wallpaper press in the surrounds with the handle of a putty knife prior to stopping the hole, otherwise you may be left with a lump on the surface.
You may find the junction of the skirting and wall difficult to cut in because papers usually slightly overlay the junction and a relatively ragged edge results. Often it is best to paint the skirting board and the wall the same colour for the most even finish.