Can wallpaper based on paper be painted?
Paper wallpaper is one of the most common finishing materials for apartment walls on the market. Be that as it may, over time they deteriorate, and the appearance of the interior becomes not as presentable as after renovation. The owners are faced with the question: should they make a new renovation or just update the existing wallpaper? Since completely re-painting the entire room takes a long time and is quite expensive, we will talk about whether it is possible to paint paper wallpaper.
In fact, there are different opinions among professionals as to whether it makes sense to paint such canvases. There are such circumstances that there is no need to repaint wallpaper made from paper. For example, this applies to cases where their surface has serious external damage: it is severely torn, has cuts, etc. However, if the top decorative layer of wallpaper has been preserved relatively well, you may not need to completely re-glue the wallpaper yet, opting for repainting. Fortunately, this work can be done with your own hands. So, let's move on to a more detailed description of the painting process and everything connected with it.
How to paint correctly: step-by-step instructions
Painting begins only after the canvas has completely dried. This usually takes about a day after gluing. They work in the following order.
- Wipe the surface with a dry cloth, removing dust and other contaminants.
- The quality and color of the paint will first be tested on a small area. Allow the surface to dry and evaluate the color.
- If color is used or the paint is diluted, then mix the entire portion at once to obtain a uniform shade.
- When working with a spray gun, it must be pre-set by experimentally selecting the spray angle. A big plus of the spray gun is that painting does not damage the surface and the wallpaper can be repainted more times.
Advice! When working with a roller and brush, use a special tray. Paint is poured into it, and the roller is rolled over a flat surface until it absorbs the paint evenly. Excess paint is also squeezed out on the tray area.
- Paint the wall from bottom to top, evenly distributing the paint over the surface using a roller.
- Hard-to-reach places are passed with a brush.
- Most likely, it will not be possible to paint the surface perfectly the first time. Apply from one to three layers of paint, depending on the characteristics of the mixture and the texture of the wallpaper.
- Before applying the second coat of paint, the previous one must be completely dry.
Wallpaper not intended for painting must be prepared for work.
- Degrease the surface by walking over it with a damp cloth soaked in a solution of dishwashing detergent.
- Prime with a regular primer in one or two layers.
- Make sure the wallpaper adheres firmly to the wall. All air bubbles and loose areas are removed.
This is what concerns the technical side of the process. Now let's look at creative variations on how you can paint the walls.
Paper wallpaper for painting: what you need
So, in order to paint paper wallpaper, you will need a whole set of special tools and materials. Let's see what you need to take in order to do quality work yourself:
- Paint (preferably water-based). Its use prevents the wallpaper from getting wet, which guarantees a strong attachment to the wall surface. Thus, wallpaper based on paper will not peel off from its surface.
- Special coating with a water-repellent layer.
- Protection for baseboards (the optimal solution is masking tape).
- Equipment for applying paint (large and small brushes, as well as a roller). The pile on the roller must be selected taking into account the smoothness of the top layer of wallpaper: the smoother it is, the shorter the length of the pile should be.
Choosing the right paint
As far as the grain level of decorative paint is concerned, it can vary. The most generally accepted is the following classification of paints:
- Glossy.
- Matte.
- Satin.
- Semi-matte.
- Semi-gloss.
As a rule, the choice of a suitable dye depends not only on the aesthetic preferences of the customer, but also on which room of the apartment will be painted. In addition, such a parameter as the level of natural light is taken into account. So, for example, for a large living room, matte paint is best suited. As for a small dining room or kitchen, the optimal solution may be a glossy or semi-gloss finish.
Helpful advice! Among other things, in order to choose the right paint with which to repaint paper wallpaper, be it duplex or simplex, you need to take into account many more characteristics. For example, the ability to cover old paint, resistance to damage and exposure to light, resistance to moisture and detergents, as well as the environmental safety of a particular product.
As for whether it is possible to paint paper wallpaper using acrylic paint, we must boldly say that yes, this is completely acceptable and even recommended. In addition, do not forget about such options as water-based, latex, and alkyd-based dye.
Paint selection
A very important stage of preparation is the selection of paint; first you need to understand the classification of paint compositions, and they can be found as follows:
- semi-gloss;
- gloss;
- matte composition;
- semi-matte;
- satin.
There is no need to rush into choosing; it’s not just the names and type of paint, which has a different appearance and that’s all. It is necessary to take into account its operational capabilities and select it depending on the room in which it will be used. Another important parameter to choose is the absorption and release of natural light. Based on this parameter, for example, a matte paint is suitable for the living room, while a glossy or semi-gloss paint is more suitable for the kitchen and bathroom.
Advice! Don't choose just because of its beautiful appearance and good light absorption or light output. There are many more factors that should be given special attention, such as, for example, strength, wear resistance, resistance to moisture and chemicals, environmental safety, etc.
Also sometimes the question of painting with acrylic dye arises. This is allowed, and even recommended, but of course you shouldn’t lose sight of other types of paints. Most often, water-based compositions are used, but latex and even alkyd ones can be used.
Stages of work
Let's take a brief look at the main types of work that you will have to do to paint paper-based wallpaper.
Necessary preparation
So, preparatory work represents the first stage, the quality of which determines how successful the entire repair will be. Brush dust, remove dirt and vacuum the room. Cover the baseboards and other protruding interior parts (film or masking tape is suitable for this). A water-repellent coating can then be applied. Only after this protective layer has completely dried, which takes at least 24 hours, can you begin to prepare the paint.
Attention! In order to subsequently avoid lengthy cleaning, it is advisable to cover the entire surface of the floor with film or, as a last resort, newspapers.
Preparing the paint
So, above we looked at what kind of paint can be used to paint paper wallpaper for painting. Preparing the coloring composition is not difficult. To do this, just open a can of paint and mix everything thoroughly. If there is a need and the design of the room requires it, you can mix a color scheme.
Painting the walls: instructions
The preparatory work has been completed, the coloring composition is ready, and now we can move on to the main stage: painting. Here's a quick guide:
- So, direct application is done using a roller. As for corners, as well as hard-to-reach places, use brushes of different sizes.
- First of all, repaint those areas of the walls that will subsequently be covered with pieces of furniture, as this will help “get your hand.”
- It is best to start by painting the ceiling (if provided for by the project) or the upper part of the walls.
- After applying two layers of paint (you need to leave a few hours between them to dry completely), make sure that the surface is smooth and the layer is uniform. That's it, the repainting can be considered complete.
Be sure to watch the video instructions for proper painting:
Painting wallpaper for painting in two or more colors
If you want to create an original interior, you can paint the wallpaper in two colors. In this case, you can combine both similar shades (for example, pastel beige and pink or gray and blue) and contrasting ones (usually a combination of light colors and bright ones is used). Gradient coloring of wallpaper is also popular, which creates a smooth transition between similar shades.
Color options
Before choosing the most preferable method of painting wallpaper in two or more colors, you should decide what effect you want to achieve. The thing is that the classic style provides clear boundaries between the selected shades, while creative interiors can be created using arbitrary coloring.
Let's look at the most popular options for using paints on wallpaper:
- Horizontal painting in the form of alternating stripes of the same or different widths, or dividing the wall into two colors. The first option will create a bright accent and is usually used on one wall. The second one visually expands the space, but necessarily involves the use of dividers.
- Vertical stripes. You can run them along all the walls or highlight only some areas. This coloring option significantly raises the ceilings.
- Painting one wall a brighter or richer color than the main shade. This technique allows you to create an accent and zone the space. An interesting effect is achieved if you paint not only the wall, but also the ceiling in the chosen color.
- Creating gradient transitions on one or adjacent walls. Correctly selected shades will allow you to create a truly unusual and cozy interior.
- Frame design, which involves creating bright frames or inserts on plain surfaces. This technique is perfect for highlighting paintings, clocks, and televisions.
- Isolation of relief structures. You can paint niches or ledges a different color, which will significantly transform the room and give it depth.
- Division of space. This option allows you to select several zones in the room, for example, a study and relaxation area in the nursery. It is also actively used when decorating studio apartments. In this case, you can paint the kitchen area one color and the living room another. In this case, it is not at all necessary to mask the borders of the colors.
- Creating unusual geometry from two or more colors. Patterns of geometric shapes look very bright and stylish. As a rule, they are created on wallpaper pre-painted in one color. These can be not only classic circles, diamonds, cells and zigzags, but even strokes or waves.
- Creation of entire compositions. When painting wallpaper, you can create not just patterns, but real drawings. Imitation of clouds, sea, trees or something else looks very interesting on the walls.
Paintable wallpaper gives complete freedom of creativity. They allow you to turn the most daring design ideas into reality. At the same time, you can do all the steps yourself and make your interior truly unique.
Summarize
So, we hope that now you have a more detailed idea of whether it is possible to paint paper wallpaper and how to properly organize the entire work process. To give a brief summary, we can say that for a good result you will need to properly prepare the working surface of the walls, repair damaged fragments, and also make a special layer that is highly resistant to moisture.
Do not forget that when painting you must use acrylic or water-based paint, which is applied using special tools. When carrying out work, all instructions must be strictly followed. This will guarantee that the result of your work will please both you and all your loved ones.
Which paint is better to use?
If you decide to paint paper-type non-woven wallpaper with a convex figured pattern, you should choose a water-based dye that contains binding components (organic and inorganic). Widely used paints are acrylic, which have a number of positive properties: indelible quality of the surface layer, water resistance, and a wide choice of colors. If you need to choose a budget option material, it is permissible to take a PVA-based emulsion composition. It is worth considering that a cheap dye does not match the quality, it accumulates steam, and the palette of shades is minimal.
Tips: A latex suspension containing binding components adheres well to figured wallpaper. With this composition you can safely paint paper or duplex wallpaper. After its application, the canvas acquires gloss, does not fade in the sun, but, compared to acrylic, wears off faster.
The best option for painting paper wallpaper is water-dispersion paint. This kind of mixture is suitable for painting children's rooms, as it does not contain harmful components and is an environmentally friendly product. This dye dries within an hour. During the painting process, water-dispersion paint does not emit a toxic odor.
