Wallpaper has been out of fashion for several decades now. Chances are, the last place most people even saw it was at their grandma’s house. This decorative interior material once plastered nearly every suburban American home from the 1940s through the 70s. Today, however, you’d have a hard time finding a home that still dons wallpaper in any room.

If you’re one of the last keepers of a home with a wallpapered interior, congratulations. Unfortunately, there’s no prize for this. In fact, you most likely want to remove your wallpaper, especially if it’s old and designed with a different era in mind. Still, you might put it off because you worry about damaging your walls. Not to worry, some house painters will remove the stuff for you.

Should I Remove Wallpaper or Have it Painted Over?

When faced with the decision to get rid of old wallpaper, you may have the thought, “can’t I just paint over it?” The answer is, in most cases, yes. This doesn’t mean painting over wallpaper is the best move, however.

For one thing, you want to think in the long term. If you plan on staying in this home for years to come, you’ll have to invest in more interior painting down the road. By painting over the wallpaper, you’re shortening the amount of time you have between paint jobs. This is because paint meant for walls won’t adhere to wallpaper as well. Additionally, you’ll run into a similar problem in the future when you’ll realize that you still want to remove the wallpaper. At that point, though, you will have made it more difficult because it has a coat of paint over it, stiffening the material.

If you’re serious about peeling that layer off, it’s best to just get it over with. Again, your residential painting service can take care of this for you. They will examine the material and how it was applied initially in order to find the best method for taking it off the wall. Some areas might peel off easily, while others will need to be sprayed with a proper liquid solution and scraped away.

Then What?

Once your painting service has successfully removed all the old wallpaper, they can begin preparing to paint the walls. Before actually painting, they will have to first clean the walls and allow them to dry. Once dry, it is wise to sand the walls down to create a smooth, even surface and remove any leftover adhesive material. A layer of oil-based sealant paint should then be applied to the walls This will allow the paint to stick even better.

Finally, that new coat of paint can cover those bare, once wallpapered walls, and completely transform the look of your home. While not all painting companies will provide this service, many will, including All American Painting Plus, Inc. We’ll even repair your drywall, replace rotten wood, and much more. Give us a call at 703-620-5563, or email us at info@aapplus.com for an estimate!