PSA: my attempt to paint over old wallpaper went horribly wrong

I tried painting straight over the floral wallpaper in my 1950s Denver bathroom last weekend, thinking a thick primer would seal it just fine. By Tuesday morning the paper was bubbling up in three spots and one corner literally peeled off onto my toothbrush. Has anyone else dealt with wallpaper that just refuses to cooperate, or did I miss a step here?

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william9173mo ago

Yeah I learned that the hard way too. What finally worked for me was scoring the wallpaper with a tool and then using a steamer to get it all off before even thinking about paint.

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angela_coleman3mo ago

@william917 is right about steaming it off, but nobody mentioned checking if your wallpaper is vinyl coated. I had the exact same mess in my 1950s house in Oregon - scored and steamed like crazy, still wouldn't budge. Turned out the top layer was vinyl, so the steam couldn't get through to loosen the glue underneath. Had to use a chemical stripper just to break through that plastic coating before the paper would finally come off. Check yours by scratching an inconspicuous spot with a knife - if the surface resists tearing and feels plasticy, that's your problem.

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