Can I paint over lining paper? :: DIY By Design DIY Tips Blog Can I paint over lining paper? :: Posted by: Admin on May 9th, 2012 Can I paint over lining paper? A popular search that often comes up is, “Can I paint over lining paper?” Many people are not sure what lining paper is meant for or how to use it. This post will hopefully answer any of your questions about lining paper and its uses. What is lining paper meant for Lining paper has always primarily been used to give a smooth base in which to wallpaper over, however, a few years back wallpaper wasn’t fashionable and plain emulsioned walls, were all the rage but people soon realised that their walls were not that perfect, hence why they had the woodchip or embossed anaglypta or highly pattered wallpaper they had on the walls. So, the answer was to line the walls before painting them with emulsion. So yes, you can paint over lining paper. About ten years ago it was rare to hang wallpaper but very common to remove wallpaper and line the walls and emulsion them.

Even though plain emulsioned walls are still very common today there has been a return to wallpaper in the last few years and wallpapered feature walls have become very common, this is partly fashion but also cost, as wallpaper can be very expensive. Lining paper If you wish to emulsion your walls rather than wallpaper them but the plasterwork isn’t wonderful you can hang lining paper and then emsulsion over it, just remember, lininig paper will not give you wonderful smooth walls that are blemish free, it isn’t the quick and easy fix. You still need to fill and prepair the walls before lining them and you may still see some lumps and bumps. If this is the route you wish to take you need to know how to hang the lining paper. To cross line or not? Cross-lining is where the lining paper is hung horizontally rather the vertically like traditional wallpaper, normally if you are going to be emulsioning over the lining paper you could hang it as you would wallpaper, vertically. Once you have hung the lining paper you need to allow it to fully dry before you emulsion over it, this will take normally between 12 – 24 hours depending on drying conditions.

Cost and budget We are all budget conscious these days and have to budget for all expenses, decorating is no exception. The cost of wallpaper these days can make decorating a room expensive, lining your walls and emulsioniing them is a good alternative to paying out for wallpaper for the entire room, having a wallpapered feature wall can make a focal point in any room. The advantage of emulsioning your walls is that you can change the look and feel of a room fairly cheaply just buy buying another colour of emulsion, you can keep on trend with the colour of the year rather than the latest fashionable wallpaper trend. Ware and tear if you have young children or pets may also sway your choice, if you pay £30 upwards for per roll of wallpaper and the kids decide to draw all over it you may not be best pleased! If they do it to an emulsioned wall you may not be best pleased still but it can be sorted out quickly and cheaply buy painting over it. June 1st, 2012 at 1:13 pm Hello. I have walls papered with lining paper and then emulsioned (matt paint). The finish is excellent and the wallpaper is very firmly on the wall.

My question is: can I wallpaper over the top of this? I am converting the room into a child’s room and have found some great paper (black and white picture frames, for the child to draw/paint on) and want to just put this on one wall – not the whole room. Do I need to treat the wall first – or should I just strip the (perfectly good!) paper? Thanks! Admin December 6th, 2012 at 4:05 pm @Jo You can paper over emulsioned lining wallpaper, as long as the lining paper is sound there shouldn’t be any problems. No treatment is required before wallpapering. Sally January 24th, 2013 at 1:27 pm Hi I have painted lining paper a few times and find it soaks up the paint allot, someone told me you can use a mixture of flour and water to paint on before painting to save money! is this true or do you have any other ideas that would help? thanks! January 24th, 2013 at 1:42 pm @Sally I’ve not heard of that before, water and flour will make a paste, and a right mess!

Two good coats of quality paint should be enough to cover lining paper. Pete February 22nd, 2013 at 8:28 am Hi. I have just moved into a house with lining paper in the lounge. We want to paint it a different colour. Whilst the paper is fairly flat in most parts there are areas where it isn’t smooth-manily small areas of depressions where the plaster hasn’t been great when it was papered. My question is whether there is anything I can do over the top of the lining paper to make it smooth? Thanks February 26th, 2013 at 9:14 am @Pete Some people may say fill the discrepancies with filler, but this is a decorators nightmare for when it comes to removing the lining paper at a later date. Also if you fill over the paper you will more than likely rip it and rough it up trying to rub the filler down which will more than likely show more than the discrepancies you have now. The only real option is to remove the lining paper where the discrepancies are, fill the walls and re-hang lining paper. If your painting a light colour you may not see the discrepancies as much, so best left alone sometimes.

Gemma March 8th, 2013 at 8:09 am @Gemma Sadly lining paper will not cover the adhesive left from polystyrene tiles. You need to scrape it off or sand it, you may end up having to fill the ceiling also as you may damage the ceiling trying to get the adhesive off. I’ve had to do this many times. If you paper over it you will still see the lumps of adhesive show through. It maybe worth buying a heavy duty scrapper for a few pounds, these have a sharp blade and may tackle the job easier. sue March 11th, 2013 at 10:01 pm Hi, I have used lining paper for the hall, stairs and landing after I have filled and rubbed down. Can still see a few bumps etc… was told to put glue over the lining paper before painting as this would give a better finish… any feedback please? March 12th, 2013 at 9:20 am @Sue Not heard of this before, Sue, what kind of glue have you been told to use?

I would imagine you would end up with the emulsion lifting the glue and leaving a right mess? You can paste lining paper with paste before hanging wallpaper though. Monica March 19th, 2013 at 12:05 pm Hi, I found your post very informative and interesting. I’m from Poland and here the lining paper is not so known and commonly used as in the UK therefore I haven’t had any experiences with it before. I want to paint walls in my room but their texture is not perfectly smooth and it won’t look nice when covered with paint. I was looking for ways to smooth them but wanted to avoid sanding and that’s how I came across lining paper. I’ ve read that you can buy thicker one to smooth the walls and then paint them. However, my concern is that you will still be able to see the joints? Or if applied correctly no joints will be visible? Please advice:) Thanks! March 21st, 2013 at 10:09 am @Monica Lining paper is NOT a miracle cure and you have to prepare the walls correctly, this means sanding them down otherwise the uneven wall surface will show through the lining paper and show once painted.

Always prepare the walls before papering them. You can get thick lining paper (2000 gauge), this may lose some of the imperfections. Lining paper can shrink as it dries and the joints may show, My advice would be soak each length for a long time, a good 10 minutes, and soak each length for the same amount of time, butt the joints up and don’t overlap. If the paper shrinks, you can apply a surface filler in the joints and rub them down, but be careful you do not scratch up the surface of the lining paper. Tina June 25th, 2013 at 7:36 am @Simon Yes it could show, plaster has a very smooth finish whereas lining paper has a slight texture. Ideally all the wall should have the same surface before decorating. What is behind the lining paper on the top half, could this be taken off to leave plastered walls? Robert Wood July 10th, 2013 at 11:44 am Hello, The tilers have just finished my bathroom, three of my walls are half tiled.

I have removed the old lining paper with a steamer but underneath is paint which has been done several coats. Some of the paint has flacked off especially where the shower screen is going to placed and the walls are flaky in places.. There are also fixing holes in the wall where the old towel radiator was. Whats the best smooth filler to use? Should i pva the walls before lining over the flaked walls? Whats the ideal bathroom paint to put on linning paper. What linning paper grade would be best? Thank you July 10th, 2013 at 2:09 pm @Robert If you use a smooth over filler, such as from polycell, you should be able to get away without lining the walls. If you want to line the walls use a general purpose / interior filler to smooth out the imperfections before painting. You can use a diluted PVA solution to help seal the walls if the paint is very flaky. If you go the lining paper route or the smooth over route you could use a cheap white emulsion to seal the walls before apply 2-3 coats of bathroom paint, as this can be expensive.

As for the grade of lining paper, this depends on the walls it is going over but typically 1200 or 1400 should suffice. Vera July 13th, 2013 at 4:20 am Hi, I have very smooth emulsioned walls (matt) which I want to hang traditional pulp wallpaper on (Farrow and Ball type.) Do I still need to prime or/and line the walls to get a good result? Thanks July 18th, 2013 at 2:21 pm @Vera If the walls are smooth and in good condition you can simply wallpaper over the top of the emulsioned wall. A light sand down to remove and debris in the emulsion or on the wall should be enough. Alistair Lindsay July 28th, 2013 at 11:18 am Hi, hope you can help. I have given two coats of a coloured Matt emulsion to lining paper which had been painted much lighter, but it still looks really patchy. before I try a third coat, any tips. used a good quality roller with b&q own brand paint?

July 28th, 2013 at 1:36 pm @Alistair When you say it looks patchy, do you mean the colour hasn’t covered and looks patchy or is it the finish looks patchy? I have never used B&Q own brand paint so am unsure of it’s opacity, it may not be as good as some of the more well known brands so more coats would be required to cover. If the finish looks patchy try rollering in a random way, for example roller a letter ‘W’, sometimes if you roller in straight horizontal and vertical lines it can show as ‘blocky’. Also, make sure you lap over enough from when you re-fill the roller and try and keep a ‘wet’ line as you cover an area. Further reading: July 31st, 2013 at 7:49 am @Pam If you mean the backing paper left after removing the top of the wallpaper then I wouldn’t emulsion over it. It may of been loosened as the top of the paper came off, the edges may become loose and the moisture in the emulsion could lift this backing paper.

If you mean there is lining paper behind the wallpaper then depending on how much paste is left whether you paint it or not, again I wouldn’t as a rule. If you strip all the paper, let the walls dry and rub them down before painting, you shouldn’t have any problems. No, you need to use paste on a dry wall. keely October 1st, 2013 at 1:56 pm Hi I have just moved into a house and I have stripped 3 rooms in the house, the walls are really bumpy and have marks where the last owner must of tried filling and made a mess of it, if I sand these down and put lining paper up will it lessen the look of bumps and lumps, and I have heard that lining paper can bubble when painted is there anyway I can stop this from happening also what grade lining paper is best to use? Is the textured effect plain white wallpaper better to use? Thanks in advance October 3rd, 2013 at 2:59 pm @Keely If you rub down and fill the walls and then line them this will lessen the appearance of the bumpy wall.

If the prep work is done and good paste is used and paper soaked long enough the lining paper should not bubble when painted over. I typically use 1400 gauge lining paper. If the walls are rubbed down and filled you could simply paint the walls, this would save any lining paper issues, if your worried about them. Carolyn October 10th, 2013 at 9:34 am These are great information, thanks! I have very textured walls and wanted to paint one wall with chalk paint–but because of the bumpy texture, writing on it would not look good. I was thinking of putting up Masonite but researched and found that because it is porous, chalk markers would not erase. I love the idea of paper wall lining (I’m thinking it’s not porous), but would it be simple to paint over with chalk paint after installation? (And perhaps painting over and over again within the next 10 or so years?) A worker at the Home Depot told me the paint may weigh it down and slide off my walls.

:/ Jane October 22nd, 2013 at 7:30 am @Claire Leave it to dry and see if the bubbles go, sometimes when you emulsion over lining paper it can bubble but it can tighten up as it dries. If the bubbles do not go, you can take a sharp knife and cut the paper and try getting some paste behind the paper to stick it back. Anne October 30th, 2013 at 10:35 am Hi, I’m helping my daughter to line and paint the walls in her old house. The walls are uneven so the lining paper I put up had some gaps which I filled with a quick drying filler which can be painted over. Unfortunately I’ve marked the paper at the side of the gaps – not sure if it is excess filler or if I’ve scratched the paper when removing the excess filler. One coat of paint later, you can still see the marks on either side of the gaps. Do you think that a second coat of paint will cover up, or should I just bite the bullet and re-paper?

Thanks for any advice you can offer November 2nd, 2013 at 12:19 pm @Anne It sounds as if the filler may of been hard to rub down, some pre mixed fillers are, I tend to use powder fillers so I can mix up the consistency I require, in the case of filling gaps in lining paper a fairly loose mix so it is easy to rub down. I would use a small foam sanding block that wasn’t too abrasive to rub down the filler. Some sandpapers can be to harsh for rubbing down, as it sounds as you have found out. As I see it, you have two choices, use a power filler and re-fill the gaps and over the scratches in the paper, then rub down and paint (the filler may still show). Or re-paper, you could hang the lining paper over what you have just put up, just ensure the edges of the paper do not lay on the ones under it as it could lift the first lot of paper off at the joints. I’m not sure painting over a second coat, or third for that matter would cover up the scratched paper, but you could always try painting over the filled areas first to see how it looks. Hope that helps.

@Hayley Yes, it is OK to paint over the lining paper that has already been painted. As for changing colour, this post will answer that for you Tips for changing the colour of emulsion . Use a brush to cut in and a roller for going over the main part of the wall. Clif December 1st, 2013 at 2:04 pm 7 years ago in my living room I hung Vinyl. At some stage I peeled the Vinyl off, leaving the thin lining paper. I painted this as a ‘test,. couple of walls with plain white emulsion, relief walls with matt masonry paint (good quality).( all the paint was free ) I now intend to decorate and am thinking of hanging 1700 grade lining paper over the top and painting. Can you advise?..any forseeable problems??. My main worries are bubbling of the old paper and adhesion of the new. I might add that when hanging paper on bare walls, cause I take so long I paste both paper and wall.

December 2nd, 2013 at 10:04 am @Cliff If you are happy the backing paper you have emulsioned over is sound and well stuck there shouldn’t be any problems. If you are unsure, best to remove it then put lining paper up. Do you need to go over existing paper with lining paper, can you not just re-paint over them? Clif December 2nd, 2013 at 1:57 pm As the lining paper from the old Vinyl is very thin I thought I’d redecorate with nice thick lining paper BUT you may well have a point..I will have to inspect the whole and see. I like cheap. Not to advertise but Poundlands Toolbox Masking Tape , 4 rolls for 1 pound is ‘ Low tack’. as I stripped and varnished all the woodwork 1996 ( 500 hours kitchen and bathroom alone) I always mask up first and this makes it cheap and easy, they also sell a pasting brush for 1 pound, 8 pounds in Wickes !!.

Julie February 16th, 2014 at 1:00 pm Hi, I’ve just move in to a new house, the old occupaier has put lining paper over old painted walls. Then they have pained emulsion over the lining paper. The lineing paper is peeling from the top and all the wall feel like I can just ripe it off really easily. Why do you think this has happened? is there a why to fix it, or do I have to take it all off? February 17th, 2014 at 8:34 am @Julie The reason the paper is peeling off could be not enough paste used, wrongly mixed paste, badly prepared walls, if you can mix some paste up and stick the paper back you may be ok. However, the moisture from the emulsion when you paint the walls could loosen the paper even more. If it is that bad I would take it off and re-paper so I knew it would last OK.

Tieyan February 17th, 2014 at 4:22 pm Hi, we’re moving into a flat and have started lining the walls in the living room, hallway and one of the bedrooms but there seems to be quite a lot of bubbling coming through, one corner of the bedroom still hasn’t fully dried after days, although there was a bit of mould in that area which I treated with mould repellent, do you think there could be a damp problem? And if we paint over it will it still dry properly and could the appearance of the bubbles be reduced? Thanks. February 19th, 2014 at 8:50 am @Tieyan Sounds to me as if there is a damp problem, the route of this issue needs to be sorted before decorating can be completed, otherwise it is just a waste of time and money and the mould will grow back. As for the other bubbles in the room, not seeing them I can’t say the cause, could just simply be air, or maybe it wasn’t left long enough to soak, if you cut the bubble with a sharp knife, you may be able to get some paste behind it and stick it down.

Alternatively, the paper may have to be removed and new hung. February 19th, 2014 at 8:54 am @Jody Not seeing the area in question I can only assume the paper wasn’t left long enough to soak before hanging, or there is excess paste or air. You can try and piercing a the bubble and see what comes out, if it is air, cut with a knife and get some paste behind it and stick back. Adam February 20th, 2014 at 4:46 pm I have stripped wallpaper from two walls and found strips of polystyrene wall lining underneath. I am painting the other walls in the room. I don’t want to remove the polystyrene as it is useful where it is – can I stick lining paper over it and then paint the paper? If so what sort of adhesive should I use? Thanks. Janie February 21st, 2014 at 2:22 pm Heya. I was wondering why after I just painted lining paper with emulsion it started the peel off immediately at the slightest touch. The paint was dry, could it be to do with the paint that was under it?

I just moved in to this house and it seems like a very cheap matt magnolia was used very sparingly to cover the walls. Thank you x February 22nd, 2014 at 8:52 am @Janie Without seeing it, it is hard to pinpoint the problem. If the paint is peeling off the walls it sounds as if the first coat wasn’t done properly. If the paint is ‘powdery’ then the paste wouldn’t of adhered to the wall well. The other thing it could be is the paste on the lining paper, if it wasn’t a good quality paste or mixed wrong the moisture from the emulsion applied on the top of the lining paper could soak into the paper and lift the paper off the wall. This could be the case if the emulsion is ‘watery’ like some cheaper paints are. It may be a case of having to remove all the lining paper, ensure the paint on the walls sound and good condition, the re-line and repaint. Karen March 7th, 2014 at 5:04 pm Hi, I have just had a bedroom decorated, with matt paint over old lining paper.

In most of the room the finish is fine but on one wall it looks terrible when viewed from the side as you enter the room- incredibly patchy, with strange shiny places and dull bits. I have been over it now about four times and although it looks perfect when viewed face on, nothing is making any difference when looked at on entrance. It is a dulux matt paint in light and space range, and we have another from the range in another room which is totally fine. Could it be a problem with the lining paper? It looks horrible! March 9th, 2014 at 8:01 am @Karen It is hard for me to say without seeing it but it could be something on or under the lining paper that is affecting the emulsion, or how it is drying. As you say you have been over it four times it certainly isn’t a lack of paint that is the issue. A solution could be remove this one wall of lining paper to see if there is any issues on the wall, the re-line and paint.

Corrie March 23rd, 2014 at 5:42 pm So i have moved into my first flat and am going to paint the walls, when I started stripping the walls I found that four (2bedroom, 2sitting room) are brick walls. Now i know that they can be papered as i have just taken woodchip paper off of them, what i am wondering though is can I use a water based paint on lining paper without it looking tacky or will the paper just rip as I paint it.. also any other advice would be great. April 19th, 2014 at 11:33 am @Debbie As long as the lining paper is securely stuck to the walls, painting over it shouldn’t peel the paper off the wall, as for painting over the cerise pink read this post Vanita June 2nd, 2014 at 10:29 am I steamed my wall yesterday to take down some wallpaper that was not hung correctly. In the process of steaming the paint (that was stuck to the old paper) has also come off. I now have a bare plastered wall all be it in good condition.

My question is can I hang the new paper directly on the the plastered wall or do I need to primer and line the wall first, I want to finish the job this week as I have guest coming for the weekend and also work full time. I don’t want to spend a fortune as I had to buy more paper to correct the error. Vanita July 18th, 2014 at 4:04 pm @Alex Are they air bubbles? Could it be where the wasn’t enough paste and the paper has dried without sticking to the wall. Or perhaps some loose material on the wall? Or maybe filler that sucked all the paste up and allowed the paper to bubble. Have yo left the paper to dry after it has been painted? Sometimes it will shrink back as the emulsion dries. The only way to fix this issue if the above doesn’t work is to take a very sharp knife and to make a slit in the paper and by using a small paint brush get some paste onto the back of the paper and then push it back against the wall. You should also be able to see the reason for it bubbling or lifting.

Helen July 22nd, 2014 at 6:51 pm Hi! I’ve got heavy duty Rock lining paper on my walls. Three walls are painted and one has vinyl paper. As I’ve hated the vinyl since I put it up last year I’ve just decided to remove it and paint the wall instead. Some of the lining of the vinyl paper is left on the Rock paper. Is there a quick and effective way to remove this before painting rather than the labourious method of gently scraping that we are doing right now? Obviously any moisture is going to lift the Rock lining,I suspect. Many thanks. August 1st, 2014 at 2:17 pm @Christine I’m not sure I would hang wallpaper over woodchip. The texture will more than likely show through the wallpaper. But to answer your question, Wallpaper paste will adhere to emulsion, and it will not lift off the woodchip with wallpaper paste. sue August 19th, 2014 at 4:33 pm Hi, I have some ready mixed wallpaper paste left over in a tub from about 10 months ago.

It is good quality paste purchased with some harlequin paper as it was advised to use the “proper” stuff Question is I’m just about to line some other walls with lining paper, can I use this paste or would you advise I buy new? Thanks in advance. August 23rd, 2014 at 3:27 pm @Sue I would buy new paste. Lining paper needs to soak before hanging so a ‘mix your own’ paste is best. Tony August 25th, 2014 at 8:15 pm Hi, I have just stripped wallpaper from my lounge walls which has left rough plaster and flaking emulsion paint or bare plaster. The plaster is fairly sound and we want to paint over them. what can I Use to remove the wallpaper glue and what is best to flatten down the edges of emulsion paint left where it meets bare parts of plaster? I have been told that it may be easier to line with paper and then paint over this ? Advice please. September 6th, 2014 at 3:58 pm @Tony The best way is to use a sander on the walls once they are dry.

You can fill the flaking paint edge then rub down. You can also use lining paper to give yourself a sound base to work from. Dorothy September 28th, 2014 at 12:46 pm hi can you help please. I have anaglypta type paper in hall which has been painted would like to change colour but notice wallpaper coming away at seams can get couple of fingers behind will this be ok to be pasted down again or wont it work or will it need stripped as it is hall and stairs and we are pensioners we feel too big a job to strip September 28th, 2014 at 5:23 pm @Dorothy Best thing to do is buy some border adhesive, overlap adhesive, this comes in ready mixed pots, you only need a small pot. Take a 1/2 inch paint brush, easy the lifted paper away from the wall, a scraper may be useful for this, apply the border adhesive behind the paper and on the wall, leave for a minute or two, then gently press the paper back to the wall with a sponge and ease any excess adhesive out.

Wipe adhesive off the face of the paper, allow to dry for 12-24 hours, then paint Should do the trick, let me know!! sarah i December 4th, 2014 at 11:19 am @Catherine Yes you can paint over shiny (vinyl) wallpaper but it could need lots of coats of paint to cover and would need to be totally dry between each coat. There is also the possibility of the paint coming off as it will sit on top of the paper rather than soak in. Davey January 2nd, 2015 at 2:26 pm Hi there I’ve got walls lined with lining paper and decided the other night to repaint them, paint went on fine (in places) and I noticed some imperfections in the corners with bubbling. Anyway I painted over entire wall and all looked good, let it dry overnight and next day I’ve got what looks like cracking/broken egg shells like on parts of the wall? Any ideas why? And a fix? Thanks @Davey If I understand you correctly you have re-painted over lining paper?

The only thing I can think of is that maybe there was some grease or dirt and the emulsion has reacted with this? If this is the case maybe cleaning the affected area’s off and then repainting them. I could understand this kind of reaction if the walls were painted direct on to plaster and it cracking but I assume the lining paper had been up for a while and just repainted. cathy January 7th, 2015 at 10:20 am hi, I have a bedroom which was papered with embossed paper – two of the walls were plaster and two wood. I stripped the paper off the plastered walls ok but it wouldn’t come off the wood so I thought I would use thick lining paper and paper over the embossed paper. I then emulsioned the walls with 3 coats of paint. Everything worked except one strip of lining paper which came unstuck. I tried re sticking it with paste but it happened again. Is there a special adhesive I could use? I used very thick lining paper because I thought the thinner stuff wouldn’t hide the embossed surface. Would perhaps PVA work as an adhesive?

January 13th, 2015 at 2:11 pm @Graham You could gently rub the seams down, but be very careful otherwise you will end up with scratch lines rather than seam lines. You could feather them out with a filler then gently rub down, but again be careful about scratching the paper. roisin January 13th, 2015 at 6:50 pm Hi, I have just moved into a new house and want to start decorating. The walls are all painted without any lining/wallpaper underneath. I was thinking about either painting straight over, or hanging lining paper first and then painting over that. Obviously it’d be easier to paint only. But I was wondering what the advantages of lining are? Covering cracks, but does it also keep a room slightly warmer? And absorb sound to make it a little less echo-y? And if we do line the walls, can we do it straight over the paint?

Thanks, Roisin January 31st, 2015 at 2:25 pm @Roslin The main usage of lining paper these days is to hide small hairline cracks, although lining paper is mainly used for creating a good sound base to wallpaper over. If the walls are good and miner repairs needed simply painting is the way to go, as for it’s acoustic and thermal properties, there are specialist papers for this although any paper would help. If you do line the walls you can paint over the existing wall finish, as long as it is sound. candy February 16th, 2015 at 3:44 pm I have removed old wallpaper from walls that have had wallpaper lining applied to the walls. Do I need to remove the old liner and reapply new? The walls have paneling so need some type of lining before new paper is put up. If I can use the old liner should I apply sizing so new wallpaper sticks? @Jason Allow the emulsion dry completely before doing anything, the paper may tighten back up. If it doesn’t tighten up use some border / overlap adhesive to stick back, you may have to use a sharp knife to cut the bubble to apply adhesive.

jon b March 29th, 2015 at 5:32 pm Hi there you may have already answered this but I’m not sure so I apologise. I am wanting to use lining paper in my hallway, stairwell etc. My walls have the odd scratch and holes on them so i filled these. The walls also have large areas where paint has peeled in the past. I have scraped of most of the peeling paint as far as it is peeling but I am now left with a slight uneven surface. I have now painted over all of these walls with white matt emulsion hoping that lining paper will cover these imperfections. And am wondering whether there is any more I need to do before putting up lining paper which I will be painting after? Also do you have any tips/links for fitting lining paper? Many thanks for all of your information. May 30th, 2015 at 4:14 pm @John It sounds as if it could be the old paste, did it have a good rub down before painting? You could line the walls and then paper over them, or give the walls another rubdown to ensure they are smooth, then paint the walls again.

If you line the walls the old adhesive shouldn’t cause any problems. chris June 4th, 2015 at 12:11 pm Hi, We have lined the walls of a new build making sure to size them first. The paper has been up for well over a month due to changing minds over the emulsion colour so is fully dry. However we’ve started to paint and the lining paper is coming away? Any ideas? Stacey June 4th, 2015 at 12:16 pm I have a large crack in my wall which has caused the painted lining paper (put on several years ago and otherwise adheres really well to the walls). Can I just fill it in or do I have to strip the paper too. I am planning to just repaint the walls and suspect the plaster is not 100%under the lining paper although the walls apart from the crack look fine. June 4th, 2015 at 8:06 pm @Stacey If you fill over the paper you aren’t really sorting out the issue. The filler really needs to go into the crack. Rake out crack and fill.

It is always best to remove paper rather than fill over it. You could also damage the lining paper as you rub the filler down or fur it up, this would then show. Derek June 22nd, 2015 at 12:09 am Hi, I believe it is ok to wallpaper over emulsion painted lining paper but can you size the lining paper to help slide when hanging the new wallpaper Hi, I’ve got two short questions; 1) I’ve removed the wallpaper in my living room, and what’s left is what I *think* is lining paper. How can I be sure it’s not backing paper? Is there a way of telling? 2) The rest of the living room is painted on lining paper. Can I re-paint that (it’ll need several coats as it’s a very dark colour, and we’re going for a much lighter colour), or would it be best to strip the painted lining paper, apply new paper and then paint? Thanks in advance, and apologies if these questions have already been answered before.

July 2nd, 2015 at 4:15 pm @Esme Lining paper is thicker than backing paper so the only real way is by looking and deciding which one it is, sorry no real way of knowing. You can paint over the rest of the lining paper, use a cheapish white or an obliterating emulsion to block out the colour, one coat maybe enough, then two of the new colour. If the paper that is on the wall is OK, I wouldn’t change it Esme July 2nd, 2015 at 4:29 pm Thanks for your fast response! I’ll have a proper look at home. The paper left on the wall is pretty smooth, without any traces of adhesive. It’s also the exact same width as the removed wallpaper, so I’m fearing it might be backing paper… :/ I guess I’ll try one or two strokes of lining paper over them and see how that goes. If it doesn’t come off, it’ll be good enough for me. Thanks again! If they were not there before you painted they should dry out OK.

Amanda July 28th, 2015 at 11:50 pm I pulled down some wallpaper in a room I am repainting, as it was peeling and quite a mess. We found that there’s lining underneath. Some of the liner came off when we pulled the wallpaper down,but most of it stayed on. Will it be ok if I scrape the peeling parts off and paint over? I am worried that it will peel or BE a completely different color when all is said and done! -Thanks gonk August 10th, 2015 at 10:21 pm hi – The bedroom wall has paint over lining paper – seems in good nick, but the paint has quite greasy hand prints etc. Should I clean the lining paper with sugar soap or will that damage the lining paper? cheers August 14th, 2015 at 2:06 pm @Ruth It’s depends I guess, how much it will be used, it could get scratched a lot by the chalk? The paper should withstand it OK. Another solution is line walls and fit a board to the wall?

Andy August 23rd, 2015 at 6:33 pm Hello, I’ve peeled the vinyl wallpaper off my bedroom wall and have exposed the backing paper. It is well stuck down and smooth. Can I emulsion over the backing paper or should I remove it to reveal the bare plaster beneath (no lining paper) and then paint the bare plaster instead? Many thanks:-) August 30th, 2015 at 4:48 pm @David You can use an acrylic paint, but I tend to use a bit of the colour I am going to paint the wall with to go over the filler, then a good two or three coats over the paper. As it is new paper it will soak in a fair amount. Kags September 4th, 2015 at 5:54 pm Hi, The house I’ve moved into had a lot of marks/stains on the walls. I cleaned them all with sugar soap and painted with emulsion and while it does look a lot nicer there are still visible marks coming through the paint. If I hung lining paper and painted that would this make a difference or would the marks just show through this as well?

Kind regards Kags September 17th, 2015 at 3:43 pm @Kags It depends on what type of marks they are. If it is water stain, damp or mold you need to sort this first. You shouldn’t need to hang lining paper to cover marks. Chris September 21st, 2015 at 2:12 pm We have recently painted over lining paper. My wife has always used quite a small brush for emulsioning and never had problems before but this time even and after 3 coats, (one of a colour selected in error and 2 of the correct colour) there is significant shading. It almost looks as of you can see the brush strokes in the paint. When viewed from front on it is not as bad but on the stairway with a side on view it is very noticeable. Is it possible that a roller would be more suitable and do you think a further coat would solve the problem? The paint has been on for 2 months now so is completely dry despite the number of coats!

September 23rd, 2015 at 3:16 pm @Chris Yes I think a roller would solve this problem, I find it far easier and quicker to cover large areas with a roller, it also avoids the shading or patchiness you mention. mark October 5th, 2015 at 4:26 pm I have a papered ceiling in my lounge which is an embossed anaglypta type paper painted in white emulsion. i want to change the paper for a different patterned/embossed one. the ceiling paper is sound but i’m not keen about stripping it off as i’m not sure of the state of the ceiling underneath (it does look sound though)- i think it may be lathe and plaster and i dont want to open up a can of worms when i strip the paper off! so i was wondering about papering over it. i was thinking of lining it first and then putting the new paper up so the original embossed pattern wouldnt show through the new paper. i know you should really take the old paper off first but do you think this would work?

October 7th, 2015 at 6:49 pm @Mark The more layers of paper the more likely you are going to have problems. Will the new paper definitely cove the old pattern? If it was my house or job I would take it off and start from scratch. mark October 9th, 2015 at 10:29 pm been thinking about it and i’m actually not sure about papering over anyway as the original embossed pattern may leave some air pockets under the lining paper so i think i’m going to have to bite the bullet with it and strip the old stuff off. Thanks for the reply though. October 28th, 2015 at 2:21 pm @David Yes I don’t see why not. I prefer to use masonry paint or a oil based paint in porches if possible as they can get dirty or cold and damp. james litterick November 6th, 2015 at 7:13 pm i was wondering about your opinon of plaster paint.

i have recently moved house and i have had to strip all the walls in the entire house as the previous tennant has intentionally pealed off one strip of wallpaper in each room so they are all stripped now and i was intending on puting up 1000 grade lining paper and then painting. however i have read some good reviews about lining paper as an alternative? any thoughts. also is 1000 grade lining paper ok as im new to decor and im a little worried about hanging lining paper and making a mess. November 7th, 2015 at 3:46 pm @James If the walls are OK, do some prep work and simply paint. If the walls need lining 1000 grade is thin but could be OK. whatever grade you use make sure you soak it for around 10 minutes each sheet and use plenty of good quality paste. Neal November 14th, 2015 at 9:55 pm The walls in a number of our rooms have hairline cracks that are visible through the old lining paper that has been emulsioned over by the previous owners. I stripped the lining papers and repaired the cracks .

We also had rewiring and had casings done and replastered. End result is that we have a number of 4 inch vertical and diagonal areas of exposed plaster whilst remaining areas of walls have pretty sound lining paper. Should I: Strip all Lining paper off? Patch the areas with strips of lining paper Use thin coat of filler to try to level strips to remaining sound lining paper Before repainting. November 15th, 2015 at 9:13 am We have recently bought a new house, I think it’s either Edwardian or Victorian. We have had the master bedroom, bathroom, hallway, landing, stairs and reception rooms stripped of their wall paper, and have found mixed things underneath. I have a few questions: 1. The master bedroom has horizontally placed lining paper which seems in good condition but has been ripped in some areas when the wallpaper was removed, should we remove all of the lining paper and start again? Or just replace the. Torn or scuffed areas with sections of new lining paper? 2.

The bathroom walls are back to a mixture of original lime plaster and then modern plaster that has ben skimmed in the bottom half leaving a ledge, I do not want to put lining paper in the bathroom, what is the best way to prep the walls before painting to get an even finish? 3. The reception rooms are back to the old lime plaster, this is a little uneven and rough, is it best to replaster or just line over this? In some areas the plaster has been pulled away leaving defects. 4. The hallway, landing and stairwell seem to be in slightly better condition, possibly more modern plaster, with a dadoe rail in place, is it best to just sand, prep and paint or would lining paper be best? Our decorator seems to want to just line everything, but has not mentioned prepping the walls at all first! I would really appreciate any help or advice you can offer, thank you! November 19th, 2015 at 5:15 pm @Laura Obviously your decorator has seen it, it is hard for me to say. Lining the walls will help ‘hold’ everything together as it were, and hide some of the defects in the plaster.

sarafina samuel November 27th, 2015 at 11:33 am Hi, I recently just remove the previous tenant paper to discover how terrible the walls are. I am actually trying to save money, so I am looking the easy way out. I was told I can cover the walls with lining paper and paint over it and that’s job done. Is it this simple. I just want to see the walls looking a bit better, that’s all. can you advice, Rony November 28th, 2015 at 12:56 pm Hi there. I’m about to decorate my bedroom walls which have previously had vinyl silk painted on them (direct onto plastered walls). Who ever did the painting before did it with a brush so there are A LOT of brush marks giving a poor visual finish. I don’t want to roller over this as these brush marks will just show through again. I would like to hang lining paper and then put matt emulsion over that but my question is, Can you hang lining paper on vinyl silk walls ? My concern is that because the paint has quite a shine on it, the paste/paper wont stick. Thanks in advance.

January 22nd, 2016 at 2:42 pm @Paul I would think most likely it is something behind the lining paper. I wouldn’t think it is either the paint or paper at fault? Could there of been something on the wall before papering? Best to stain block it a re-paint / touch up this area. Anna February 1st, 2016 at 12:57 pm Hello, First of all, I would like to say that I found your website very helpful and informative. Apologies if you had answer this question, but can I paint over painted lining paper if there are marks on it, such as something was taped to the wall and when they took it off it ripped out a little bit of lining paper. Also, as this is an old lining paper how do I deal with raised bumps which are already there. Thank you @Anna Glad you like the site, and will share with your friends You can paint over previously painted lining paper, where tape etc has been removed and torn the paper use a fine surface filler to fill these in, rub (gently) smooth and then paint.

As for the raised bumps I’m guessing it is filler or rawl plugs under the paper, not as easy to remedy unless taking lining paper off and re papering. You could cut lining paper around the bump and remove to see what it is, then rectify it and fill over it before painting. Anne February 11th, 2016 at 6:11 pm Hi, a few years ago, I had a decorator put up lining paper and then he emulsioned it. Today, I emulsioned it and some of the seams have opened up. Why did this happen and what is the best way to stick them down without makin a gluey mess. Thank you. February 25th, 2016 at 2:22 pm @Carl Yes it is Ok to paint over silk emulsion. Sometimes the paint you apply may crack, I say sometimes as this has only happened twice to me in 20 years, you can key the surface to remove some of the sheen before painting.

Neil moore March 5th, 2016 at 2:43 pm We’ve just moved into a flat which has textured Anaglypta,we cannot strip it because it’s stuck onto plasterboard. When we have tried the board paper and plaster start to come away. Could we put thick lining paper onto it to make it smooth and then paint it. March 18th, 2016 at 3:46 pm @Neil I never paper over paper. Soak the paper well, leave it for a while, then soak it again. Then leave again and try then. If the paper is soaked it should come of, just take your time and go carefully not to damage the underneath. Bernie April 7th, 2016 at 10:53 am We have just removed the wallpaper and its backing paper in our lounge. The walls are stud partition with plaster board. The plaster board has been painted sometime in the past. We have used a scraper to remove the paint that was flaking, but where the paint is still sound there is a ‘ridge’ between the remaining paint and the bare plasterboard.

We want to emulsion the walls but know that these ridges will still be visible. Short of applying litres of paint remover or trying to lightly smooth the edges with filler and risk rubbing off the surface of the plasterboard do you have any suggestions. Is lining paper the only solution? @Jane It’s hard to say not seeing it for myself. Was the paint shiny before it was painted over? When you say wiped off, did it peel of come off on a cloth for example. What was it over painted with. My only guesses are the new paint was a non vinyl and it is coming off when damp and wiped, or the original paint was shiney and it the new paint is peeling off, this could be because the surface wasn’t prepared. But like I say hard to say without seeing. The solution I’m guessing would be to either repaint in a vinyl or bathroom paint, strip lining paper off and re-line and paint. Paul July 3rd, 2016 at 5:18 pm @Paul Was there any adhesive left on the face of the paper? If a ready mixed paste was used and left on the face of the paper it may cause a problem. Hope you get it sorted.

Fran July 5th, 2016 at 4:50 pm Hi my son has decided to paint the room in his flat the walls were cream colour beforehand and he’s painting them white now using a Matt emulsion.. I think he has used too much paint because a large area has come away .. He’s made the mistake of peeling the paint off thus taking the lining paper off and revealing the plaster underneath.. Now will this area have to be lined again or could he just wait for it to totally dry and sandpaper down the edges of the paint and re paint the area ? Any help is very much appreciated.. Thank you July 9th, 2016 at 1:58 pm @Fran The best solution would be to re-line. Filling and or sanding down the edges may still result in the patch being visible. Iain August 9th, 2016 at 12:04 pm Hi, I’ve just lined a room that was previously painted with a gloss type paint in years past with lining paper (vertically) ahead of emulsion. However, my wife has now seen a wallpaper she wants to put on one wall that is a paste-the-wall type.

I’m no fan of wallpapering as it is and have never used PTW before. Can I use it as directed without fear of a massive foul up, or should I treat the application differently somehow (e.g. just paste it as normal)? I’m concerned that the lining paper will make for an unstable base once soaked with adhesive again. Thanks. August 10th, 2016 at 3:22 pm @Iain As long as the lining paper is stuck well and dry it should be OK to paste the wall. I prefer to paste the paper myself even for paste the wall, but it’s personal preference really. Carole August 23rd, 2016 at 12:31 pm Hi We’ve just decorated my sons bedroom with lining paper but there are still patches of wet paper in odd areas.(24 hours ago)Some of the areas that are still wet were painted with a damp seal paint but some have dried . When will we be able to paint the walls and will it affect it if we paint over the wet parts. Thanks August 25th, 2016 at 11:43 am @Lionel Roller.

Brushes can leave it patchy, stripes and brush marks. Rollers will give s far more even coat. And it’s quicker. Lyn August 25th, 2016 at 6:27 pm Hi I’ve stripped very old, emulsioned embossed wallpaper off my parents bedroom wall today and discovered even older (but well done) painted lining paper underneath. I’m happy to paint over this but it is covered in gunky and sticky old wallpaper paste. Can you tell me the most effective way to remove this? I’m thinking sugar soap, but would I need to rinse it off before painting? I don’t know what the paint is on the lining paper but it must be at least 40 years old. If I do manage to remove the old paste, would a modern matt emulsion react to it? Many thanks! August 25th, 2016 at 9:32 pm @Lyn Sugar soap should remove old paste. Be aware that with the amount of water used may lift the lining paper. If it’s still sound when you have removed paste allow the wall and lining paper to dry fully for 24-48 hours before emulsioning. Should be ok.

Suzy September 4th, 2016 at 9:47 pm Hello! I’m renovating an old Victorian cottage that has thick lining paper on the living room ceiling which has several ripples/ long bubbles. Can it be repaired or do I need to strip it all off? I’m worried that it might take off the old lath and plaster with it and could be a big job as remainder of room is covered with lining paper too… Any advice gratefully received! September 5th, 2016 at 1:42 am Hi. I have a good idea of what to do from all of the great answers here. However, I just want to make sure that I understand completely what it is that I need to do. Our family room walls were paneled; actually more of a wide bead board, and the indentations are minimal, much less than 1/4 inch. We’ve removed two walls of paneling and scraped off the very old wallpaper. The walls are not in great shape so we are going to patch, sand and apply liner paper. A few questions: After applying the liner paper, we are going to paint using a similar color to compliment the wallpaper, in case of any gaps.

Do we need to apply anything else to the painted liner before wallpapering? Do we have to apply sizing after painting, or can we paste and wallpaper directly onto the painted liner paper? We are thinking about leaving the bead board up on one wall and covering it with the liner paper and then applying the wallpaper. Do we need to apply anything to the beadboard first? It is in good condtion and I don’t think that the lines in the beadboard will show through the liner paper. Thanks very much.

Question: What name, from the Greek for 'in low relief', is given to a plain white wallpaper with a raised pattern which can be painted over?
Answer: ANAGLYPTA