in my old house in the hallway i have wallpaper which is not peeling, my wife wants me to paint the walls so i was wandering if i can paint over the wallpaper. do i have to use a special primer? i know i should take the paper off but my hallway going up the stairs is like 18′ high and i am getting lazy in my old age.
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Yes, you can paint over wallpaper -- you can paint over anything ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/7338423@N02/441564139/ ). But how well it turns out depends on a number of factors.
Wallpaper surfaces come in a number of compositions, from plain paper to a sort of varnished surface to a totally plastic surface. Adhesion (and the need for and type of primer) will vary depending on the surface.
How well it turns out also depends on how well the paper is installed/adhered in the first place (eg, seams flat and tight?) and the ability of the primer and paint to hide both the pattern and the seams. It can turn out pretty well in the right circumstances, but it can also end up looking like, well, painted-over wallpaper.
Keep in mind that painting wallpaper roughly doubles how difficult it will be to remove eventually.
Remember
Wallpaper can come loose with water. Prime with oil or a sealing quickdry latex. Similar to what you'd use to stop the fuzz and delam when you seal damaged drywall b/4 skimming with mud.