Wallpaper Removal: A Practical Guide Before You Paint
By Dunwoody Painters ·
Why painting over wallpaper fails, how professional removal works, and what it costs.
Painting over wallpaper is tempting and almost always a mistake. Moisture in the paint reactivates the adhesive, seams telegraph through, and edges start lifting within months.
How professional removal works
- Score the surface where needed without cutting into the drywall.
- Apply a removal solution and let it dwell.
- Peel the face layer, then remove the backing.
- Wash all remaining adhesive off the wall completely.
- Skim coat any damaged paper face on the drywall.
- Prime with a stain-blocking primer before finish coats.
Why the adhesive wash matters
Residual paste is invisible when dry but causes crackling and poor adhesion under paint. Full removal of adhesive is the step DIY jobs skip most often.
What it costs
$3–$7 per square foot of wall area in metro Atlanta, depending on how many layers there are, how well the wall was primed originally, and how much drywall repair is needed afterward.
When covering is acceptable
If the paper is well adhered, seamless, and the wall is otherwise sound, a skim coat over the paper with an oil-based primer can work. We only recommend it when removal would destroy the drywall face.