Going from wallpaper to paint?

[LinRTX]

Has anyone done this? The wallpaper in my kids bath is down--after 17 years of hot showers for 4 children in an unventillated bathroom the paper practically came down by itself. I had a few areas that also took some of the walboard off, but I have fixed those.

 

The problem is that I cannot wallpaper! What do I need to do to prep the walls to just paint them. I would prefer not to texture them.

 

Any suggestions?

[Pip]

Done it many times and have found many different surfaces under the wallpaper.

 

First, if the wallpaper was applied directly to the wall board, you need to prime it and texture it. If your texture is just troweled on you can use joint compound. Or you may have spray on like orange peel or knock down, which we have not attempted and had professionally done.

 

If your wallpaper was applied over texture, patch any holes in the texture and do a light sanding to remove any traces of wallpaper glue. You can get a thing that is a large sanding block on a stick and it should take about 15 minutes. This is not a heavy duty job. Then prime with a good primer (I way prefer Zinser over Kilz) and paint. Don't scrimp on the primer. A good one will seal your wall. Some people like to put an oil based primer in the bathroom because it is more durable than latex. However, it does not expand and contract as well as latex and can start chipping and peeling. The latest latex is just as good as oil.

 

Good luck!

[Stacy in NJ]

If you have drywall and have already patched it with compound and sanded, then just use a really good primer before painting. Ask at your local paint store for stain, moisture, and mildew resistant primer and paint.