Wallpaper over luan/ply

[acer66]

Hey,

Hope this is the right place for this question.

New to me house has a bad wallpaper job and underneath the wallpaper is old kinda rough plaster that has who knows how many coats of peeling paint on it.

Walls are getting wallpaper again.

Thought is to sheet over everything with either luan, underlayment or something similar.

Then spackle and sand joints smooth.

Roll on a coat of Weldbond or similar to seal the wood.

Then wallpaper it.

Has anyone done something like this and can give some more tricks and tricks?

Found very little info online which might be a hint.


Thank you.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Personally if it were mine and I was committed to NOT removing the wallpaper and working to improve the original plaster, I'd cover it with 1/4" drywall. It used to exist, I don't know if it still does and your local building supply can provide it most likely.
If you're going to go to the trouble of installing a new surface anyway - having to secure it, tape and mud the joints and paint it I'd use the proper materials instead - drywall. What about leveling electrical boxes to the new surface? Do you have a plan for that?

A hundred years ago (actually 1970 to 1977) I worked at Sears in Paint and Wallpaper and of course sold a LOT of wallpaper. It will be much more forgiving of painted drywall than luan plywood.

 

[captaindiode]

+1 on drywall. You can get electrical box extenders.

 

[The Cobbler]

luan wouldn't be my choice .

 

[Stuart in MN]

Is the intent to put the luan over the old wallpaper? I agree with using 1/4" drywall but either way I'd strip the old wallpaper first. You can rent a steamer for removing it, it's kind of a messy job but I think it's the right way to go.

(My house was built in 1913 and most rooms were wallpapered from new. None of the previous owners ever removed any, they just put up another layer. My living room had 11 layers of wallpaper, it was like an archeological dig removing it all.)

 

[DGersic]

Found very little info online which might be a hint.

Sometimes a good idea … isn’t.

Here you’re combining a task I’m not good At (tape & mud) with a task I despise (hanging wallpaper). I can’t think of a way to make this worse than by adding luan to it.

 

[CGT80]

What does bad wallpaper mean? That is very vague.

Is the existing wallpaper tight and not peeling or bubbled?

If so, I would prime with zinsser coverstain water based primer and then patch with hot mud, like 20 min fast set, sand, then prime again.

You could do a test with water based primer and if it bubbles, it will need oil primer. Oil cover stain is my choice.

Wallpaper just needs a sound surface

If it is all peeling off that is another matter. The problem with thin drywall will be that there isn't much thickness for screws and it is flimsy so may need glue too. Then you have even more mud work and primer to do before wallpaper.

I would be tempted to test how easily it removes with a steamer first, even though I'm a pro at drywall and paint. Wallpaper would never be an option for me. My uncle used to hang it but I only gave him a hand and didn't bother to learn it and instead did everything else for his painting company. Even in the mid 90s when I started, wallpaper popularity was declining.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I actually kind of like putting up wallpaper but maybe I'm just weird. I do think it should be used sparingly, like for a single room or maybe on an accent wall. It also depends on the age of the house, it's more appropriate in a 19th century home than a 21st century home.