Painting over textured walls or wallpaper: what to do

You can paint over a textured gotelé finish and, in some cases, over wallpaper, but the preparation is different for each. A gotelé finish can be painted with a long-pile roller, without much preparation. Wallpaper should only be painted if it is well stuck down, smooth and in good condition. Otherwise, it is better to remove it.

Painting over a gotelé finish

Gotelé is a finish with small raised bumps, made by spraying filler onto the wall. Many homes from the 1980s and 1990s still have it. You can keep it and simply paint it, or you can smooth the wall.

To keep the gotelé and paint over it

Vacuum it or remove the dust with a soft brush. The texture collects a lot of dust and cobwebs.
If the gotelé is dirty or greasy, clean it with a damp cloth, without rubbing too hard, so you do not knock off pieces.
Check for loose parts. Scrape them off carefully and fill those areas with filler.
Apply primer, if the wall is very absorbent or has stains.
Paint with a long-pile roller, which reaches the bottom of the texture. Cut in with a brush.

Allow for more paint than on a smooth wall, because the texture increases the surface area. The roller and brush use more, and you may need to touch up the deep areas with a brush. Gotelé also collects more dust over time, and is harder to clean once painted.

To smooth the gotelé

If you do not like the texture, you can smooth the wall. There are several ways, and not all of them are simple:

Scrape off the texture and skim the wall again with filler until it is smooth.
Cover the texture with several coats of filler and sand.
In some cases, the gotelé is on top of paint and can be dampened to soften it, then scraped off.

This job creates a lot of dust and takes time. Before you start, protect everything and wear a mask. If the house is old, be careful: in some older buildings, the covering materials may contain harmful substances. If in doubt, ask a professional for an opinion before scraping.

Painting over wallpaper

Painting over wallpaper is possible, but only when it is in very good condition. If the paper has bubbles, loose corners, tears or a pronounced texture, the paint will show all of that, and may even make the paper come away.

Do this test first: run your hand over the whole surface and check for loose areas. Try gently pulling at a corner. If the paper comes away easily, it is not worth painting over it.

If the paper is well stuck down

Stick down loose corners with adhesive made for wallpaper.
Fill small tears with filler and sand lightly.
Wipe off the dust with a dry cloth.
Apply a primer made for these surfaces. The moisture in the paint can make the paper swell, and the primer helps to protect it.
Paint in thin coats, with a suitable roller.

Vinyl or very glossy wallpapers are the hardest to paint, because the paint does not adhere well. In those cases, it is better to remove the paper.

When it is better to remove the paper

The paper is loose, bubbled or torn.
There are several old layers of paper, one on top of another.
There are signs of mould or damp underneath.
The texture is very pronounced and you want a smooth wall.

To remove it, dampen the paper with warm water, leave it to soak in and scrape with a scraper. Some papers come off in dry strips. Then wash off the leftover adhesive, let the wall dry and repair it before painting.

Tip: Before you decide, do a test on a small, hidden area, such as behind a piece of furniture. Paint it, leave it to dry for a day and see whether the paper has come away or bubbled. It is a simple test that can save you a lot of work.