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Painting rope-textured wallpaper?

Tracey Broderick

4 years ago

I am buying a house with very thick rope-textured wallpaper in the master bedroom. It seems to be in good condition, but Indonr like the color. Is it reasonable to paint it? Tips?

Thank you!

Featured Answer

Cavimum

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

That might be wall yarn or string yarn?

IF that is what it is, we painted ours and it looks fine. You have to seal it first with Kilz or similar product. The yarn soaks it up like a sponge, so it will use a lot. We had to go buy more. And only cut in small areas at a time then roll that area right away.

Works best when one person does the cut in and a second person comes right behind with the roller. Otherwise the cut-in area dries first and it will always be visible after it all dries. Paint store told me to do it this way and it went perfectly. All my neighbors hired painters to do theirs and you could see the cut ins Avery time. We never could see the cut in areas (what I call the do-be-do's) on ours!

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Comments (11)

branson4020
4 years ago
Nope. Needs to be stripped.
cat_ky
4 years ago
Cud you please post a picture?
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Thank you. Christopher - is cleaning unnecessary do you think? Lisa - the wallpaper in the room I want to do first is in in really good condition., The paper in the hallway is not, and there is a bathroom with awful pinkish wallpaper with fans on it, and a bright red rug, I just have no idea right now what to do about that. I doubt I'd bother to paint it as just a little coat of paint won't help it. We just use another bathroom for now because no one can stand to go in that one! Bossy - I get what your saying, but we have major things that need addressed first (we just had a huge retaining wall next to the house fail for instance), spending money and time on a cosmetic fix like drywall just isn't up there in priority right now, especially because it's complicated by really nice woodwork that could potentially be damaged by removing. However, I really don't want to look at the dark ugly wallpaper anymore and my kids really want their room decorated a way they like. This is work and money for a less than perfect solution but when I know the perfect solution is a loooong way off, it's acceptable to me. I don't want to be looking at this paper 5 years from now because we intended to get to it "soon". While I hope we can, I don't want to count on it at this point. When I married my DH the walls the bedroom in his house were painted over wallpaper. I never even noticed until he pointed it out to me, so I do have an idea of what it will look like if I can do it right.
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Tracey Broderick
Original Author
4 years ago
Here’s the room....I’m not in the house yet, so I can’t get much better detail on the wallpaper. The marbled color you see is mostly due to the thick roping....it’s actually a cool texture; I just hate the color.

Please note that is NOTy furniture.
Tracey Broderick
Original Author
4 years ago
Not ”my” furniture....
maddielee
4 years ago
That looks like it’s well done, maybe a type of grasscloth wallpaper (that is making a comeback). If you’re sure you don’t like it, yes it would be best to remove it before painting..
cat_ky
4 years ago
I asked for a picture, because, I was wondering about it being textured paintable wallpaper on those walls. I still cant really tell. Is it painted now?
Tracey Broderick
Original Author
4 years ago
String yarn/wall yarn? I have no idea, and the internet was not very helpful. The walls do feel like they have ornamental string on them, all the strands tightly packed together. I see this description also fits the definition of “grass cloth.” I’m not closing on the house for another two weeks, so I can’t get better pictures right now.

I don’t believe it’s painted, no, cat_ky.

I quite appreciate the painting description Cavimum.

This might become a bigger project than I should attempt before move-in....we will be painting a few other parts of the house, so I thought it might be good to try now.

But something I just read about grass cloth gives me pause....will cats really scratch on it? We have three cats. I’ve never seen them use a large horizontal surface....they instead choose things like the backs of chairs and certain rough hemp-like carpets. Anyone know? (Perhaps I should post someone lace else for this question. I’m new to posting. )

Thank you everyone!
Tracey Broderick
Original Author
4 years ago
Bother, auto correct messed up my “post someplace else”....
Cavimum
4 years ago
If it looks like it is made with a slightly twisted string or yarn, and you can pull them off one by one, it is not grasscloth. You can see the individual vertical strings. Both wall/string yarn and grasscloth were very popular in the mid 1980s, and I've had both, there is a difference between the two.

From the looks and coloring in your pic above, my money is on wall/string yarn. String yarn is fine, like 12wt. or 8wt. pearl cotton, or similar thick thread.
Tracey Broderick
Original Author
4 years ago
The strings are vertical, yes, so that fits. The pictures of grasscloth also seem to say that one can see the seams between pieces of grasscloth, and that’s not the case in my house.

I will check with a paint store to try and understand your painting suggestions. Thank you so much!

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