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Paintable Wallpaper That Actually Hid My Rental's Wall Cracks
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items Staring at hairline cracks, bumpy drywall, and patched holes you can't sand because the landlord will lose it? I spent two years covering wall damage with tapestries like a college freshman before I figured out paintable wallpaper exists. If you rent...
Sections
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Textured Paintable Wallpaper for Cracked Walls
Wall Repair Supplies Before You Hang Anything
Wallpaper Adhesive and Hanging Tools
Paint That Works Over Paintable Wallpaper
Wallpaper Removal Tools for When You Move Out
Accent and Decorating Extras for Wallpapered Walls
Textured Paintable Wallpaper for Cracked Walls
The cracks in my bedroom wall were visible from across the room. I tried spackle, I tried thick paint, nothing worked. These wallpapers went right over the damage and nobody can tell.
Throw this over hairline cracks and they vanish. I had three long cracks running down my hallway wall and after hanging two rolls, a friend asked if I'd gotten the walls replastered. Perfect for renters who can't call a contractor.
Berkeley Paintable Anaglytpa Original Wallpaper
Use this one if your walls have that old plaster bumpiness that makes every shadow look like a crack. The damask pattern disguises imperfections so well I stopped noticing the drywall patches underneath.
Brewster Jan White Damask Paintable Wallpaper
Grab a roll if you want something subtle. The bark texture is barely noticeable once painted but it hides small dings and nail holes like nothing else. Went up in my bathroom and survived a full humid winter.
Graham & Brown Paintable Wallpaper in ...
My ceiling had water stain rings from a leak the landlord ‘fixed’ two years ago. Slapped this up there with a friend on a Saturday and it looked brand new by dinner. Anyone in an older apartment needs this.
allen + roth Paintable Wallpaper at Lowes.com
Try this for walls with deeper gouges. The stucco texture is thick enough to cover patches where previous tenants clearly ripped out shelving anchors. Two coats of paint on top and it blends right in.
Venetian Stucco Texture Paintable Wallpaper
Keep this one on hand for accent walls or small sections. It's smooth enough to look like fresh drywall once painted. I used it behind my bed where the wall had three different shades from bad patch jobs.
Superfresco Plaster White Paintable Wallpaper
Wall Repair Supplies Before You Hang Anything
Learned the hard way that slapping wallpaper over a crumbling wall just makes it peel off a week later. Fifteen minutes of prep saved me from redoing an entire wall.
Smear this into any deep cracks before wallpapering. It goes on pink and dries white so you know exactly when it's ready. Saved me from sanding too early and making a bigger mess on my bathroom wall.
DAP DryDex 8 oz Pink/White Dry Time Indicator Spackling
Use this if previous tenants left holes big enough to stick your finger through. Took me ten minutes per hole and the mesh patch held perfectly under wallpaper. Way cheaper than calling someone.
3M Fast Fix Patch High Strength Large Hole Repair Kit
Brush this on before hanging wallpaper, especially on patched spots. Skipping primer is why my first attempt in the kitchen peeled off within a month. Anyone working with older walls, do not skip this step.
Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer-Sealer White
Squeeze a line along baseboards and corners where cracks always show up. Dries fast, paints over clean, and stops those annoying gaps from reappearing every season. Wish I'd bought this before wasting time on wood filler.
Red Devil 0746 10.1 oz. Painters Caulk, 1-Pack, White
Grab this for cutting in primer along edges. Cheap brushes left bristles stuck in my primer coat and I had to sand them out. This one is worth the few extra dollars, especially for tight corners near door frames.
Customer reviews for Purdy XL Glide, 2 in. - Paint Brushes
Tape off trim and window frames before priming or painting over wallpaper. Regular masking tape pulled my paint right off the trim when I removed it. This peels away clean every single time.
FrogTape Multi-Surface Painter's Tape 1.5"
Wallpaper Adhesive and Hanging Tools
First time I hung wallpaper I used the wrong glue and it bubbled up like a science project. These are the exact tools and paste that finally made it stick flat.
Switch to this if the paste that came with your wallpaper isn't holding. I went through a nightmare with generic adhesive that never fully dried. This one grips in hours and stays put through humidity changes.
Roman PRO-880 Ultra Clear Strippable Adhesive
Try this for heavier textured wallpaper that keeps sliding down the wall. Applied it with a roller on my living room wall and the paper hasn't budged in eight months, even near the radiator.
Zinsser 02874 1 Quart SureGrip Universal Wallcovering
Run this across every section after hanging to push out air bubbles. My first wall looked like it had acne until I started using a proper smoother instead of my hands. Takes thirty seconds per strip.
Shur Line Shur-Line Wallcovering Smoother & Straight Edge
Use a fresh blade to trim wallpaper at the ceiling line. Dull scissors left my edges ragged and I had to caulk over the mess. Snap off a segment for each cut and the lines come out perfectly straight.
ALLWAY TOOLS Do it Best Snap-Off Knife Blade
Measure twice, seriously. I wasted an entire roll by eyeballing lengths and cutting strips too short. This one locks in place so you can measure wall height solo without anyone holding the other end.
STANLEY Warranty information
Pair this with a standard roller frame to spread adhesive evenly. Brushing paste on by hand left thick spots that showed through the wallpaper as lumps. Even coats mean zero bubbles.
Wooster Brush R206-9 Roller Cover 3/16 Pack of 4
Paint That Works Over Paintable Wallpaper
Not every paint plays nice with wallpaper. Some cracked, some peeled, one turned sticky in humidity. These actually dried smooth and stayed that way.
Rolled this over wallpaper in my hallway where the kids drag their backpacks along the wall. Six months later, not a single scuff mark showing. Worth it for anyone with a high-traffic entryway.
Walmart Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Interior Satin Enamel Paint
Get this if you want that fresh, bright white wall look over textured wallpaper. One coat covered the wallpaper pattern enough, two coats made it look like a brand new wall. Dried with zero streaks.
Valspar 028.0012002.005 Paint & Primer Interior Satin
Grab a quart for small sections or touch-ups. I keep one in the closet for when a corner starts showing wear. Dries fast and matches the sheen of whatever you already put on the rest of the wall.
Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover Gloss Latex Paint
Try the matte finish if your walls have slight waviness under the wallpaper. Satin and gloss finishes highlight every tiny imperfection, but matte absorbs light and hides what's underneath. Learned that after painting one wall glossy and regretting i...
KILZ TRIBUTE Paint & Primer, Interior, Matte
Use this when you're tired and want to skip a step. The built-in primer sticks to wallpaper without a separate base coat. Did my bedroom ceiling in one afternoon and collapsed on the couch by 4pm.
Glidden One Coat Cool Concrete / Beige Flat Interior Paint
Splurge on this for rooms where you want the finish to last years. Applied it over wallpaper in my dining room and it still looks wet-smooth eighteen months later. For anyone sick of repainting every spring.
Dutch Boy® Platinum Plus® True Black Semi-Gloss Interior
Wallpaper Removal Tools for When You Move Out
Rental deposit on the line? I panicked about removing wallpaper until I realized the right tools make it peel off without damaging drywall underneath.
Point this at the wallpaper for about 30 seconds per section and it practically slides off. Saved my security deposit when I moved out of my last place. Way faster than soaking with a spray bottle and scraping for hours.
Wagner 725 Wallpaper Steamer, Steam, Grey/Black
Mix this with warm water and spray it on sections you've scored. Let it sit ten minutes and the paste dissolves completely. Tried vinegar first and it did absolutely nothing, so don't waste your time with DIY solutions.
Dif 22 oz. Wallpaper Stripper Liquid Concentrate
Roll this across the wallpaper before spraying stripper solution. The tiny perforations let the liquid soak behind the paper so it releases from the wall. Without scoring first, you'll be there all weekend peeling tiny strips.
Piranha Wallpaper Scoring tool
Slide this under loosened wallpaper at a low angle to avoid gouging the drywall. Stiff scrapers tore chunks out of my wall in my first apartment. Flexible blade is the difference between getting your deposit back or not.
Warner 690 Big Blade Wall Scraper 4" with Steel Handle 9"
Toss this on the floor before you start steaming or spraying. Wet wallpaper paste on hardwood floors is a slip hazard I discovered the hard way. Also catches all the gooey strips so cleanup takes five minutes.
Trimaco Stay Put Spill Block Canvas Drop Cloth 6'x8'
Wipe down walls after removing all the paper to get rid of paste residue. Leftover adhesive will show through if you try to repaint without cleaning first. Spray, wipe, done. Walls ready for the landlord walkthrough.
Simple Green® Pressure Washer All-Purpose Cleaner
Accent and Decorating Extras for Wallpapered Walls
Once the cracks were hidden and the walls looked smooth, I went a little overboard making everything else match. Zero regrets though because my apartment finally looked intentional instead of patched together.
Hang frames on wallpapered walls without putting new holes in them. Regular nails pull the wallpaper when you remove them. These hold up to 16 pounds and come off clean, which matters when you're trying to protect your repair job.
Command™ Products Weight Limits Guide
Pair a few of these with the command strips above. The floating mat gives your prints a gallery look that distracts from any wall imperfections you didn't cover. Bought four for my hallway and it finally looks like a real home.
Mainstays Black 10x13 Floating Frame for 8x10 Photos
Hang one of these over a section where the wallpaper seam is slightly visible. Nobody looks at the wall behind a wreath. Practical and pretty, and it solved my living room seam problem without rehanging anything.
Better Homes & Gardens Willow Eucalyptus Wreath
Stick these under shelves to cast light downward instead of across the wall. Side lighting reveals every bump and seam, but downlighting creates shadows that hide imperfections. Figured this out after staring at my walls under different lamps for an ...
Great Value 100 Lumen Wireless LED Puck Lights, 5 Pack
Mount one of these at eye level to break up large wall sections. Long stretches of wallpaper show seams more easily, but a shelf with a plant on it draws the eye and covers the join. Strategic decorating at its finest.
Better Homes & Gardens 28 in Black Floating Shelf
Keep a container nearby for wiping down wallpapered walls in the kitchen. Grease splatters soak into unpainted wallpaper fast. Quick wipe after cooking keeps the surface clean and prevents yellow staining, especially near the stove.
Clorox, Disinfecting Wipes, 75ct, Crisp Lemon and Fresh