Can You Wallpaper Over Wood Paneling?

A Step-By-Step Guide For DIY Wallpapering Over Wooden Panels

For a straightforward answer, it’s a big Yes that you can wallpaper the walls without needing to remove existing wall panels. However, there are some important preparatory steps that should never be overlooked for long-lasting and efficient wallpaper installations. Below, we’ve explained all the steps to be followed with the necessary tools and materials required for the process.

Tools/Materials Required For The Job

The following set of tools and materials are to be arranged prior to starting this DIY home wallpaper renovation project.

• Pliers
• Screwdrivers
• Filling Compound
• Putty Knife
• Pry Bar
• Soft Cloth
• Primer
• Measuring Tape
• Scissors
• Roller or Brush
• Smoothing Tool
• Wallpaper Paste

1. Prepare The Wooden Wall Panels

Wallpaper application demands a smooth and glitch-free surface for strong adherence. On the other end, wall panels have ridges, cracks (maybe), fixtures, boards, etc. All these attachments won’t allow efficient wallpaper installations.

Therefore, the first thing is to clear the wall panel off these installations and attachments. For this purpose, you’ll have to remove nails, trims, and outlet covers alongside filling cracks and holes with a filling compound. For removing nails and electricity boards, you can use pliers and screwdrivers.

The filling compound can be applied in the paste form in the gaps to be filled. You’ll have to wait for quite some time until the filling compound gets dried and sets into position. Make sure that there are no more obstructions in the way of effortless wallpaper installations.

2. Applying Wallpaper Primer To The Wood Panels

Unlike wall surfaces, wood panels comprise non-porous surfaces and therefore, wallpaper application becomes a strenuous task. Although, this problem can be solved by priming the wallpaper because priming promotes adhesion. You’ll have to apply wallpaper primer over the wood panels using a roller.

Doing so will provide the much-needed traction for wallpaper applications. For this purpose, you’ll have to be careful not to coat unevenly or apply a double coat at a certain area. Additionally, you should let the primer dry overnight for better wallpaper adherence.

3. Cut The Wallpaper To Size For Installation

Now comes the time when you’ll have to cut the wallpaper to size for precise installation. For this purpose, you need to take wall measurements using a measuring tape. For walls that are irregularly shaped, the area measurements are to be calculated so that adjustments can be made accordingly.

To cut the wallpaper for precise installations, you’ll have to keep in mind the pattern repetition. It’s really important because if forgotten, the desirability of the wallpaper design will be diminished. Thus, all your valuable investment will be lost.

Always fold the wallpaper before making a desired cut so as to avoid irrelevant cuts. Adding further, the scissors used for cutting the wallpaper should be sharp enough to ensure smooth cuts and no rough edges.

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4. Applying A Wallpaper Paste

Before attaching wallpaper to the wood panel surface, you’ll have to apply wallpaper paste for traction. Just like the primer, the wallpaper paste can also be applied using a roller or brush. Again, you need to make sure that there are even, smooth coats of wallpaper paste applied to the wooden panels.

After that, you should hurry as much as you can for strong wallpaper attachments. You should buy a high-quality wallpaper paste to make sure that smooth, even, and efficient wallpaper installations can be carried out.

5. Install Wallpaper Over Wooden Panels

Depending on the type of wallpaper that you have chosen, the application procedure varies accordingly. Usually, all types of wallpapers can be categorized under unpasted, pre-pasted, and lined wallpaper varieties. Here’s a guide to installing different varieties of wallpapers over wood panels.

Attaching Unpasted Wallpaper

Also named traditional wallpapers, unpasted versions are the simplest to be installed over wood panels because there are no special requirements. All you have to do is smoothly apply the primer and wallpaper paste before attaching wallpaper to the wood panel surfaces.

Applying Pre-pasted Wallpaper

Pre-pasted wallpapers come with an adhesive backing and strips that are to be removed for wallpaper installation. And, the extent of traction/adhesion depends on the quality of the wall treatment. For easy installations, you can peel off the backing strips one by one and apply gentle pressure over the wallpaper surface using a scraping tool.

Installing Liner Wallpaper

You’ll have to apply a base layer of liner paper prior to installing liner wallpapers. The liner paper acts as a substrate and is usually applied horizontally over the wall panel surface. It further helps to conceal or mask bumps, ridges, and flaws in the wall panel surface. Afterward, the wallpaper is to be installed in a somewhat similar fashion to traditional wallpaper attachments.

6. Finishing The Wallpaper Installation

To perfectly install your wallpaper, you need to follow the guidelines explained below.

• Lay your wallpaper on a flat, even surface with a printed or patterned surface facing downward.
• Apply the wallpaper paste to the top half of the wallpaper back (facing upward) and don’t try to hush things.
• From an imaginary midline, you can fold the wallpaper in half on itself (printed side up).
• Apply the paste to the bottom half of the wallpaper back (rotate the surface) and ensure smooth paste applications.
• Keep in hand the scraper and with the help of a friend or two attach the top part of the wallpaper to the wooden panels.
• Press the wallpaper with the scraper gently to make sure of smooth surface attachment and work your way down the panels.

After you’ve installed the wallpaper, draw marking over the wallpaper surface for outlet covers, vents, and electrical switches. You can cut the wallpaper from these areas using a sharp-edged knife. No need to mention that you’ll have to be extremely careful not to cut the wallpaper any extra. And, you’re all done with DIY wallpapering over wooden wall panels.

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To Summarize!

Wallpaper installation over wooden wall panel surfaces is possible by all means. In this post, we have discussed in detail all the steps that should be precisely followed for efficient, long-lasting, and damage-free wallpaper installations over wood panel surfaces. From preparing the wood panels to finalizing the installation, each and every step requires extreme attention to detail for promising end results.