Guides

Wallpaper on textured walls

Orange peel, knockdown, popcorn-style, and heavier texture are common on walls in Portland and Southwest Washington homes. Wallpaper can look good on those walls, but the texture usually has to be dealt with first.

Why texture shows through wallpaper

Texture is made of bumps and valleys. Wallpaper is a thin sheet that follows whatever is underneath it, so an uneven wall often shows through the finished paper.

Bumps and shadows. Light across the wall catches the high spots and leaves shadows in the low ones. That pattern can telegraph through the paper, especially on a smooth or solid color.
Seams that don’t lie flat. Paper needs an even surface for seams to meet cleanly. On a textured wall, the edges can sit up on the peaks, look raised, or refuse to close.
Poor adhesion. Paste grabs the high spots first and may not reach the valleys. That can leave the paper under-bonded, so it lifts or bubbles later.

Option 1: wall liner

A wall liner is a plain liner paper we hang first, before your decorative paper. It bridges light to medium texture and gives a smooth, even base so the pattern can lie flat and the seams can land cleanly. Once the liner is up and set, we hang the wallpaper on top of it.

Liner is often enough when the texture is fairly shallow, such as a light orange peel or a mild knockdown. It will not hide deep or heavy texture on its own.

Option 2: skim coat

A skim coat is a thin layer of joint compound spread over the wall, then sanded smooth and primed. We use it when the texture is heavy, or when the wall is damaged and needs to be flattened before any paper goes up.

This is more prep than liner, but it is the better choice when liner alone would still leave bumps showing through. After the wall is smooth and primed, we hang the wallpaper as usual.

How we decide which one

The right prep depends on how deep the texture is, the paper you have chosen, and the condition of the wall. Thin or dark papers show what is underneath more readily than a heavier or busier print. A wall that is cracked, patched, or peeling may need a skim coat even if the texture itself is not dramatic.

We look at the wall at the estimate and tell you which approach fits. A close-up photo is a useful start; some walls still need to be seen in person.

Send a photo of the texture

Text a close-up photo of the wall texture, and your city, to 564-444-0432. If you have already picked the paper, include a link to it. We’ll tell you what we see and how we would prep the wall.