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You may end up with extra wallpaper once your project is finished. Hang on to that wallpaper, as you may need to use it to patch up areas that get damaged later on. If you have a lot of excess wallpaper, try getting creative with it. You can use it to line the inside of a cabinet or drawers, for example.

It’s best to remove wallpaper rather than paint over it. You should only paint over wallpaper if removing it would damage the wall, the surface is relatively smooth, or there are minimal problem areas—such as slight peeling and lifted seams—that you can fix easily. Painting over wallpaper can save time, but it can create more problems if the wallpaper is in poor condition and you don’t properly prep the area for painting. Depending on the state of the wallpaper, color, and textures could show through, and moisture from the paint could loosen the adhesive, causing unsightly bubbling.

You can hide wallpaper seams when painting by applying joint compound over them and then sanding thoroughly until smooth. You’ll want to apply two layers of compound, allowing for four to eight hours between coats. Do a light sanding between coats and then after the final coat is dry. Once the compound dries completely, you can begin priming and painting the wall.

You can paint over wallpaper if it’s smooth and in good shape. But if there are bumps or tears in the wallpaper, they’ll likely show through the paint. Similarly, you should avoid painting over textured wallpaper because the ridges and patterns in the paper will be visible. In either of these situations, you should remove the wallpaper before painting.