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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.

One of the biggest downsides to peel-and-stick wallpaper is that it doesn’t last quite as long as traditional wallpaper. The life span of peel-and-stick wallpaper is about five years, depending on the quality of the wallpaper and how well you prep the wall before applying. The good news is that, because of its shorter lifespan, peel-and-stick wallpaper is a great choice for people who enjoy switching up their interiors more frequently.

While you could conceivably select any paint finish, paintable wallpaper tends to look its best with a flat or eggshell finish. A higher gloss paint might make the texture pop more, but it can look a bit dated once the paint has dried. And don’t worry about whether a water-based latex paint will loosen the wallpaper. Paintable wallpaper has a coating that prevents this from happening, so using latex paints without applying an oil-based primer to seal things first is fine.

Wallpaper lasts an average of around 15 years, but there is some variance. The type of wallpaper matters, as vinyl wallpaper tends to last the longest—sometimes 20 years or more—while a peel-and-stick wallpaper, which is the easiest to install for DIYers, will usually only last for around five years. Exposure to high humidity, smoke, and UV rays from sunlight can also limit the lifespan of your wallpaper, as can heavy traffic in the installation area.