Can I wallpaper directly over the battans in my doublewide?

[daridoodle]

Hi
I am new to this wonderful forum. We are converting an older double wide into our lakeside cottage.

I am looking forward to painting our bath and kitchen cupboards, adding new hardware, sink and counter tops, using all the great ideas I found here!

We have pulled up carpets and put in laminate flooring, new windows, new siding and roof. We successfully painted out all the wallboard.

I would like to wallpaper several rooms using vinyl wallpapers, but am concerned about going over the battens. Hubby is afraid with shifting in the winter the paper may tear . We shut down then leaving the heat at 50 degrees. I had planned on using a liner. Has anyone successfully wallpapered over the battens?

[mobtek]

Sorry - this isn't an answer to your question, but...

What about Faux Painting? You could certainly create something that looks like wallpaper and then settling wouldn't matter. Plus, it's kinda fun.

[daridoodle]

Thank you for the suggestion, but I just do not have that kind of talent, plus I am really hoping to make the battens "disappear".

[Yanita]

Hi,

Although I have never done this myself I can only tell you what I have heard from other MH dwellers.

There is a certain type of wall paper that you need to hang before you would wallpaper. Sorry I forget the name of it. You would remove the battens, hang this paper then your finished one.

I would simply remove the battens and fill the voids with joint compound. Since these spaces are deep it will take several different layers of joint compound, each layer needing to dry before you go to the next layer. Once filled and dried, sand and then paper.

Yanita

[daridoodle]

Hi Yanita

Thanks, I think I am familiar with the wallpaper liner paper which is put on under the final paper.

However, I thought you always advised leaving the battens in place especially in Northern climates, we are North of Syracuse NY off of Lake Ontario and can see over 7 ft of snow in the winter.

Hubby has suggested pulling the battens and wrapping the paper around them then putting them back. Of course I would prefer to go over over them 1- easier 2- they would be less obvious.

[Yanita]

Hi,

LOL, I am not a pro wallpaper hanger, but can understand your thoughts.

I guess if you want to go over them then you could. I guess you would hang the paper then use a joint compound knife to push the paper snug to the battens.

You are correct I do prefer the battens stay in place, seldom seen a good job of disquise when they are not there.

To remove the battens is not hard, but I will say I have broken several trying to remove them. Then what to do...

Good luck and please post some pics in your album when you get your project done.

Yanita

[Trudi]

Daridoodle, how do you feel about textured walls? I ask because that's one way to disguise the seams, but I realize that not everyone likes texture. I did this in my daughter's hallway, and covered the seams as well as a badly damaged wall. Here's a pic. It's kinda plain, just painted beige, which is what she wanted.

[Jim from Canada]

We took off the battens and filled the gaps with latex caulking. Has a bit of give to it so it won't crack as the house moves.

Jim

[daridoodle]

Wow, this great ,so much help!

Trudi, what did your daughter use to texture the walls it looks very subtle.

And Jim, our Canadian neighbor, though you are further west than we are , I know you know our weather. How were you able to finish over the latex? Can you paint if you wish?

Yanita, when we see a project to the end I'll talk to Hubby about doing an album, he is the documentarian.

I have also been researching the covering walls with fabric using starch, which is having some appeal. 1. Easy 2. No damage should I wish to change.
Plus this would be easy to do a sample of.
I was concerned about stripping off any paper, at some point if the first layer of wallboard would be fragile and come right off.

[Yanita]

Hi,

I won't say it can't be done as another on this site has done it...removing the wallpaper from the wallboard. This is done at the factory. IMO, not suppose nor designed to remove llike wallpaper.

I can not really tell in the pic but some texture their walls with joint compound and just trowl it around until they find a design they like. I have done this to one wall in the diningroom, one wall in the living and one in the master suite. The entire guest bath was done as well!

In the diningroom mine is painted what is called cowslip, kind of a caramel color, then an antique glaze over that, makes the wall appear to a real old stucco/stone wall...sounds hard but it is really easy.

You can do a google on plaster walls and see what some of the results are.

Yanita

[Trudi]

Daridoodle, I used joint compound on my daughter's wall. Like Yanita said, it's just troweled on and around until you get the look you like. This one isn't as subtle as it looks in the pic. You can see the texture better in person, and if and when she lets me add a glaze over the paint, it'll really come to life.

[Jim from Canada]

We wallpaper over the latex caulking. I suppose, if you did a really nice job of putting it on, you could paint over it. You would have to use more than 1 application to get it nice and level. Latex caulking is paintable. Prime first though. We tried the joint compound and it cracked and chipped within a few years and when we took the wallpaper off, it mostly came out. You could also see where the gaps were with the joint compound under the papaer, as it got all wrinkled there from the house moving. I just used the caulking this thime to bridge the big gaps for wallpaper. So far so good. There is also the option of paintable wallpaper.

Jim

[mist1953]

I was wondering could you not use that low expanding foam in the crevices and once set up take a box cutter, hacksaw blade or sharp knife and trim it down that would eliminate the dust from sanding if you choose to fill with Spackle and it would give a form of texture to your wall. Just a thought

[Yanita]

Hi,

Let's clear some of this up..

IF you are going to use a wallpaper liner then you could simply fill the gaps behind the battens with a joint compound. This may take several applications as some of the gaps are quite deep and wide. Once you are doing the final coat of mud then simply put the straight edge of the putty knife firmly against the wall and pull down. It should be smooth enough to only require a few strokes of sandpaper. The liner paper is suppose to cover all the other slight texture and possible imperfections of the wall.

As to whether your wallpaper will tear or pull will be determined after your first winter. Where do you live, what type of foundation is your home on, how severe are your winters, do you get big frost heaves?

I think if I was going to go to the expense and labor of wallpapering then I would remove the battens. The choice is obviously yours.

Yanita