It will be a job either way but like the others have said, do not put anything over the top of wallpaper. It can crack and then flake off after a while,especially if you live in a humid area,(if you have the windows open on occasion). I would remove it and get some kind of textured coating to cover any damage or like another member stated put drywall over it.

I bought a house built in 1974 about 20 years ago
Same exact situation as you
My brother, who worked as a painter at the former Fernald nuclear weapons facility, told me to skim coat it. (he was involved in the containment effort to turn it into a preserve as it is now)

I first used oil based Kilz, then skim coated with a very large drywall knife, then orange peeled textured and double-coated the final paint color.

It doesn't take long to get the hang of skim coating, a light sanding between the lines it all it took.
I did this on 2400 sq. ft.

I tried EVERY known method of removing the wallpaper.
Anybody who tells you it can be done hasn't tried it on a 43 yr. old home.
Especially when the morons wallpapered over bare drywall in most places.
Dried hard glue, to hell with that.
The home was originally painted with lead based paint also.

I was raising three children, and limited funds to do much else. I HATE wallpaper.

Now, 20 years later, not one crack and looks completely updated with the premium paint I used.

I would do the same thing again.

The biggest problem you have is the wallpaper was installed over bare drywall. When the wallpaper was in stalled with no barrier between it and the wallboard paper it more than likely became bonded. When you perforate the wall paper any liquid you apply will absorb into the paper covering of the drywall. When you scrape you will more than likely take a good deal of the wallboard covering off. Then you will have to skim coat most or all of the wall anyway. I was in building maintenance for many years and I have been there and done that many times.

tear down the drywall and re-do it....

removing wallpaper sucks

There are many instances when skim coating is desirable. Often the client wants a semi-smooth wall texture popular in many new condos. They also do not want the walls disturbed, nor the mess associated. Disturbing walls in older homes(pre-1975)can result in asbestos and lead exposure.
We would prime the surface, skim coat and then sand smooth, with some relief texture present throughout. NOTE: Texture mud dries harder than a topping and it more difficult to sand. Forget All Purpose...same story. We use topping thinned to our application consistency, adding a table spoon of Dawn in a 5 gal bucket of mixed mud to break surface tension and reduce any bubbles in the dry finish.

It takes more time to touch up the wall to complete the desired look than the actual application. Some paper bubbles can happen and are addressed in the final prep for primer and paint.

House inspection Tuesday for the place we're buying (if no surprises).
LOTS of wallpaper from 1985. Probably original, so some hope that it was sealed prior to installation. For example, there appears to be no texture under the paper.
I looked at clothes steamers: they look like tea kettles. Is that what was meant??
I'm thinking a trial of a rented steamer; adhesive remover; see if it comes off neatly or not.
Since this is part of a major updating of the house, if worse comes to worst we may have the drywall torn out and replaced.

We had a guy come do the skim coat over wallpaper thing and it was fantastic . It was expensive but this guy was a real craftsman . Looked just like drywall . Six months later my house flooded . All of it got torn out . Dammit .

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:

I looked at clothes steamers: they look like tea kettles. Is that what was meant??

I think this is what was meant.

Steamer

I've stripped a shit ton of wallpaper (I hate it...it was created by the devil to torment mankind)...buy the cheapest liquid fabric softener you can find (think generic Downey from Big Lots) and a trigger spray bottle...get it started by peeling a spot somewhere and spray the fabric softener, let it soak under the paper, and start working it off a little at a time (did I mention wallpaper was created by the devil)...it will dissolve the glue and with a little luck (and colorful language ) it will release the paper (glue) and not screw up the Sheetrock to bad (any damage you can skim)...

Good luck...I HATE the thought of wallpaper!

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
If they didn't put sealer on the wall before installing the wall paper, it will be a real job getting the wall paper off...almost impossible without damage to the wall.

This. Pull that stuff off but expect to be applying that skim coat over your freshly damaged sheetrock.

AND painting over the wallpaper will make loosening it a tough SOB as well. You'll probably have to score through the paint and wallpaper so the loosening solution can get at the wallpaper paste. This is a nightmare project. Good luck!

nobody recommending brushing it all with PVA and applying the skim to the tacky PVA glue?

I'm thinking the 1/4 inch or whatever the thinnest layer of sheetrock is available.
Just cover the whole thing with new sheetrock and start over. Much faster than trying to remove old wallpaper and paint (which will undoubtedly create problems with the old sheetrock).

Just consider it more insulation.

we just bought our first house a few months ago, my fiance decided to paint the master while I was away for work. There is SO MUCH wallpaper on the walls you can physically push the wall in and out a few cm. eventually I'll strip it off and repaint, it looks like a HUGE pain in the ass though.

no matter what method you choose, it's gonna be a HUGE PITA. just accept that.

quote:

Originally posted by LtJL:
no matter what method you choose, it's gonna be a HUGE PITA. just accept that.

Decided to skim coat the whole thing.

Yes. I'm realizing it now.

Nothing better than sanding the entire room twice with different grit sand papers.

Looks good so far though. If the paint starts to crack years, that's when I'll just put up new wallboard.