This is the first time I’ve ever painted over grasscloth or any wallpaper for that matter. And I’ve come to find that painting over grasscloth wallpaper is no walk in the park. So far, I’m undecided about how I feel about the results because I’m not quite done just yet. But I have learned quite a bit through this little experiment. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly.
But first, let’s recap why I decided to tackle this project.
We had a small leak around the register that stained this grasscloth wallpaper. So I pulled back the paper and had the leak fixed. The drywall was repaired, and the wallpaper was thoroughly cleaned before I put it back in place. But unfortunately, the stain remained. Being that not one but two panels were affected, I didn’t have enough leftover wallpaper to attempt a patch job. So I was left with a few options:
- Remove the grasscloth then prep and paint the ceiling,
- Paint over the grasscloth, or
- Panel over the grasscloth.
Option 2 seemed like the path of least resistance from both a DIY and cost aspect…..or so I thought (more on that in a bit.) After waffling between painting the ceiling black or blue, I decided on blue. Because why not opt for a whole new look when trying to make lemonade from lemons?
The Good
So, the good part is painting over grasscloth wallpaper is a pretty straightforward project that anyone can do. No special skills or tools are required. I’ve found that rolling both vertically and horizontally seems to provide the best paint coverage. I opted to use a flat finish paint, and I still think that was the right call for avoiding brush and roller marks on this ceiling.
The Bad
My one regret is that I didn’t use a primer first. The first coat of paint left much to be desired. So splotchy!
The grasscloth wallpaper absorbs so much of the paint, and it takes about 6 to 8 hours to dry thoroughly between coats. I think a coat or two of primer would have yielded better results.
I was concerned that using a primer would take away too much of the texture of the grasscloth (which I didn’t want to lose), but as it turns out not using a primer just means more coats of paint. And it seems with each subsequent coat of paint more of the texture is lost.
The Ugly
Speaking of multiple coats of paint, I’ve gone through 2 gallons of paint already, and I might still need to add a third coat! Not only have I gone through a lot of paint to cover a relatively small surface area, but this is a super time-consuming project as well. Having to roll both vertically and horizontally to cover each section before moving to the next, makes each coat take about three hours using a 6-inch roller (which is what I recommend to avoid neck cramps when painting a ceiling). And did I mention, it might still need another coat?! UGH!
After the Second Coat
The second coat does look so much better than the first! Which has me feeling hopeful!
But I’ll keep you updated on whether or not I decide to add a third coat of paint.
For those concerned about how difficult removing the paper will be now that it has been painted, that is definitely a valid concern. I only chose this option because I’ve already decided that if I don’t like the way it looks when I’m done painting, or if I tire of the look, I’ll panel over it with either bead board or shiplap thereby avoiding ever having to remove the paper. I figured painting it first would be the easiest and least expensive way of dealing with this wallpaper stain. And if it doesn’t work out I’ll only be out the cost of the paint……and the many hours of painting. 😉 So to me it’s been a worthwhile DIY experiment.
Fingers crossed this stained grasscloth wallpaper story has a happy ending!
***Update! The third coat of paint did the trick! Insert praise hands!
I love how the texture of the grasscloth still shines through, albeit very subtle. It’s so much prettier in person!
Be sure to check out what all of the other New Year New Room Refresh Challenge participants are up to this week! It’s the halfway point of this January design challenge, and there are just a few more weeks left to finish our projects!
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