Can You Wallpaper Over Textured Walls or Textured Wallpaper?

Textured walls and old textured wallpaper are two of the most common reasons people hesitate to wallpaper. The good news is that light texture is usually fine. Heavy texture and embossed wallpaper take more prep. This guide goes surface by surface, so you can see exactly what your wall needs.

TL;DR: You can wallpaper over lightly textured walls, like orange peel, with little extra prep. Heavy texture, such as knockdown or stucco, needs a liner or a skim coat first. Textured or embossed wallpaper is usually best removed. Our paper types page lists 6 finishes that work on lightly textured walls.

Can you wallpaper over textured walls?

Yes, you can wallpaper over textured walls, but how it turns out depends on how deep the texture is. Light, even textures usually disappear under wallpaper. Deep or uneven textures can show through as bumps or leave air pockets behind the paper. The deeper the texture, the more prep it needs.

Here's a quick guide to common surfaces.

The rest of this guide explains each surface in more detail.

Can you wallpaper over textured or embossed wallpaper?

Usually not. Embossed, raised or woodchip-style wallpaper has bumps that show through new paper, and the old layer may not hold the weight of a second one. Remove it first in most cases. The only exception is a well-stuck, very lightly patterned paper, covered with a liner first.

Before you decide, check the old paper closely:

• Is it firmly stuck everywhere, including the seams and edges?
• Is the pattern raised enough to feel with your fingertips?
• Is the surface coated, shiny or flocked?

If it's loose anywhere, raised, or coated, take it off. New wallpaper is only as secure as the layer underneath it, and a lifting old seam will show through within weeks.

Run your palm flat across the old paper with a light shining along the wall from the side. Any texture you can see in that raking light will show through new wallpaper, even if it looks flat face-on.

For peel and stick over flat, smooth old wallpaper, see our guide to putting peel and stick wallpaper over old wallpaper.

Which Giffywalls finishes work on lightly textured walls?

Most of our finishes are listed for lightly textured walls. According to our paper types page, Standard Paper, Premium Matte, Canvas Paper, Brush Stroke and Gold Line each "even work on lightly textured walls", and our Peel & Stick finish "even works on slight textured walls".

That still means light texture. None of these finishes is meant to bridge deep knockdown, stucco or popcorn, so heavy textures need prep first.

Heavier papers can be more forgiving of small bumps. Canvas Paper is the heaviest of our paste-the-paper finishes at 300 GSM, and Brush Stroke has its own stroke-textured surface, which helps disguise minor unevenness.

Light Textures: Orange Peel and Eggshell

Light orange peel and eggshell textures are the easiest case. They're shallow and even, so most wallpaper sits flat over them once the wall is clean and dry. They're common on drywall in newer homes. Test a small sample first, and press the paper firmly into the surface as you hang it.

WALLPAPER

Busy or organic patterns hide any slight unevenness that does show through. The Whimsical Forest Flora Wallpaper repeats ferns and wildflowers on deep green, so small bumps simply disappear into the design.

More dense prints are in our botanical wallpaper collection.

Heavy Textures: Knockdown, Stucco and Popcorn

Heavy textures like knockdown, skip trowel, stucco and popcorn are too deep for wallpaper to cover on its own. The paper only touches the high points, which leaves gaps behind it, weak adhesion and a lumpy finish. Popcorn texture is usually on ceilings, where it also traps dust and loose particles.

You have two good options. For moderate knockdown, hang a wallpaper liner first to create a smoother base. For deep stucco or popcorn, a skim coat of joint compound is the reliable fix. It takes longer, but it gives you a properly smooth wall.

Popcorn ceilings can contain asbestos in older homes, so have the material tested before you sand or scrape it.

Does a wallpaper liner fix textured walls?

A wallpaper liner fixes light to moderate texture by creating a smooth, even layer between the wall and your wallpaper. It's a plain, heavy paper hung first, usually horizontally, so its seams don't line up with the wallpaper seams. It's a good middle ground between papering directly and skim coating.

A liner works best on knockdown, light skip trowel, painted block and walls with fine cracks. It won't hide deep stucco or large dips, which still need a skim coat.

Let the liner dry fully before hanging your wallpaper over it. Our paste-the-paper installation guide covers hanging and drying.

Brick, Block and Concrete Walls

Painted brick, cinder block and rough concrete need their mortar lines and dips filled before wallpaper can sit flat. Otherwise the grid of the bricks or blocks shows through as a pattern of lines and shadows. Fill the joints, sand them smooth, then add a liner for the best finish.

WALL MURAL

If you love the look of brick or concrete, the easier route is to choose a design that looks like it. The Baltic Sand Textured Abstract Wallpaper is a wall mural with a weathered concrete look that suits a smooth wall.

More stone and concrete looks are in our surface wallpapers collection.

Can you put wallpaper on rough plaster walls?

You can put wallpaper on rough plaster walls once loose areas are repaired and the surface is reasonably even. Old plaster often has cracks, patches and gentle waves. Fill cracks, sand the patches flush, then prime. A liner helps if the plaster still feels rough after repairs.

Plaster also tends to be porous, so priming before you paper helps the adhesive grip evenly instead of soaking into the wall.

For the full process, read our guide to wallpapering over plaster walls and plasterboard.

Which wallpaper designs hide wall texture best?

Busy, organic and texture-look designs hide wall texture best, because the eye reads small bumps as part of the pattern. Painterly, distressed and stone-look murals are especially forgiving. Crisp, fine-line geometrics and solid colors do the opposite, since any wave in the wall bends their straight lines.

WALL MURAL

The Blush Serenity Textured Wallpaper is a wall mural with a soft, distressed plaster look in blush and gray.

WALL MURAL

The Light Beige Textured Ginkgo Wallpaper layers painterly ginkgo leaves over a warm, mottled background.

More painterly designs are in our abstract wallpaper collection.

WALLPAPER

For a repeat, the Textured Organic Stripe Waves Charcoal Wallpaper has wavy, irregular stripes that forgive a slightly uneven wall.

Browse more in our textured wallpaper collection.

How to Prep a Textured Wall, Step by Step

Good prep is what makes wallpaper work on texture. Most problems, like bubbles, lifting edges and visible bumps, come from rushing these steps. Plan on a day for light texture and longer if you're skim coating or hanging a liner.

1. Identify the texture and decide on your approach using the table above.
2. Repair cracks, holes and loose areas, and sand any high spots flush.
3. Clean the wall with warm water and mild soap, then let it dry fully.
4. Hang a liner or skim coat the wall if the texture is moderate or heavy.
5. Prime the wall so the adhesive grips evenly.
6. Test a sample piece and check it in side light before hanging full panels.
7. Hang the wallpaper, pressing it firmly into the surface as you go.

Measuring after prep matters, because a skim coat or liner can change your wall slightly. Every Giffywalls design is printed to your wall size, so check our measuring guide once the wall is ready.

When should you skim coat instead?

Skim coat the wall when the texture is deep, uneven or patchy, or when you want a crisp geometric pattern or a solid color to look perfect. A skim coat is a thin layer of joint compound spread over the whole wall and sanded smooth. It takes more time, but it removes the texture problem completely.

Skim coating also makes future changes easier. Once the wall is smooth, you can swap wallpaper later without dealing with texture again.

If you're torn between a liner and a skim coat, pick by the pattern you want. A liner is enough for busy, organic designs. Crisp lines and plain colors need the smoother result of a skim coat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put peel and stick wallpaper on textured walls?

You can put peel and stick wallpaper on slightly textured walls, like a light orange peel finish. Our paper types page lists our Peel & Stick finish as working on slight textures. Heavy textures leave too little flat surface for the adhesive, so it can lift. Test a sample first and press it firmly.

Do I need to remove textured wallpaper before hanging new wallpaper?

In most cases, yes. Raised, embossed or woodchip-style wallpaper shows through new paper, and the old layer may not hold a second one securely. Only a very lightly patterned paper that's firmly stuck everywhere can be covered, and it should get a liner first. If in doubt, remove it.

Should I sand a textured wall before wallpapering?

Light sanding helps knock down small high spots and drips on a lightly textured wall. It won't flatten heavy texture like knockdown or stucco, which needs a liner or a skim coat. Wear a mask, sand gently, wipe away the dust, and never sand a popcorn ceiling until it's been tested for asbestos.

Will wallpaper hide imperfections on a textured wall?

Wallpaper can hide small imperfections, especially if you choose a busy, painterly or texture-look design and a heavier finish. It won't hide deep texture, large cracks or uneven plaster on its own. Repair and prep the wall first, then let the pattern disguise whatever minor unevenness remains.

Ready to Paper Your Textured Wall?

Light texture is easy, heavy texture needs a liner or skim coat, and textured wallpaper usually needs to come off first. Prep the wall well, pick a forgiving design, and test a sample in side light before you commit to the whole wall.

For more ways to work with imperfect walls, see how texture wallpaper can hide damaged walls.

When you're ready, browse our peel and stick wallpaper and order your design printed to your wall size.