Quick answer
Wallpaper Installer Seattle is a licensed and insured wallpaper installer serving Tacoma, with 10+ years of experience. We hang residential and commercial wallpaper, remove old layered paper, and prepare plaster walls in older homes, including lead-safe planning for houses built before 1978. We come to your home or business and give a free on-site written estimate.
Key facts
- Experience with lath and plaster walls common in older Tacoma homes
- Homes built before 1978 may have lead paint, so we test before sanding
- Layered and painted-over paper removed with wet methods, then walls repaired
- Commercial wallcoverings for restaurants and offices, scheduled around open hours
- Free on-site written estimate, with replies within 24 hours
Do you install wallpaper in Tacoma's older homes?
Yes. Older houses are a big part of what we do in Tacoma, from early-1900s homes in the North End and the Stadium District to Craftsman bungalows and Foursquares across the city. These homes reward good wallpaper, but they also come with walls that behave nothing like new drywall.
Many of them still have original lath and plaster, decades of paint, and sometimes several layers of old paper hiding under that paint. Before anything goes on the wall, we look at what is actually there, because the prep plan sets the quality of the finished job far more than the paper itself.
A typical Tacoma visit starts with a few simple checks:
- Tapping and pressing the wall to find loose or hollow plaster
- Looking at an outlet cover or edge for hidden paper layers
- Checking corners, door casings, and ceiling lines for how far out of square the room is
- Asking roughly when the house was built, so we know whether lead-safe practices apply
What makes plaster walls different from drywall?
Plaster is harder, heavier, and less even than drywall, so it needs a different prep approach before wallpaper. It does not absorb paste the same way, and small cracks and bulges show through thin papers.
On plaster, we usually fill cracks with a setting-type compound, skim out low spots, and sand smooth where it is safe to do so. Then we roll on a wallcovering primer suited to the paper. If you are curious about the specifics, our wallcovering primer guide explains why the primer matters as much as the paste.
Old plaster walls are also rarely plumb. In a 1910s dining room, one corner can lean noticeably compared with the next. We hang from a fresh plumb line rather than trusting the corner, and we plan where the pattern mismatch will land so it ends up in the least visible spot, usually behind a door or in a corner nobody faces.
Is it safe to remove layered old wallpaper in a pre-1978 home?
It can be, as long as the work is planned around possible lead paint. Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint, and in older Tacoma houses that paint is often sitting directly on or under layers of old paper.
Here is how we approach removal in an older home:
- Test first. Before we sand, scrape aggressively, or create dust, the painted surfaces should be tested for lead.
- Use wet methods. Old paper usually comes off with water, a removal solution, and patience rather than heat or heavy sanding.
- Protect the room. Floors and trim are covered, and power to the outlets on the wall is turned off at the breaker before we work around them with water.
- Repair the substrate. Once the paper is off, we patch, seal, and prime so the new paper has a sound surface.
If the ceiling has an older popcorn texture, that is a separate question. Older popcorn ceilings may contain asbestos and should be tested before anyone disturbs them. Our guide on removing wallpaper from plaster walls goes deeper into the process, and our wallpaper removal service covers what we handle on site.
What will my Tacoma walls need before new paper goes up?
That depends on what we find, but most older Tacoma walls fall into one of a few patterns. This table shows the common ones and the usual plan.
| What we find | Usual prep | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Sound plaster with old paint | Clean, fill hairline cracks, prime | Gives paste a consistent surface to grip |
| Plaster with cracks or bulges | Secure loose areas, setting compound, skim coat | Thin papers telegraph every flaw underneath |
| Several layers of old paper | Wet removal after lead testing, then repair | New paper over loose old layers can bubble or peel |
| Painted-over paper | Score carefully, soak, remove, skim if needed | Paint seals the paper and hides how loose it is |
| Newer drywall in an addition | Repair, prime with wallcovering primer | Unprimed drywall can tear when paper comes off later |
People often ask whether new paper can simply go over the old. Occasionally it can, but in older houses it is usually a gamble. Our article on whether you can wallpaper over wallpaper explains when it works and when it does not. Prep is often the largest part of an older-home project, and our wall preparation service is built around exactly this kind of work.
Which rooms in a historic Tacoma house suit wallpaper?
Almost any room can, but a few spaces in older homes are especially good candidates.
Dining rooms and front parlors
Many early-1900s homes have formal rooms with picture rails, plate rails, or wainscoting. Wallpaper above a chair rail or between a picture rail and the baseboard suits these rooms well, and period-inspired patterns and natural grasscloth both work here. Because these rooms are seen from the entry, we center the main motif on the most visible wall first.
Stairwells and entry halls
Tall stairwells show off a large-scale pattern, but they need scaffolding or a plank setup and careful planning so the pattern lines up as it climbs.
Upstairs bedrooms with sloped ceilings
Story-and-a-half Craftsman homes often have upstairs rooms with knee walls and angled ceilings. These are charming spaces for a small-scale print, but the slopes create many cut-in points, so we plan the pattern layout carefully to keep it looking straight where the wall and ceiling meet. Small, busy patterns are more forgiving here than large geometrics.
Bathrooms near the Sound
Tacoma's damp climate, especially in homes near Commencement Bay, makes ventilation and paper choice important in bathrooms. A good fan, a vinyl or coated paper, and properly sealed seams go a long way.
Do you hang commercial wallcoverings for Tacoma restaurants and offices?
Yes. We install wallcoverings for restaurants, offices, and shops around Tacoma, including spaces in older downtown buildings where walls may be brick, plaster, or a patchwork of past remodels.
Commercial work usually calls for heavier, more durable products, after-hours or weekend scheduling, and coordination with a manager or general contractor. Restaurants often want a feature wall or a mural in the dining area, while offices tend to choose durable vinyl in corridors and reception. Our commercial wallpaper installation page explains how we plan around open hours.
How is a Tacoma wallpaper project scheduled?
It starts with a free on-site estimate, then we lock in a date once your paper is in hand. Here is the usual order:
- We visit, measure, check the walls, and give you a written estimate.
- We confirm the roll count from those measurements before you order, so you buy from one dye lot.
- Older homes often get a prep or removal day first, then installation once repairs are dry and primed.
- On install day we protect floors and furniture, hang, trim, and clean up.
Tacoma sits at the south end of our service area along I-5, so we plan visits to make the most of each trip. We also serve nearby Renton and other cities from the South Sound to the Eastside and north to Everett.
Book a free on-site estimate in Tacoma
If you are planning wallpaper for an older home, a restaurant, or an office in Tacoma, we will come to you, look at the walls, and give you a free written estimate. Call or text (425) 500-6842, email seattlewallpaper@gmail.com, or request your estimate online. We reply within 24 hours.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
Can you hang wallpaper directly on old plaster in a Tacoma home?
Usually yes, once the plaster is sound. We fill cracks, skim any rough or uneven areas, and apply a wallcovering primer first. Hanging directly on unprimed plaster makes future removal much harder and can cause adhesion problems.
My house is from the early 1900s. Do I need a lead test before you remove wallpaper?
Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint, so testing before any sanding or dry scraping is the safe approach. Most wallpaper removal can be done with wet methods that keep dust down, but a test tells everyone what precautions are needed.
What if there are several layers of wallpaper under the paint?
That is common in older Tacoma homes. We score and soak the layers, remove them in stages, and then repair the plaster underneath. Painted-over paper takes longer, so it is something we account for in the written estimate.
Do you work on Tacoma restaurants and offices after hours?
Yes. For commercial spaces we can plan installation around business hours, including evenings or weekends when that works for the project. We coordinate with managers or contractors so the space can reopen on schedule.
Can you match wallpaper to picture rails and wainscoting in an older house?
Yes. Picture rails, plate rails, and chair rails are common in early-1900s rooms, and we plan the layout so the pattern sits evenly between those lines. We also check how out of level the rails are so the pattern still reads straight.
How far in advance should I book a Tacoma wallpaper project?
Reach out once you have a room and a rough idea of the paper, so we can measure before you order. Older homes may need a separate prep day, so allowing extra time before an event or move-in date is a good idea.
