It can. Tempaper says paint could come off with its paper on flat, matte and low sheen paint, and on sheetrock. Makers ask for fully cured paint, Tempaper and Quadrostyle name satin or glossier finishes, and a wait after painting that runs from one week (Quadrostyle) to 30 days (Tempaper’s FAQ).
Wait after painting, per maker
| Product | Wait after fresh paint | Paint finish the maker asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Tempaper peel and stick wallpaper | FAQ: at least 30 days. Install page: follow the paint can | FAQ: eggshell, satin or semi-gloss. Install page: satin or semi-gloss |
| York peel and stick wallpaper | At least 4 weeks | Not stated |
| NuWallpaper (Brewster) | At least 4 weeks, or longer if the paint maker says so | Not non-stick paint; not on unpainted drywall |
| Smart Tiles (wall tiles) | 21 days after paint; 72 hours after primer | Painted drywall |
| Quadrostyle tile stickers | One week | Satin or gloss; its guide says matte and eggshell interfere with the adhesive |
From each maker’s FAQ, install guide or instructions. Makers differ on eggshell: Tempaper’s FAQ asks for it, and Quadrostyle’s guide rules it out.
Walls most at risk
- Flat, matte and low sheen paint: Tempaper’s FAQ and install page both list these as not recommended; the FAQ adds that its paper can be applied to them, but paint removal could occur when it comes off.
- Unpainted drywall: NuWallpaper and Smart Tiles both rule it out, and Tempaper lists sheetrock with the same paint-removal warning.
- Latex or repainted walls: Art3d says over 95% of complaints about its vinyl tiles peeling off come from these walls. Its fix is to sand, clean with a damp cloth, let the wall dry, and spray extra adhesive at the joints.
- Existing wallpaper: Tempaper says its paper can go over non-textured wallpaper, but it can’t guarantee a clean removal.
Taking it down, in each maker’s words
- Tempaper: start at any corner and peel slowly up or down, parallel to the surface.
- NuWallpaper: pull slowly from a top corner straight down. Brewster calls the adhesive always removable.
- Smart Tiles: warm each tile with a hairdryer, pull gently at the corners, then wash leftover glue off the wall. Smart Tiles says they come off practically without damage, depending on the surface.
- Quadrostyle: warm stubborn stickers with a hairdryer for a few seconds, and wipe gummy residue off with soap and water.
- Con-Tact Brand liners: Con-Tact says they won’t leave a sticky residue.
Smart Tiles’ own pages differ on how permanent its tiles are. Its removal FAQ says they can come off after 48 hours, while its Metro install guide says that after 48 hours they have become permanently applied to the wall. Quadrostyle goes furthest: it says its stickers are guaranteed not to damage the existing surface.
EPA says that if your home was built before 1978, it is more likely to have lead-based paint. If you sand or scrape old paint yourself, EPA says to use its lead-safe work practices, and not to attempt to remove lead-based paint yourself. See epa.gov/lead.
Putting it on a textured wall?
Peel-and-stick on textured walls