Can I install wallpaper over existing wallpaper in my older Calgary home?

Installing wallpaper over existing wallpaper is technically possible, but in most Calgary homes — particularly older ones — it is strongly inadvisable and almost always leads to premature failure. The short answer is: remove the old wallpaper first, and in an older Calgary home, this is especially important.

The core problem is adhesion and moisture. When you hang new wallpaper over old, the paste you apply reactivates the moisture in the existing layers, causing the old paper to loosen, bubble, and separate from the wall. In Calgary's extreme thermal cycling environment — where chinook winds can swing temperatures 20-30 degrees in hours — any weakness in the wallpaper system gets amplified dramatically. What might survive a few seasons in Vancouver will bubble, peel, and fail within one Calgary winter in a double-layered installation.

Why Older Calgary Homes Present Special Challenges

Homes built before the 1980s in neighbourhoods like Inglewood, Kensington, Capitol Hill, and Ramsay frequently have multiple layers of wallpaper already on the walls — sometimes three or four generations of it. Each layer represents a compounding adhesion problem. Older wallpapers were often hung directly over unprepared drywall or plaster without sizing or primer, meaning the paper is essentially the only thing holding the wall surface together. If you add another layer on top and then try to remove it years later, you risk pulling the drywall face paper or chunks of plaster off with it, leaving you with a much more expensive repair job than if you had simply removed everything properly at the start.

There is also a moisture concern specific to Calgary's older housing stock. Many pre-1980 homes have plaster walls, which can harbour hidden moisture issues. Trapping additional layers of wallpaper against plaster without inspecting the substrate first is a recipe for mould growth — a problem that is genuinely dangerous and expensive to remediate. Never wallpaper over any surface that shows signs of moisture damage, staining, or soft spots without identifying and fixing the source first. Alberta OHS guidelines and basic building science both demand this.

From a practical standpoint, the seams of the existing wallpaper will telegraph through your new installation, creating visible ridges and lines in the finished surface — particularly noticeable in Calgary's intense natural light, which is roughly 20-25% stronger at our elevation than at sea level and mercilessly reveals surface imperfections.

The right approach is to remove the existing wallpaper completely, repair the substrate, apply a quality wallpaper primer (such as Zinsser Gardz or Roman PRO-977 Ultra Prime, both available at Calgary Home Depot and Sherwin-Williams locations), and then hang your new wallpaper on a properly prepared surface. This process takes more time upfront but guarantees a result that will last and look professional.

If removal reveals damaged drywall — which is common in older Calgary homes where paper was hung without proper sizing — those areas need to be skim coated, sanded smooth, and primed before any new wallpaper goes up. This is skilled work that makes a significant difference in the final appearance.

DIY wallpaper removal is manageable for a motivated homeowner: score the existing paper lightly with a scoring tool, apply a removal solution like DIF Concentrate mixed with warm water, let it soak for 10-15 minutes, and peel in sections. Work in small areas and keep the surface wet. The process is time-consuming but not technically difficult on most walls. Where it gets complicated is in homes with plaster walls or multiple layers — in those situations, a professional wallpaper installer will save you significant frustration and potential wall damage.

If you are planning a full wallpaper installation in a Calgary home and want to compare professional installers, the Calgary Construction Network directory at calgaryconstructionnetwork.com is a useful place to browse local options.