How to Remove Stripes From Walls

If you have striped walls in your home that no longer match your decor, the room may need an update. Removing stripes from your walls involves painting over them. This process differs from a regular paint job in that you must handle the edges of the stripes, which may be raised. Priming the walls is necessary to prevent the stripe color from showing through the new coat of paint. This is likely to happen particularly if the old paint is darker than the paint you are using to cover the stripes.

Cover the furniture in the room with drop cloths. Cover the floor with drop cloths. This will protect your belongings from sanding dust and paint splatter.

Fit an orbital sander with 150-grit sandpaper. Put on a face mask so you do not breathe in the sandpaper grit. Sand the edges of the stripes on the wall so they become flat. Start in the middle of each stripe and work up the toward the ceiling, then work down to the floor. Replace the sandpaper if it dulls.

Wipe down the walls with a tack cloth to remove the dust. You can also vacuum the walls with a shop vac. Wipe the walls down again with a damp cloth to remove any dirt. Let the walls dry.

Apply painter's tape along any electrical outlets, windows, door frames, the ceiling edge and the floor. This will prevent paint from coating these places.

Pour interior primer into a paint tray. Roll a paint roller back and forth in the primer to coat the roller. Apply the primer to the walls with the paint roller, starting at one end of the wall and working over to the other end. Cover the entire wall, not just the stripes. Let the primer dry according to the package directions.

Rinse the paint tray and roller in clear water and let them dry while the primer coat air dries. When both are dry, fill the paint tray with the interior paint in your color choice. Apply the paint to the wall in the same way you applied the primer. Let the paint air dry according to the package directions, then apply another coat, if necessary.