Decorative Finishes, Wall Coverings and Special Effects
The exam tests your command of texture and effect finishes, transparent wood finishes, and the full wallcovering process from sizing the wall to matching the pattern repeat.
Texture and effect finishes
- Tools: stipple roller, sponge, rag, comb, stencil brush, steel trowel for venetian plaster.
- Effects: stippling, sponging, rag rolling, dragging, colour washing, glazing with translucent scumble, metallic and pearl finishes, lime wash and sand texture.
- Rule: work in small areas while the glaze stays open, and get a sample board approved before touching a wall.
Transparent wood finishes
Graining for imitation wood, French polish (shellac rubbed with spirit and a little oil), PU or lacquer, wax. Surface must be sanded to 220-320 grit and dust-free; each coat cut back lightly.
Wallcoverings
- Wall must be dry, sound, sized or primed; mark a plumb line before the first drop.
- Paste the paper (or the wall for non-woven types), book the drop to soak, hang from the plumb line, brush out air, overlap 10-12 mm, roll seams, trim at skirting and ceiling, wipe paste off the face at once.
- Every drop starts at the same point in the pattern repeat, so always buy spare.
- Dry with no draughts at 15-25 degrees C for 24-48 hours.
Worked example
A roll is 0.53 m wide and 10 m long; wall height 2.7 m; pattern repeat 0.64 m; allow 0.1 m trim. Drop = 2.7 + 0.1 = 2.8 m, rounded up to whole repeats: 5 x 0.64 = 3.2 m. Drops per roll = 10 / 3.2 = 3. Perimeter 16 m needs 16 / 0.53 = 30.2, so 31 drops; 31 / 3 = 10.3, so buy 11 rolls.
Traps
Hanging the first drop without a plumb line; pasting the wall when the paper type needs pasting; letting paste dry on the face; buying rolls without allowing for the repeat.