Special Finishes, Wall Coverings, and Decorative Coatings
Decorative work and wall coverings reward surface prep and pattern discipline.
Decorative coatings
Glazes extend open time, and a glaze extender buys more. Common techniques are color wash, ragging, sponging, strie, marbleizing, wood graining, and Venetian plaster, which is burnished lime plaster. Always build sample boards and seal with a clear topcoat.
Wall coverings
Types include vinyl, paper, fabric and grasscloth, and murals. Prep means wash, repair, prime, and size. Clay or starch adhesive suits paper; clear premixed suits vinyl; fabric and grasscloth usually need a specialty adhesive and paste applied to the paper, not the wall. Book pasted strips paste-to-paste for 5-10 minutes so the paper relaxes. Matches are straight, drop, or random. Hang the first strip to a plumb line and roll seams with a seam roller, except on grasscloth and fabric.
Worked example: 365 sq ft of net wall, 15 percent waste gives 420 sq ft; a single roll has about 36 sq ft usable, so 420 / 36 = 11.7, or 12 rolls. Add the pattern repeat before ordering.
Traps
- Not booking the paper.
- Pasting the wrong side.
- Skipping sizing, so the paper grabs and tears.
- Over-rolling seams and polishing the face.
- Forgetting the repeat when ordering.