NEW SURFACE FOR OLD WALLS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 248, 15 July 1932, Page 5

NEW SURFACE FOR OLD WALLS

Distemper is Cheap, and Modern in Effect

VARIETY OF SHADES; HOW TO APPLY

To-day one of the first questions to be considered when planning home renovations is: How much will it cost? In the case of interior work this difficult price-hurdle often may be lowered by the use of distemper, which possesses the virtue of cheapness and is also fashionable. Only in exceptional cases should wall colour schemes now be dominant or even obtrusive. The subdued “background” wall is in tune with the modern note, and this is precisely the effect gained by the use of distemper, provided it is applied intelligently and the shades are wisely chosen.

’ two coats of this, the second one will i wash up the first, and the result will • be a glorious muddle. Ordinary dis- . temper is very cheap and is quite suit- ' able for general purposes, but it should ' not be used on any walls which may i become damp now and then by reason • of steam —as is the case in the bathroom, kitchen or scullery. Wet turns the colour temporarily darker at once, besides giving the wall a patchy ap- , pearance while parts of it are dry and i other parts wet. ' How to Apply Distemper. Distempering is not at all difficult, it requires a certain knack. The , important thing is to “keep the edges alive," as painters say. This means working as quickly as one can, so that the part of'the wall where you work last does not dry before you have dipped your brush in again. Amateurs

ant people, when considering how best to clean, brighten or change the colour scheme of their rooms, are in doubt as to whether distemper can be applied over wallpaper. The answer is yes, provided that the wash-

able or water-paint kind is chosen. Any colour can be applied, not necessarily one which Is similar in shade to the existing wallpaper, for if you give three or four coats, the pattern and colour of the wallpaper beneath will be entirely obliterated. In fact, distempering with a cheery colour, or even a restful green or blue, is a very ' good way of changing the appearance' of a dingy wallpaper. It saves all the bother of repaperlng, and also is much cheaper. Distemper can be obtained in so

many delicate shades now that one should be applied is when ordinary disneed not confine it to the walls of the kitchen or scullery. In fact, three coats applied over a wallpaper will give the

will find it easiest to dip the tip of the brush only, otherwise the distemper will be liable to run down the wall in streaks, and these, if not “caught” very quickly and worked in, may show later.

Start from the left-hand corner of the room and work downward and forward. If you keep a large damp rag handy, splashes on the floor or paintwork will be easily and immediately removed, if wiped at once. Apply the distemper with a proper, flat, distemper brush, and buy the very best quality. It is false economy to “make do” where brushes are concerned, for the cheap kinds will give an uneven surface, as well as there being a likelihood of the bristles coming out occasionally and adhering to the wall. Keep the Brush Clean.

Be careful to wipe all the distemper from the brush while still wet if yon leave your job uncompleted overnight, as the liquid hardens so quickly that it will take longer afterward to get the brush soft and flexible again, ready for use. If only called away for a few minutes, it is best to stand or swirl the brush round in'a bucket of clear water, which you can keep handy in the room for this purpose. It .is best, of course, not to leave the work at all until you have reached the end of one wall, so that no “leaving off” marks can possibly have a chance to appear.