The Huron Expositor, 1994-04-13, Page 37i
Applying the primer is the final step
Fns N!s 18
premixed lightweight spackling
product or one of the powdered
patching fillers on the market.
Once you've selected one,
here are the tools needed: putty
knife, stiff and flexible; stiff
scraper; sponge; sandpaper;
bucket; pregummed fiberglass
tape (for recurring cracks);
taping knife; drop cloth;
sandpaper; eye wear, dust mask,
rubber gloves; and wallpaper
stripping tool.
After old paper is removed
with a wallpaper stripping tool,
damaged areas must be taken
care of.
For large holes, usually the
metal or wooden lath will back
up the hole.
Remove all debris around the
hole, even under the edges, to
ensure a firm foundation for the
patch.
Moisten the damaged area
before patching, and keep it
damp.
Apply the joint or spackling
compound with a putty knife,
covering the lath and evenly
spreading into the hole.
For better bonding experts
advise two fillings of patch, the
first cross -etched with the putty
knife. When tt►s dries, apply the
second coat, aid sand when dry.
Here's an excellent tip for
Targe holes without backing —
forget stuffing newspaper into
the opening!
Use a piece of slab board
nailed or screwed at the center
to a string to back up the
opening. Or tie a piece of screen
to the string.
Punch the screen or piece of
wood through the hole,
surrounding the edges of the
hole with the spackling
compound.
Pull the string forward, until
the screen covers the hole and
adheres to the compound.
After this has dried, cut the
string and lay sections of
fiberglass tape over the patch,
applying more of the compound
over the area until level with the
wall. Sand and finish when dry.
To repair simple nail holes
press the lightweight spackling
compound into the hole with the
spackling knife or finger and let
it dry. Sand lightly if needed.
The problem of "popped" nail
holes caused by the slight pulling
away of wallboard requires
reinforcing the wallboard tightly
to the wall stud.
This is done by placing a
screw near the popped nail and
tightly screwing it to the stud.
Then chip out loose wallboard
compound around the popped
nail:
Drive the nail back into the
framing so it is sunk below the
surface of the board.
Apply lightweight spackling to
the popped nail hole and to the
slight dent left by the screw.
Recurring cracks in plaster
walls can easily be remedied by
scraping loose plaster from the
crack.
Then simply reinforce the
crack with pre -gummed
fiberglass wallboard tape.
With a wide -blade taping knife,
apply the spackling over the
tape until it is almost concealed.
When spackling is dry, conceal
the tape with another very thin
or light coat and again, sand
lightly.
Finally, when patching and
repairs are completed, it is
important to apply a coat of
primer. Now you are ready to
apply wallcovering.
Add value by doing your own wallcovering
Homeowners can add value to
any room and save hundreds of
dollars by doing their own
wallcovering.
But:where does a
"wallcovering wannabee" begin?
First, get walls in shape by doing
minor repairs and patching.
You want your wallcovering to
__stay put once you hang it and-
the
nd-
th a following tips should help.
Remove all switch plates,
fixtures, and if possible,
moldings. Begin by doing a
preliminary dry layout of the
paper, to see how many full -
width sheets will be needed.
Papers that are pre -pasted
require submersion in a water
tray. When paste is needed, it
may be purchased as a powder
to be mixed with water or
premixed. Plan on about one
gallon per five rolls of paper.
The right wallcovering can be
a perfect coverup. When
selecting wallpaper for problem
walls, use a heavier vinyl
wallcovering with fabric backing
to minimize show -through.
A plumb line is a good tool to
determine a true vertical line for
your starting point, so the
pattern doesn't go up or
downhill.
Here are the recommended
tools to do the job:
• pencils;
• sponge;
• pasting brush;
• wide blade taping knife;
• seam roller;
• razor knife with breakaway
blades;
• casing knife (optional},____,____
• wallpapering shears;
• water tray (for pre -pasted
wallpaper);
• roller (may be used as
alternative to pasting brush);
• plumb line;
• drop cloths;
• protective eyewear and gloves.
Evenly apply paste to pre-cut
strips with the paste brush or
roller. Do not allow paste to
touch the pattern side of the
paper.
You may fold over the pasted
area to meet another pasted
area to make it easier to
manage.
Start by laying paper where
wall meets ceiling; the rest will
unfold itself down the wall.
Position the strip according to
your plumb line marks and
remember to leave some
overhang at top and bottom.
Beginning at the top; smooth
wallcovering out from the center
in both directions with a
smoothing brush. Check for
bubbles and be certain seams are
properly butted.
A seam roller may be used to
flatten paper into corners and
crevices. Remove excess paste
or marks with a dampened
sponge.
Fora.professionally trimmed - -
look, use a wide blade taping
knife to press paper into the
crevice where wall meets ceiling
and around trim.
Then, run a break -away razor
knife along the crease, using the
edge of the taping knife as a
guide. Peel away excess
wallpaper.
Experts also recommend a
casing knife (which looks like a
pizza cutter) to trim hard to
reach areas around windows and
door jams.
For the next section of paper,
butt it against the first strip to
match patterns, without gapping
or overlapping and proceed as
previously mentioned.
Now that you've prepared and
covered your problem walls with
one of the beautiful
wallcoverings on the market,
think of the money saved on
installation... and the thousands
of ways to spend it on future
projects.
HOME & GARDEN GUIDE '94 -PAGE 19
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Homeowners & Contractors
- water pumps -generators
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= wallpaper steamer
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524-2020
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AIR NAILERS
ELECTRIC
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R
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Rentals
"EQUIPMENT RENTALS FOR All JOBS"
Homeowners & Contractors
- water pumps -generators
- cement mixers
• carpet stapler
- ladders
- floor sanders
- fridge carts
- cement. saws
- aerators
- carpet kicker
= wallpaper steamer
- hedge trimmers
- lawn mowers
- electric hand tools
- thatchers
- weed eaters
SUMMER HOURS
Mon. to Fri.
Sat.
Sam-6pm
8am-4pm
166wn m
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