The Rural Voice, 1993-07, Page 42�e CO
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and
Trinket Shoppe
Come view our reasonable priced,
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No GST on craft items.
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Bicycle Rentals Available
54 Victoria St. North (Hwy. 21)
Goderich, Ontario N7A 2R8
Your Hosts:
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524-2302
1-800-665-8242
COMING
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locations:
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38 THE RURAL VOICE
Home Decorating
What to do with paneling
BY KENDRA KRAUTER
How many of you have one, two or
more paneled rooms in your home?
Women, it seems, are always asking
me "What can I
do with all these
dark, or odd -col-
oured paneled
walls? I can't
stand them!"
Paneling was
a fast, no fuss
way to finish a
room with an old
plastered surface
that couldn't be
painted or wall-
papered without
a lot of repair
first. The way I
see it, men, espe-
cially husbands, love paneling so much
because they figured they had elimina-
ted those dreaded words "I'd like to re -
wallpaper and paint the den ... kitchen
... living room!" It has been my
experience both on a professional and
personal level that men have a real
aversion to painting or wallpapering
paneling. I've heard all the excuses!
"It's real wood" ... (not in most cases).
"The lines will show" ... (that looks
neat ... and still gives a board effect).
"I like the dark walls" ... (the walls
can be painted a dark "decorative"
colour). Do you recognize any of these
phrases?
If you choose to follow your
instincts, let's paint! First we must
properly prepare the surface. This is
one of the most important steps in any
painting project. When painting a
wood or wood -like surface that has
been in the home for many years, in
most cases will have a build-up of wax,
dust or grease. We must remove these
layers first so the new paint will adhere.
Wash the walls down with T.S.P. (tri -
sodium phosphate) and rinse thorough-
ly to remove any residue. If the finish
is shiny, sand the surface lightly.
Prime the surface with the
appropriate primer. Remember water
and oil don't mix. Use an alkyd (oil
base) primer if you are using a finish
coat of alkyd, and latex (water base)
primer with a finish coat of latex. If
you are painting over a dark colour I
suggest two coats of primer and one
finish coat. Let each coat dry
thoroughly. If you are concerned about
seeing the grooves use one of the many
decorative finishes, such as sponging,
dragging or rag rolling. This will help
to camouflage the grooves.
If paint is not what you want or need
in your room and wallpaper is your
choice, we need to again prepare the
surface properly. Wash the panels
down and sand lightly. I know people
who have just applied the paper at this
point. If your paper is dark you
shouldn't have trouble with the dark
dye bleeding from the grooves, but if
your paper is light, the colour may
discolour your paper. With this method
your groove lines will likely show
unless your paper is extremely heavy.
You can polyfill the grooves and
sand smooth, or buy an under -cover
product that works very well. It is
basically applied like wallpaper and
when it is dried it gives you a smooth
finished surface, which can be painted
or wallpapered. It is available in some
wallpaper books, so inquire where you
buy your paper.
Do you think you would like to add
a little interest to your painted paneled
walls? Consider adding a wallpaper
border at the ceiling to lower a high
ceiling, or if the room is over eight feet
high and the paneling has had to have a
piece added to it this is a great place to
put the border. A picture moulding
could also be added to cover the seam.
These are just a few ideas to cover
paneling. The other option is, of
course, to remove it and drywall or
plaster. So you can cover it, replace it
or put up with it ... Our kitchen is
paneled and the cabinets need to be
refinished so right now I am putting up
with it. 1 want to paint ... he wants to
remove it and make a lot of dust.
Remember if you have any
decorating questions and problems I
might be able to help with, drop me a
note c/o The Rural Voice, P.O. Box
429, Blyth, ON NOM 1H0.0
'Til next month
Kendra
Kendra Krauter is a qualified interior
decorator who lives near Ethel, ON.