Gaby
Proper maintenance of oil-based coatings on wooden and metal surfaces in buildings not only extends the lifespan of these structural elements but also gives a tidy appearance to the room and the home as a whole; this also applies to decorative finishes.
Painting work in the home can be done using your own resources; tools and materials for painting can be purchased at hardware and chemical stores. The quality of materials in painting is particularly important, as the use of substitutes and inferior products can lead to rapid deterioration of the finish, wasting all the expenses incurred.
Linseed oil, oil paints, enamels, driers, and thinners for thick paints should all be of high quality. These materials must meet the state standards assigned to them. The issue of high-quality materials also applies to pigments, i.e., the paints used to create the so-called tint for glue painting of walls; the paints must be lightfast. Such paints include zinc white and lithopone, yellow ochre, Mars yellow, chromium oxide (green paint), ultramarine (blue), ochre, mummy, and iron oxide (red pigments), as well as ground chalk.
Using these pigments, you can prepare a dye composition of any color and shade. Other materials used in painting are applied in small quantities and are mostly sold as full-fledged products, i.e., not as substitutes.
Painting repairs in a room begin with whitewashing the ceiling. Before whitewashing, sawdust is spread on the floor, and mats or old newspapers are laid down. Immediately after whitewashing and painting, this covering is removed; otherwise, dirt may become ingrained in the floorboards or parquet.
Old whitewash is scraped off the ceiling with a spatula, and cracks and gaps are filled. For filling cracks and gaps, a putty of the following composition is used: 100g of carpentry glue is soaked in cold water (enough water to cover the broken pieces of glue); after 12 hours, the unabsorbed water is drained from the swollen glue, which is then dissolved over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
In the hot glue solution, two tablespoons of linseed oil are added, mixed, and then three kilograms of sifted chalk are gradually incorporated. The mixture is kneaded until a homogeneous paste suitable for puttying is obtained.
After filling the cracks and other defects, the ceiling is primed with a copper sulfate primer. The primer is prepared as follows: dissolve 100-150g of copper sulfate in 2 liters of boiling water, and separately dissolve 200g (based on dry weight) of swollen carpentry glue in another 2 liters of boiling water. In the hot glue solution, 250g of grated household soap is dissolved, and then 1/4 cup of linseed oil is added. The resulting emulsion is thoroughly mixed, and the previously prepared copper sulfate solution is poured into it. The finished mixture is slightly cooled, and 3kg of sifted chalk is added. The mixture is diluted with warm water to a total volume of 10 liters. This same primer is also used for the walls.
The whitewash for ceilings is prepared as follows: 1kg of sifted chalk is mixed with 40g of ultramarine (blue) and half a liter of water to create a thick paste. In cold water, 60g of tile carpentry glue is soaked, and then, after draining the unabsorbed water, the glue is melted over low heat. The warm glue solution is mixed with the chalk paste and thinned to form a suspension that flows easily from the brush.
The whitewash is applied to the ceiling with a brush. The first coat is applied parallel to the windows, and the second coat is applied perpendicularly. In the summer, it is not recommended to whitewash during the hottest part of the day, as the heat can cause the whitewash to adhere poorly. After work, brushes are thoroughly rinsed with water, shaken out, and dried.
For colored glue painting of walls, the old paint is first removed; to do this, the walls are dampened with warm water, and the softened paint is scraped off with a spatula. After drying, the walls are sanded with a piece of pumice or sandpaper attached to a wooden block. Cracks, gaps, and holes are filled with putty, after which the walls are covered with the primer described above. The primer is applied with brushes, first in a horizontal direction and then in a vertical direction. During the second application, the primer is blended to avoid leaving stripes.
The paint for the walls is prepared in the same way as the whitewash for the ceiling, but the amount of glue is slightly increased, and in addition to chalk, a coloring pigment is added. The pigments, like the chalk, are mixed with a small amount of glue solution before preparing the paint and ground to form a thick paste, which is then thinned with glue solution to achieve the desired suspension consistency. The resulting suspension should flow easily from the brush.
To ensure that the walls are painted uniformly, the established ratio of chalk, colored pigment, and glue solution must be strictly followed when preparing the working solution. The amount of pigment should be six times less than the amount of chalk added.
When selecting a paint shade, dry pigments are mixed in various proportions, then chalk and a little glue solution are added; the resulting sample is applied to a piece of glass and lightly dried over low heat; the dried sample is used to judge the color and shade of the paint.
Painting windows, doors, and walls with oil paint. Oil paint can be used to paint wooden, plastered, and metal surfaces. When using quality materials and proper techniques, these coatings are durable, attractive, and hygienic.
For preparing working compositions, thick oil paints or ready-to-use paints, as well as linseed oil, driers, and oil enamels, are used. Surfaces intended for painting are cleaned of dust, dirt, mold, stains, rust, etc., and dried. Then, the surface to be painted is primed, defects are filled, sanded, and painted twice, allowing each coat to dry for at least a day.
The primer for oil coatings is prepared from linseed oil with the addition of a small amount (about 10%) of mummy or iron oxide. The reddish color of this layer is not a problem, as the subsequent oil paint coating will completely cover the primer.
Priming can be done up to three times, allowing each layer to dry. Any detected defects are filled with putty made from linseed oil (10% glue solution and chalk, taken in such proportions to create a thick mass). The putty is applied with a spatula, and after drying, it is smoothed with pumice or sandpaper.
After filling in the defects, the surface is puttied one or two times. The putty is applied with a spatula in a thin and even layer. The dried putty is treated with pumice.
Thick paints are thinned with linseed oil to achieve the so-called working consistency (about 400g of linseed oil is added to 1kg of thick paint). The resulting mixture is stirred with a spatula and then brushed. Each time paint is taken, it is stirred. Painting is done from top to bottom, and then perpendicularly to that direction. At least two coats are applied, allowing for drying in between.
Floor Painting. For cracked floors, gaps are filled, all unevenness is planed, and the floor is primed with hot linseed oil. Once the linseed oil dries, the floor is primed a second time. Then, the floor is puttied (about 5% dry ochre is added to the putty), and after the putty dries, it is sanded. Floors are painted only when completely clean and dry, with at least three coats applied, allowing each layer to dry. The final coat should dry for at least six days, and in winter, up to twelve days.
It is recommended to apply one or two layers of oil floor varnish over the last coat. This significantly increases the durability of the finish. Only high-quality natural linseed oil should be used for floor painting.
Wallpapering Walls. All commercially produced wallpapers meet state standards; rolls are 6-12 meters long and 50, 60, or 75 cm wide. Wallpapers differ in their assortment based on paper density, adhesive, surface characteristics, and the number of applied colors.
A border is a narrow strip of paper with a pattern that harmonizes with the wallpaper’s design and color. Each strip is 3-16 cm wide; before work, the strip is cut according to the pattern.
A frieze is also intended for gluing the upper parts of walls and comes in widths of 20, 35, and 60 cm. The widest strips, applied above the panel, are called tapestries.
Wallpapering is done on well-dried plaster. If the plaster has not dried properly, the wallpaper may peel off and stains may appear. In wooden houses, walls should stand for at least a year before the initial wallpapering, as they settle sufficiently during that time. In wooden houses, before wallpapering, damp cardboard is nailed tightly to the walls, which, when dried, stretches well and provides a smooth surface. To moisten the cardboard sheets, they are soaked in water and stacked overnight. During this time, the cardboard becomes evenly damp. The cardboard is nailed in place with wallpaper nails. Joints between cardboard sheets are sealed with strips of paper or puttied.
When wallpapering, any excess paste should be washed off and remnants cleaned. If wallpapering over existing wallpaper, it is essential to check how well the old wallpaper adheres to the wall. Peeling wallpaper must be removed, and exposed areas covered with newspapers; nails are removed from the walls, and holes are filled with putty.
Before wallpapering freshly plastered walls, their surface is wiped with a smooth brick or stone. The prepared walls are covered with paste before wallpapering.
The paste for wallpapering walls is prepared as follows: for 10 liters of paste, 1.5 kg of rye, wheat, or flour paste is mixed with 1 liter of 10% hide or bone glue. First, the flour is mixed to form a dough, which is then thinned with warm glue solution and boiling water. The resulting mixture is strained.
For wallpapering with newspapers, they are coated with paste, and then each sheet is applied to the wall. While the paste is still wet, it is smoothed with a brush to avoid wrinkles, bubbles, and other imperfections. A slightly thinner paste can be used for applying newspapers than for preparing the walls.
After measuring the room, the number of pieces of wallpaper and borders needed for wallpapering is determined; an additional 12% should be added for cuts, pattern matching, and potential waste.
When trimming wallpaper, the left edge is first cut, and the right wall is covered, starting from the window. When wallpapering the left wall (from the window), the right edge is cut. This is done if the wallpaper is applied “overlap”; if it is applied edge to edge, it does not matter. For walls opposite windows, this also does not matter, as the described edge trimming method is used to prevent shadows from the edge from standing out too much. The edge of the applied wallpaper strip should face the light.
After trimming the edges, individual strips are cut according to the height of the room (or panel, if the wallpapering does not go all the way to the top). The cut strips are stacked; each lower strip should extend by the width of the edge. This way, the stacked strips can be easily pasted without risking soiling the front side of the wallpaper.
Before starting to wallpaper, the corners of the room should be checked for plumb. Wallpapering is done following the vertical line marked by the free edge of the already pasted strip. If a deviation from vertical is found when plumbed, for example, a 2 cm deviation at the lower corner, the upper corner should also be allowed to deviate by 2 cm. This way, the lower edge will fit precisely into the corner, and the excess strip, gradually tapering downwards, is trimmed at the top along the corner line.
It is not recommended to glue baseboards and moldings. Wallpapering should always start from the outer corners of the room and proceed “from the light.”
Wallpapering Technique. After applying paste to the strip, it is folded in half with the pasted side inwards and carefully handed to a partner standing on a ladder; after unfolding the strip and checking for plumb, the partner applies one end of the strip to the wall at the cornice and then smooths the entire strip from top to bottom with a clean, dry cloth, ensuring there are no bubbles or wrinkles. Care must be taken when smoothing and pressing to avoid damaging the wallpaper and smudging the pattern. (A stiff brush can also be used for smoothing).
When working with overlap, the next strip is applied to the uncut edge of the previous strip, always keeping an eye on the pattern. Excess ends at the top, baseboards, and door moldings are trimmed with a sharp knife. Scraps of wallpaper should be used above window openings and door frames.
After wallpapering all the walls, a narrow strip—border—is applied at the cornice, serving as the final finish.
Wallpapering can also be done not directly at the cornice but slightly below it (for example, 0.5 cm); for this, the exact distance from the cornice is measured, and a line is marked with a chalk line. The upper strip left is wallpapered horizontally with special strips of wallpaper called friezes. Sometimes, only the lower part of the wall is wallpapered to a height of about 1.5 meters, creating what is known as a panel, above which the border is applied.
The number of pieces of wallpaper needed for wallpapering a room. The standard width of wallpaper is 47 cm (without the edge). The length of a piece is 7 or 12 meters.
By measuring the length and width of the room and multiplying this value by two, you find the length of the walls (perimeter). Dividing this number by the usable width of the wallpaper (without the edge) gives the number of strips needed from top to bottom. By measuring the height of the walls, you divide the length of the wallpaper piece by this number to find out how many strips can be obtained from one piece. For example, with a height of 3 meters for the room being wallpapered, it can be determined that one 12-meter piece will yield four strips. Dividing the number obtained from the strip count will tell you how many pieces of wallpaper are needed for the room. This number should be increased by one piece for pattern matching, potential waste, and cuts. One piece of border is 6 meters long. This piece is cut into three strips, meaning the number of border pieces needed is the perimeter in meters divided by 3×6=18.
On selecting harmonious colors. The color and shade of the wallpaper or glue paint should correspond to the purpose of the room. For example, a general living room is recommended to be painted (wallpapered) in yellow-brown, yellow, beige, and similar colors. A children’s room should be painted in yellow or green; a bedroom—in light green, light blue, or beige; a kitchen—in light green, blue, sea colors, or white. Bathrooms and toilets are painted in light green, blue, or white.
When choosing paints or wallpapers for renovation, the color of the furniture should also be taken into account.
