Cyclopedia of Painting/Paperhanging

by George D. Armstrong

PAPER HANGING.

When re-papering an old wall the first thing to be done is to remove the old paper. Now although this is very necessary in order to produce a good job, as well as for sanitary reasons, it is very frequently neglected altogether, and one paper is pasted over another time after time, the accumulation of dirt, decayed paste, and perhaps various insects forming a most unsanitary dwelling place. The paper may be usually removed by washing it over with hot water, giving a liberal quantity, and allow this to soak in, and then scraping off with an old chisel or scraper.

If the paper is varnished, or is printed in oil, that is, if it is of the quality known as sanitary paper, it may be necessary to score over the surface with a chisel before applying the water, so as to give an opportunity for the moisture to soak in. Commence at the top, taking care not to injure the cornice or ceiling, and to get every particle of the paper away. Sometimes plastered walls which have been papered with half a dozen or more papers are in such a bad condition that when these papers are removed a considerable portion of the plaster will be pulled away. In such a ease it may be quite necessary to leave the old paper on. In a fairly good wall the paper may be removed without injury, provided that plenty of water is used, it is very probable that there will be some breaks, which will require mending before the new paper is applied. This can be done without much difficulty by means of plaster of Paris mixed in small quantities at the time with a little glue water, and applied with a knife or piece of wood, and smoothed off to a level surface. In mending the walls of an ordinary room in this way it may be necessary to mix the plaster half a dozen times, as if sufficient is mixed at one time for the whole job it will be found to be set quite hard, and therefore to be useless before the mending is completed. A few drops of glycerine added to the plaster will retard its setting, but this is not necessary if glue water is used. It is best not to paper over a patched wall for several days, but if time presses a coat of knotting may be given over all the patches to prevent the plaster affecting the color of the newly-applied paper. Coarse sandpaper should now be rubbed over the whole surface, so as to make it as level as possible, and then the room is ready for papering.

Choosing the Paper. This choice is usually left to the lady of the house, probably on the supposition that she has better taste in such matters than her husband. If the paper is of a cheap grade in most cases the wallpaper dealer will send a book of patterns measuring, perhaps, 24 by 18 inches, and from these small samples the occupant of the house is expected to make a selection. It is this which gives rise to so much disappointment. A small piece conveys a very little idea of the appearance the room will present when the walls are covered all over with the same pattern, and it is far better, where it is practicable, especially in the principal rooms, to obtain a roll or two of those papers which appear to be most suitable, and to pin them on the wall, so as to gain a good idea of the appearance they will present. The following hints should be borne in mind. For a small room choose a small pattern paper, never a large one, which will make it look smaller still. A room with a low ceiling will look higher than it is if a pattern having vertical stripes is chosen. The reverse of this is true of an unusually high room, which will not look so high if a paper having horizontal stripes is used. Gold papers, or those which have bronze or imitation gold in the design, are now rarely used, being rightly considered as somewhat vulgar, excepting in public or important rooms. Large pronounced patterns are usually not desirable, because they detract from the repose or quiet appearance a living room should present. A bedroom should always be papered with a cheerful design, and geometrical figures be avoided as far as possible.

In choosing a paper for a hall or staircase, or any room or apartment which is somewhat bare in appearance or devoid of furniture, it is always well to select a hanging of bold design and somewhat vivid coloring. Conversely a room full of furniture, especially if small and with many pictures on the walls, would be wholly spoilt by a bold design. During the last few years there has been a distinct tendency toward employing papers with little or no pattern at all, ingrains are much in vogue. These papers are dyed in the process of manufacturing instead of being grounded or treated with the distemper color on the surface, as is usual with ordinary wall papers. An excellent effect is produced in decorating a room with such a plain ingrain, especially if a good bold frieze is employed to form a finish, and take away from the bare effect. The objections to ingrains, however, is that they are very apt to lose their color, and also that they are very difficult to hang, as they are almost like blotting paper in texture, and they rapidly absorb the moisture from the paste. For many purposes an ingrain paper or its equivalent, having printed upon it a very small set design, produces good results. In selecting papers it should be remembered that it is not necessary to pay a high price in order to get good designs.

Having made a selection of the paper, the next thing to be done is to cut off one or more of the margins. This is readily done by means of scissors or a trimmer. In some wall-paper shops will be found a machine by which the selvedge or margins may be rapidly removed, and in some cases the paper may be purchased already trimmed, which, of course, saves a good deal of trouble. It must be remembered, however, that the wall-paper manufacturer left the selvedge on for a definite purpose, to protect the body of the paper, and that without it there is a likelihood of the paper becoming quickly soiled. It should be remembered, therefore, that when wall paper is bought ready trimmed it is necessary to take great care in handling, so as not to dirty or mar the edges. There are two ways of hanging paper, one with what is called a butt edge, the other a lapped edge. In the former both margins are cut off, and the edges of the paper must then be drawn together, so as to exactly meet, the pattern, of course, uniting accurately. The difficulty of the paperhanger using the butt edge is that he sometimes finds a difficulty in bringing the edges to meet, and if there is a space between, the white wall underneath shows through. Sometimes the paper shrinks after being hung, and produces the same objectionable effect. To prevent this it is not a bad plan to mix a little distemper to match the ground of the paper, and to paint this down the wall exactly where the several seams will come. If in this case there is an opening of, say, a thirty-second part of an inch it will not be noticed. As a rule, the unskilled workman will prefer to use a lapped edge. In this case only one margin is cut off, and the paper is lapped or placed over the other, care being taken to match the pattern as before. The objection to lapping is that the joints show somewhat conspicuously, as it will be clear that there will be two thicknesses of paper instead of one wherever the joins occur. A hint of importance is to remember that the laps should be away from the light, as this will render them less conspicuous than it would otherwise be.

Paperhanger's Paste. There are several ways of making paperhanger's paste, but they all practically come to the same thing in the end. Take a sufficient quantity of ordinary white flour, place it in a big basin, add a littie water, stir and beat it up to a stiff batter, and then Ihin with additional water, taking care there are no lumps. Care must also be taken not to add too much cold water, so as to make the mixture too thin. When satisfied that there are no lumps, pour in slowly boiling water, stirring vigorously meanwhile only in one direction. In a short time the paste will begin to thicken, which means that it is cooked, and is then about right for use. In order to stiffen the paste, and also to prevent it becoming rancid, alum is sometimes added in the proportion of about a teaspoonful of ground alum to two quarts of paste, this, however, must never be added if the paper to which it is to be applied is ingrain, as it is likely to cause the color to fade. It must also never be used on gold papers, as it turns the so-called gold black. To preserve the paste a few drops of oil of cloves should be added, or a little carbolic acid. An excellent preservative is formaldehyde, which may be added in the proportion of about a teaspoonful to four quarts. The paste should not be used while hot, it is better if it stands for a little time. To prevent a skin forming on the top a little cold water may be added. If the paper is a very stiff one, a small proportion of glue melted in water may be added, but this is not, as a rule, necessary.

Measuring Quantity of Paper Required. It will now be necessary to ascertain the number of pieces of paper required for the room that is to be re-papered. Paperhangers can, as a rule, tell the number of pieces by glancing at a room, but the amateur will require to measure. A piece of wallpaper is eight yards long, and when trimmed 21 inches wide, there is, however, more or less waste, and the larger the pattern the greater will the waste be. In practice the simplest plan to follow is to take a roll of paper or a piece of stick out to the right length, and to measure around the room, and find out how many lengths will be required, then measure the height, and see how many lengths can be obtained from the eight yards in length, remembering that something must be cut to waste, so as to match the paper. The pieces left over will usually be sufficient to paper over doors, windows, and any odd places. The following table may be useful for reference, but it cannot always be relied upon, because it is clear that one room may have many more windows or openings in it than another.

Wall Paper Table. Showing the Number of Pieces of Wallpaper, 21 Inches wide. Measure round the Four Walls in feet, including Doors, Windows, etc.
Height in Feet from Skirting to Cornice.					Lengths of Four Walls in Feet.
					24	26.3	29.3	32	34.3	37.3	40	42.3	45.3	48	50.3
7	and	under	7	1⁄2	5	5	6	6	7	7	8	8	8	9	9
7	1⁄2	under"	8		5	5	6	6	7	8	8	9	9	10	10
8		under"	8	1⁄2	5	6	6	7	7	8	8	9	9	10	10
8	1⁄2	under"	9		5	6	7	7	8	8	9	10	10	11	11
9		under"	9	1⁄2	6	6	7	7	8	9	9	10	10	11	12
9	1⁄2	under"	10		6	7	7	8	9	9	10	10	11	12	12
10		under"	10	1⁄2	6	7	8	8	9	10	10	11	12	12	13
10	1⁄2	under"	11		7	7	8	9	9	10	11	11	12	13	13
11		under"	11	1⁄2	7	8	8	9	10	10	11	12	13	13	14

Hanging the Paper. It is supposed the paper is trimmed and cut into lengths ready to hang. The lengths are rather longer than is actually required, and the paperhanger will find that at this point he reaches his greatest difficulty, which is to paste the paper and carry it while wet to the wall and hang it in a vertical position. A good plan for a beginner is to take a plumb-bob, or if one is not available a small weight tied to a piece of string answers for the purpose, and mark out upon the wall vertical lines at the points where the joins of the paper are to come. This will at least have the effect of keeping the joins upright. Place the paper face downwards on a pasting board, and give it a coat of paste, taking care not to apply too much, or it will brush out when the paper is applied. If the table is not long enough to take the whole length, as it probably will not be, paste one half, fold the end toward the center, then carefully draw the strip over and paste the other end, folding again so as to meet the end already folded. In this condition the paper will not leave any of the pasted surface outward, and as there are at least two thicknesses, it will not be very difficult to lift it from the table. With a little care the lower portion of the paper may be folded again for convenience in carrying. Commence at a projecting corner of a. door or window, or at any other position where a mis-match will show the least. Climb the step ladder, which must, of course, be provided, unfold the upper end of the paper, place it carefully beneath the cornice and down the marked line, press it against the wall with a brush, taking care that there are no air bubbles left. Then unfold another portion, and press this down also, and proceed in the same way until the bottom of the length is reached, when it will be found that a portion of the length which was cut too long projects over the skirting board. Draw the point of the scissors lightly along this edge, which will mark the paper, pull the lower end of the strip away from the wall, and cut off this superfluous portion of the paper, and press the whole back in position; one length of paper will thus have been hung. Before pasting the second length, see that you have it cut correctly at the top to watch when placing it in position. Paperhangers frequently manage this on the wall itself, using the lower member of the cornice as a guide to mark the upper edge of the length, and they cut this superfluous top edge while standing on the ladder. The paperhanger will do much better to get the upper portion right before he pastes the paper. A paperhanger's brush should be used to press the paper to the wall. These brushes are usually used where speed is required; they require a little practice before one becomes expert with them. Where a border or frieze is to be hung, the proceeding is precisely similar to that already described, except that the width of the paper is much less, and it is, of course, hung horizontally instead of vertically. If the paperhanger will take care to fold his paper several times after it has been pasted, he should find no difficulty in handling it. It must be folded in such a manner as to be unfolded piece by piece as required to go up in its proper position.

Borders and Friezes. Sometimes in the country, and even in well-built houses, rooms are found finished entirely without cornices. In such cases it is almost impossible to produce a finished effect unless a border or frieze is used. The borders should be almost always used in rooms large and small, with the exception, perhaps, of the servants' bedrooms. They cost very little, and if a comparison is made between a room finished without a frieze and another in which a good design is employed, the difference will be at once apparent.

Now that plain papers are so much in vogue, the frieze becomes an important part of the design, and drawing and dining-rooms from which a frieze is omitted is usually considered spoiled.

Hanging Ceiling Papers. Papered ceilings are used at present to a very much greater extent than they were formerly; in fact, in the better class of houses they are now used almost invariably. A papered ceiling with a papered wall gives an appearance of finish and completeness which is not apparent when the walls are papered and the ceiling is distempered. Distempered walls and distempered ceilings give the best possible appearance in interior decoration, but papered walls must always be used to a very considerable extent, and then the apartment is not finished unless paper is used on the ceiling also. Those who crave for white ceilings can get them in paper, or, rather, they can purchase many designs at very moderate prices in which the pattern is so delicate and faintly defined that it can only be discerned in certain lights. For a drawing-room a very pretty paper is one having a cream or nearly white ground, with a pattern printed in talc or some brilliant material which, while nearly colorless, shows up very prettily under the gas light. Excepting the very elaborate schemes of decoration, bright colored ceiling papers should never be used. Floral designs are out of the question for ceilings, somewhat large geometrical designs, sometimes in imitation of ribbed effects, being usually employed. To hang a paper on a ceiling requires a good deal of thought and planning, and it is by no means as easy as hanging the paper on the wall. The paper having been carefully schemed out so as to show to the best advantage, is pasted and folded as before, and hung in the same manner, excepting that a lath or stick must be used as an aid in holding up the folded portion, while the other end is being pressed to the surface. Before the paper hanging of the ceiling is commenced, all breaks and cracks should be mended in the same manner as already described in dealing with broken walls. When cutting the paper around regular angles, such as those which arise from a bay window, the best plan is to cut the paper roughly to about the angle required, leaving it rather longer than necessary, and then to mark the exact line against the cornice with the point of the scissors, then to cut off the superfluous end. Even where care is taken, this will sometimes cause a little trouble with the paste coming against the cornice, but this can afterwards be made good with whitening or coloring the cornice as already mentioned.

In rooms which have no pretensions whatever to a decorative appearance, ceilings are often papered in order to strengthen. We have seen old ceilings which appeared to be about to fall off, kept in position for years by two coats of strong paper pasted over them. In this case what is known as lining paper is used. It is sold by every dealer in paper hangings, and is cheap. It must not be forgotten that a ceiling must never be papered in any room in which there is steam at any time. For instance, in a laundry it is entirely out of place, as the first washing day will mean the descent upon one's head of all the paper from the ceiling.

Cleaning Wallpaper. The tenant or house owner at those unpleasant periods in the year when spring cleaning appears to be inseparable from a quiet existence, or when parts of the house are re-decorated owing to a sudden fit of generosity on the part of the landlord, often experiences a good deal of difficulty in determining whether a room really requires re-papering or not. Possibly the paper is fairly expensive, and is only soiled over a small portion of its surface. All ordinary papers may be cleaned without difficulty. There are on the market various preparations for the purpose which do the work very effectually, but their use is not necessary. One of the simplest ways is to take a loaf of ordinary rye bread, which is at least two days old, cut off the crust, and trim the crust also from around the edge, place on the floor sheets of newspaper or cloths to catch the crumbs, and then go over the whole surface of the paper, rubbing it with the loaf from top to bottom in regular strokes. When the end of the loaf becomes dirty cut off a very thin slice with a sharp knife, trim back the edge again, and proceed as before. Even better than the loaf is baker's dough, or flour and water mixed to a stiff dough answers equally well. A good plan is to add about quarter of the bulk of plaster of Paris to the flour, as this holds the dough together, and renders it less plastic or yielding under the strokes. Still another way is to use bran, a handful is taken and placed in a piece of flannel, and then rubbed against the surface of the paper. If there are any grease marks on the paper they can be removed in the following manner: Mix a little dry Fuller's earth into a paste, place it carefully over and around the grease spot, when quite dry take a hot flat iron and hold it nearly touching the layer of Fuller's earth. This will dry out the grease, and the Fuller's earth may then be scraped off, leaving the paper comparatively clean and fresh.