Getting More Light Into A Room

This small hallway in a 1936 bungalow in the Eastwood neighborhood of Houston was very dark , with just this hanging light fixture . It’s gorgeous … Art Deco style , and probably original to the home. But just not putting off enough light for me to install wallpaper .
So here’s my easy solution . The metal fixture has an open hook type area that will hold my extension cord . But if not, I have dollar store hair bands (beauty dept) that I can rig up there to hold the cord. The plug-in socket s are available at Home Depot or the like for about two bucks. You can also plug them into a wall outlet .

Think It’s Time For A New Brush?

Here’s the brush I’ve been using for cutting in my wallpaper primer around corners and moldings. It’s called a ” Short Cut .”
I love the little stubby handle. But not the stubby bristles! Nor the residue accumulated near the base and within the bristles, which makes the brush stiff.
Even though I clean it thoroughly after each use, residue builds up. Me needs me a new one!

Here’s the same brush, but this is the one I use for cutting in paste on paste-the-wall wallpapers.
Paste washes out better than primer, so this brush looks nearly new, even after more than a year of use.
I’d like another one of these, please!

My Short Cuts were from Home Depot. I love Home Depot – but Sherwin-Williams is more convenient. Plus, this week they’re having a 35% off sale for contractors. Can’t beat that!
My local S-W didn’t have the style I’m so fond of, so I went with this version by the same manufacturer ( Purdy ). It’s similar but has a slightly longer handle.
I thought I wasn’t going to like it much, but I used it today and turns out I barely noticed a difference!

Improperly Prepped Paint Peels Off Easily

this vanity was originally white . To update the powder room and coordinate with the new wallpaper , the vanity cabinet was painted this rich green . When hanging wallpaper , some paste will get onto the woodwork or cabinetry . Usually, it’s a simple matter to wipe this paste off with a damp rag (we like microfiber cloths ).

But as you can see, even gentle wiping with a damp cloth has taken some of the new paint with it. This is usually because the new paint was applied without having properly prepped the original surface. The original paint has a gloss / sheen , which makes it attractive , as well as resistant to dirt and stains . But new coatings (be they paint , latex paint , wallpaper paste , etc. ) won’t adhere tightly to a glossy surface .

So it’s imperative that the original surface be prepped correctly , before the new paint is applied . This means de-glossing . Deglossing can be done by sanding the surface to scruff it up, which will give a bit of “tooth” to the surface for the new coating to stick to. Or you can buy a chemical de-glosser from a good paint store like Sherwin-Williams or big box store like Home Depot . This is simply wiped on with a cloth . You can also use what’s called a bonding primer , which is formulated to adhere to just about anything , and then provides a surface that paint or other coatings can grab a hold of and stick to .
Once the original surface is properly de-glossed and primed and prepped , the new paint can be applied . Once that dries and cures , you can put stress on the surface, such as rubbing or wiping , without fear of the new paint peeling off .

Another weird thing is that the green color came off on my microfiber rag . I’ve had this happen with water-based / water-borne paints – but not with the old-fashioned oil-based paints . Not a big deal. Not enough of the color wiped off to cause any lack of color on the painted surface of the vanity . install

Adding Light

 
The accent wall in a Houston Heights master bedroom where I’m working is a little dark.  Here I’ve removed the light sconces , and am getting ready to skim-float to smooth the textured wall .  A little more light would be helpful!
My bright 100 watt light bulb is screwed into a little gizmo that’s quite handy .  It’s a socket for a light bulb that can be plugged into an electrical wall outlet .  Alternately, as you can see, because there are two holes in the bottom of the metal prongs , you can slip the ends of the electrical wires into those holes . 
Of course, you have to be careful that the ends of those two wires ( one white and one black ) don’t touch each other .  That could cause a spark and a shock , and maybe even trip the circuit breaker .  Oh, and, also, be sure to turn the power off at the switch before doing this.  If you want to be extra-cautious, you can kill the circuit at the breaker box – but really, turning off at the wall switch and then taking care not to let the two wires touch each other, will be pretty safe.
When ready to work around this improvised lighting , especially with metal tools or wet wallpaper , I will turn off the power at the switch , remove the socket thingie from the wires in the wall , use screw cap wire nuts to cover the exposed wire ends , and tuck the wires a bit into the electrical box . 
Once the paper’s up in that area, I can reattach the socket and get me some light again. 
I stumbled upon these things at a garage sale decades ago, and got maybe 10 of them for a buck or two.   But they’re still available in electrical departments of places like Home Depot and Lowe’s and our neighborhood favorite here in central Houston – Southland Hardware .  They cost about a dollar or a dollar and a half each . 
 
 

Spray Can Texture

I’m getting ready to skim-float this accent wall in a master bedroom , to smooth the textured wall .  The texture on the wall looks a little odd to me.  Also, it is more concentrated in the center of the wall , and less so as you get close to corners and window moldings .
This is leading me to think that this texture didn’t come with the house .  When homes are built and texture is wanted, the painters or drywall guys come in with spray equipment and shoot the joint compound onto the wall.  This gives a pretty uniform coverage , and also coats every surface, up into corners and molding.
Not sure, but I think this one I’m working with might be the after-market kind that you can buy in a spray can from Home Depot .  It does seem pretty uniform, too.  
You can do a search here to read more about the skim-floating / skim-coating process , and smoothing textured walls , to provide a smooth and attractive surface for the new wallpaper . 

Treating Water Stains

This window had leak issues ( rain , sprinklers ) some years back, which have been solved by replacing the window, and doing other repairs.  In the photo, I’ve applied my light blue wallpaper primer to the top half of the wall but not yet the bottom portion, so that’s why the color difference

Even though the leak has been stopped, vestiges of it are still appearing.  Water that entered the wall left vertical streaks on the drywall .  All these years later, after the paint and texture have been removed , the stains remain.

Water stains , along with some others, such as blood , rust , ink , marker , grease , oil, cosmetics , and the like, will bleed through joint compound , primer , paint , and wallpaper , creating new stains on the surface .  It may take a couple of months , but they will make an appearance . In this photo, I’ve already applied my blue primer. It only took a half an hour for these stains to work their way through.

This is the top right corner of the window , where the bracket for the mini-blinds is attached to the wall.  Note the stains on the underside of the window . 

To prevent these stains from working their way through the new coating / paint / wallpaper , it’s imperative to thoroughly cover them with a stain blocker .  And – trust me – water-based products won’t work, despite what the label claims.  You need an oil-based product like this KILZ Original , or a shellac-based like BIN by Zinsser .  Both are prone to splatter , so be sure to cover your floor and baseboards with dropcloths .  KILZ has strong fumes and can make you high , so ventilate or wear a respirator mask .  It’s a hassle cleaning the liquid out of the brush , so I use a cheap-ish disposable “ chip brush ” from Home Depot or Sherwin-Williams .  The products usually dry pretty quickly.
Note that wallpaper paste won’t stick to most oil-based primers , and shellac is too glossy for good adhesion , so I’m going to go over the stain blocker with my usual Roman Pro 977 Ultra Prime wallpaper primer , which sticks to just about everything , and creates a good, matt finish surface for the wallpaper to cling to.  

Bringing Zen to a Yoga Room

One of the homeowners from yesterday’s post has an in-home yoga studio, and, as I hung wallpaper in three other areas of the home, she began toying with the idea of wallpapering one accent wall in that room, too. When the serene rural-themed pattern went up across the hall in the dining room, she immediately knew it would be the perfect finish for her yoga room, too.

I did some futzing and calculating, and was able to come up with one extra 10′ panel. I hung this centered on the accent wall. The “villa” homestead is perfectly centered in the panel.

The homeowner ran to Home Depot and got some decorative molding, that will be used as a frame on either side (not the top or bottom). The molding will be painted, or stained, or maybe antiqued (it’s to be decided!), in color(s) that compliment the wallpaper.

The pastel colors and soothing pastoral feel make this the perfect backdrop for a Zen experience in a yoga room.

Wonderful New Dropcloth

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I used this new drop cloth for the first time this week, and already love it. It has an absorbent side for catching drips, and a water-resistant side to protect floors from spills, and is also slip-resistant. It is strong and won’t tear easily. It lies flat and doesn’t bunch up under the ladder. It folds up easily and is light weight and easy to carry.

This was about $14 at Home Depot. I cut the 9’x12′ sheet into three 3’x12′ runners, which are more practical for my use.

Puffy Drop Cloth – Tamed

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I bought a drop cloth at a garage sale for 25c, and positively LOVED it. It was paper on one side (absorbent) and plastic on the other (leak proof), laid flat and didn’t tangle with the legs of my ladder, and was non-slip. But eventually it got grungy looking, and I had to trash it. Ever since, I have been searching for one.

Finally I found some at Home Depot (and Lowe’s, too). I was thrilled. The first time I used it, it was great, just like my original find. But when I tried to fold it up and store it in my van, it was impossible. The danged thing simply would not fold or flatten. It got puffier and puffier, and took up too much room in my van, plus it would not lie flat on the floor and it was dangerously tangly under my feet and my ladder’s feet.

Well, I figured out a way to tame the beast. I realized that I didn’t need an unwieldy 9′ x 12′ drop cloth. So I cut it into 3′ x 12′ strips. These are much more useable for protecting the floor along the walls where I am hanging wallpaper. In addition, the narrower material lies flat, reducing the chance of an accident due to tangling, and it folds relatively flat and fits nicely into my van.

Home Depot Tags on Wallpaper Bought Somewhere Else?

This Thibaut wallpaper was bought from Dorota at Southwestern Paint, my favorite person/place for people to buy their paper. So I was mighty surprised when I saw the green sticker that said “Home Depot” on several of the bolts.

Thibaut is a nice brand, and although you could probaby special-order it from Home Depot, now that they are selling wallpaper in some stores again, and if they carry such a somewhat higher-end brand, it’s not likely that they would have bolts of this product on the shelves in their stores.

So the question remains, “How Did the Home Depot Tags Get on the Paper??”