Imperial Valley press., 1930-08-25
Panied Walls
Are Beautiful
And Popular
BY The Architects Snail
House Service Bureau of the
United states. Inc.

House Service Bureau OF the
United states, Inc.
Because of the combined artistic
anG practical merit which painted
walls cmbody. they are gaining in
creasinc popularity in the modern
homo With rough or smooth tex
ture6 plaster walls and finishes of
SOLID color or unique design, the
painted wall offers a fitting back
ground for any -oom or any house.
Many types of wall coverings ere
nov used, any one Of which may be
painted Plaster, however, is still
q popular choice and for this rea-
son we shall give it special atten-
ton ir describing the steps neces-
sary to obtain a satisfactory paint
finish 1t might be mentioned here
thai the base of the plaster is inn
portant for its effect on the finish.
Cracks due to shrinking and swell
ing are, as rule, caused by inferior
wood lathing. While good wood
lathing gives excellent service.
metal lathing is more nssuredly sat
isfactory since it is not subject to
moisture and subsequent drying out
II addition, it has the advantage
Of & distinct reinforcing quality.
Plaster Must Be Dry
After the wall has been plas-
tered, there are several steps pre-
paratory to the painting itself, each
one of which is essential to good
results The plaster must be thor
oughly dry to start with. The first
step is the elimination of free lime,
apt to be present in new plaster.
which. if allowed to remain, will
mar the final finish with spots or
burns" To prevent this occurrence
ounces to q gallon Of water, is ap-
piled with a brush.
Next the wall should be sandpa-
pered and any cracks or small holes
that are present filled with plaster
of Paris. Because of the porous
nature Of plaster a. primer is re-
quired If paint were applied with
out priming the suction would cause
an absorption of oil, leaving the
pigment on the surface in such
way that it would soon dust off.
Even the application of two or
three coats would fail to produce
a durable finish. The most salts
factory preparation to overcome
this suction is boiled linseed oil or
a good wall varnish. Under no con-
ditions should a cheap so-called "siz-
ing varnish" be used. Printing is
also essential for wall board, which
is even more porous than plaster.
Use Three Coats
The walls are now ready to be
painted. The first coat should be
sharp, that is, long in turpentine
and short in oil, while the second
coat should contain a larger pro-
portion of oil. A flat wall paint is
used for each of these undercoats,
no matter what the finish. For the
third or final coat the owner has
the choice of a flat finish, an egg
shell gloss, or a full gloss. The
last mentioned, however, is seldom
used except for bathrooms or Kit
chens.
Sometimes e wall is finished with
only two coats of paint. The re-
suits in this case, however, are
never as satisfactory. Three coats
not only look better but last long
er. They will cost less in the long
run. Skimping in painting work
is false economy. Likewise it is
a costly mistake to allow scant
time for the completion OF the
work. Do not ask for a rushed JOB,
and do not let your builder ask for
one. If insufficient time is allowed
for drying between coats. or II
the painter must work under ten
sion or in a hurry. the results viii
never be as good. Copyright 1928
The Architects Small House Ser
vice Bureau Of the United States