Beeline Pasting machine ( Paste Master )

After noticing comments from a number of people on different decorating forums regarding the effectiveness of pasting machines, I decided to post a short review.

We have been using the Beeline paste master for several years now. It is capable of applying most types of adhesive to most wall coverings, except the very delicate or hand printed types. It is basically a metal trough full of paste that has a roller sat in the centre, which picks up the paste and transfers it to your paper. The machine is very simple to use. The unit sits on the end of your paste table and clips on to either side, then you simply lift the top rollers up which are attached to a metal plate and hinged at either side, place the end of your length of wall paper over the large roller and close the lid back down. You then pull the paper back over itself whilst walking back to the end of the paste table. Sounds complicated but it's really not.

You can adjust the amount of paste or adhesive that is applied to the paper depending on the type of paper you are hanging. It gives a very even coverage of paste and is probably three times as fast as pasting by brush. Initially the unit requires about half a bucket of paste to fill the trough. If you are hanging three Metre lengths, it will need topping up after approximately every two or three pieces, depending on the amount of paste you are applying.

I would say that this machine is a must for any professional decorator or paper hanger; they are a trade quality piece of kit and well worth the money.

Kitchen Units.

We recently had a oak kitchen to repaint, the units were about 25 years old, but still in very good condition structurally, the existing finish looked as though it was a medium to dark oak colour with a lacquer applied over the top, With 25 years of use and periodic washing and cleaning the finish was looking a bit tired, and the owners were looking for a change of colour.

The process was to remove all doors and  to thoroughly wash all surfaces with Krud Kutter original and thoroughly dry, to remove any grease or build up of dirt.


 We then sanded all surfaces with various grades of oxide paper and
sanding pads, any areas that required filling were filled with a Two part filler and sanded smooth , all knots were treated with 2 coats of zinnser BIN. The primer of choice was Zinnser cover stain which was applied to all surfaces followed by a coat of johnstones trade undercoat.



The final coats were little green oil based eggshell with more sanding between coats using various grades of Wet / dry finishing with a 400 grit. All doors and drawers were then replaced and new antique brass knobs fitted to complete the look.

Barn Conversion

A recent Barn conversion we have completed, quite straight forward apart from a lot of ladder work to access the ceiling and beams. An unusual layout with  the living areas on the upper floor with open plan spacious  Lounge, diner and Kitchen,and on the lower floor are 3 bedrooms, shower room, utility room and main bedroom with en suite.
The decor is quite contemporary while still in keeping with the traditional feel of the beamed ceilings.

We applied a mist coat to all ceilings and walls followed by 3 full coats of Brilliant White soft sheen finish.
Woodwork was all pre-primed prior to installation, we applied 1
full bodied coat of undercoat followed by 2 coats of little Green eggshell. The doors were all pre-finished to match the flooring in the hallways in a rich Wallnut colour.

Lining Paper

Does it need lining? ......

This is a question we are often asked, and the answer is more often than not yes.

Lining paper is used to create a surface of equal porosity when used as a base for wall coverings, there is a misconception about using lining paper that it is only needed if you have poor quality walls, this is one reason for using a liner but there are several others.

Lots of today’s  wall coverings require special adhesives depending on the type of paper or backing it has been printed on, most wall coverings when they have paste applied to the backing expand sometimes up to as much as 10 or 12 mm. And as the paper dries it then shrinks if you wallpaper on to a surface that is not lined you may have areas of the wall that are more absorbent than others sucking the moisture out of the adhesive causing the paper to expand and contract at different rates which inevitably will cause problems as the paper dries.

There are different thicknesses of lining paper available from 400 grade right up to 2000 grade and different qualities, the main brand  which we use and most of the trade use is Erfurt. The lower the grade of paper the thinner it will be. Most trades people would use around the 1200 or 1400 grade for average walls. If your walls are in a very good condition and you are hanging a printed wall covering you could choose one of the lower grades or alternatively if they are in poor condition you would choose One of higher grades.

Having said that lining paper is not a miracle cure for very uneven or rough walls they still need to be sanded and filled several times and primed or sized  before you hang your lining paper.

Things to be aware of when hanging your lining paper are the joints any overlaps will show through your finished wall covering, but also if the gap between the lining paper is too wide this  will also show through the wall covering, ideally you should try to maintain an equal gap of around 1 or 2 mm at the most.

There are many different types of lining paper available, Insulating lining paper for cold walls, fibre liner for difficult surfaces prone to slight movement, Sound insulating liner and several others all of which can be purchased from most good trade outlets.

WALL COVERING SYMBOLS

Symbols and what they mean...

Before purchasing your wallpaper you need to look at the information on the label,these symbols will give you a good indication as to whether it will be suitable for the area in wich you plan to use it, also you need to make sure that all the rolls you buy have the same batch number.

Apply Adhesive to paper

Submerge paper in trough of water

Paper has a free match

Paper has offset pattern

Paper has straight match

Direction of hanging

Reverse hang alternate lenghts

Design repeat

Good light fastness

Spongeable

Washable

Scrubbable

Dry Peelable

Sikkens Rubbol satura plus

Having heard lots of comments about the Rubbol Satura plus i thought it was time i tried it for myself, the job for the day was a wood canopy above a front door to a cottage. The canopy had previously been coated with some form of stain and varnish which over the years had flaked quite badly, the entire canopy was sanded with a 60 grade oxide paper taking it back to almost bare timber. Primer of choice for this was Zinsser cover stain we thinned the first coat very slightly and allowed to dry followed by a full coat. We then applied 2 coats of the Satura plus sanding lightly between coats, we found it quite easy to apply not too thick and  covered very well, it dried to a lovely smooth bright White finish. Initially it was quite shiny but over 3 to 4 days it has developed into more of a Satin finish resembling new upvc windows or Facing boards. Will have to keep an eye on it over the years for durability but, being Sikkens it should not be a problem.

Overall an excellent paint !