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 !