DISTEMPERING
Today there are so many excellent proprietary distempers on the market that it is not worth while making up your own. Generally the ceiling and frieze are distempered, and sometimes the entire wall. The first step is the preparation of the surface. Here it should be noted that it is always an advantage to clear the room of furniture as far as possible. Apart from general convenience, once distempering has been started it should be carried right through without interruption, and this is almost impossible if furniture has to be moved about. Carpets should be removed, and if lino cannot be taken up it should be covered with sheets of paper. Incidentally, although the distempering of the ceiling is the first part of decorating a room, all preparation for other processes should be completed first. Thus, when old wallpaper has to be soaked for stripping off, and paint rubbed down, this should be done first. The best way it to complete the entire preparation of the room before putting on any new material.
WASHING DOWN. Washing off the old distemper is the first job. An old brush is generally used, and generally it will be found that the distemper comes away easily as water is brushed on. The brush is cleaned every time it is dipped into the pail. Get rid of the distempered right to the plaster, and if necessary use a scraper, taking care, however, not to dig in with the corners.
If wallpaper or ceiling paper has to be removed go over the entire surface first with warm water applied with a brush. This will generally enable it to be peeled away easily. Parts that stick badly may need a second soaking. Use the scraper where necessary, but avoid digging into the plaster surface.
Cracks in the ceiling or walls should be made good with Alabasine or Keene's cement. Rake out all loose particles, and roughen the surface where necessary to give a key. It is an advantage to undercut the edges of cracks so that the filling has a dovetail grip as in Fig. 1. An old table knife ground to the shape shown at E, Fig. 2, makes a useful tool for such work. Damp the crack before applying the cement. Remove the surplus cement, leaving the surface slightly proud so that it can be finally levelled with coarse glass paper after it has dried out.
If distemper were applied directly to bare plaster it would soak in almost immediately, and it would be impossible to give an even finish. It is necessary to give a first coat of size, generally known as claire-colle. Size can be obtained in jelly form, or as a powder. The latter is generally the more convenient. Mix 1 lb. of the size powder with water form a paste, stirring to get rid of any lumps, and add 1 gallon of boiling water. The quantity should be checked by the instructions is a proprietary concentrated size is used. In a separate pail mix 1 lb. of whiting with water, and when thoroughly mixed add to the size.
Once again stir thoroughly and add cold water to make about 2 gallons in all. Brush this liquid over the entire surface to be distempered, taking care not to miss in any place. The whiting in the size, apart from giving a preliminary whiteness is a help in detecting where the mixture has been used. A quart of claire-colle will cover an average ceiling and frieze.
DISTEMPER. Ready-prepared distemper can be obtained. If you prefer to make your own, however, mix as follows:
- Put 14 lb. whiting in a clean bucket. Cover with water and leave for 3-4 hours.
- Put 1 lb. concentrated size in another bucket, and pour on 4 pints boiling water.
- Pour the water off the whiting, and stir up the whiting to a paste with a stick. Many men add a little Reckitt's blue.
- Keep blue in a rag and add little at a time, stirring well so that tone is even. Remember that the distemper dries out considerably whiter than when liquid.
- Pour the size mixture into the blued whiting, stirring well, and allow to stand.
In the case of proprietary distemper the instructions provided on the packet should be followed.
Close all doors and windows before beginning. It gives more time to work before drying takes place. Once the latter occurs it is difficult to avoid join marks. Begin at the window end, starting at one corner, work right across the ceiling in a width of about 1 ft. A plank resting on two ladders should be used as it saves to move a single pair of steps so often (see Fig. 3). By looking towards the window you are much better able to see whether every part is covered.
Dip the bristles of the brush about halfway into the distemper and dab against the side of the bucket (Fig. 3). There is quite an art in lifting the right amount of distemper; enough to give a reasonable deposit on the ceiling without shedding drops all over the floor.
Work the brush in all directions, spreading the distemper evenly, and, having reached one end, immediately draw the ladders with their plank about 3 ft. farther over, and work back. Be sure that every part is coved, because there can be no re-touching later. It would only disturb the distemper already put on. If for any reason the work is unsatisfactory it will all have to be washed off and the work repeated from the start.
Sometimes a ceiling is discoloured in patches, and there is always a certain amount of risk in distempering over these owing to the possibility of the discolouration creeping through. The trouble is generally due to chemical action. The only safe plan is to use an oil-bound distemper. If as you proceed you accidentally leave splashes of distemper on the woodwork, wipe them off at once with a rag. It is much easier to remove than when it dries.
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