Wallpaper paste

[binza]

Hi,
I have many old wattle and daub panels which i am going to have to put lining paper onto to preserve them and to provide a semy flat surface to decorate after removing many layers of wood chip and gloss paints from them. My question is i understand that all materials used have to be breathable and i am assuming a basic lining paper will be fine painted with breathable paint but what can i use for paste to hang paper.
Thanks for any advise on this subject.

 

[Penners]

I've no idea whether modern wallpaper pastes are breathable or not, but the original wallpaper paste was - I gather - flour and water. I can't believe that it was impermeable.

Mix up a big batch and make buns out of any leftovers. :wink:

 

[Nemesis]

But why not simply paint, with lime or distemper, without lining?

 

[binza]

My CO has requested they be lined before any paint is applied is this not a normal request.

 

[Penners]

My CO has requested they be lined before any paint is applied is this not a normal request.

I wonder whether your CO may have been assuming that modern paint would be used. The request to use lining paper could therefore have been a way of ensuring that the old wattle and daub is protected from this. You might want to ask whether he/she would be OK with your painting directly on to it with limewash or distemper.

Alternatively, is the W&D very crumbly and in a bad state? If so, the lining paper might have been suggested in order to hold it together.

 

[binza]

Penners,

Reading your reply it sems this is not a normal request so i think it could be a bit of both, yes it is a bit crumbly in places and i am able to see the hazel and the nettle twine in one panel holding the hazel in place. I do seem to be getting on well with the CO but she may be playing safe.

I think it would be better actually to line these panels so back to paste i dond realy fancy making this stuff up so does anyone know if any modern pastes are ok to use and are deffinetly breathable.

Thanks Penners.

 

[Nemesis]

They are water soluble, and the bed bugs and cockroaches tend not to like eating them as they did with flour and water, so I think they are OK!

i am able to see the hazel and the nettle twine in one panel holding the hazel in place.

Oh how wonderful! Yes, I suspect she's trying to conserve what's there, although I wonder if a few coats of lime would do it too?

 

[Nigel Watts]

I have tried all types - flour and water, the powdered stuff in packets you mix up to give that transparent paste, and tubs of ready mixed. The ready mixed I only tried recently because I was advised to use it by the manufacturer of some rather costly handprinted paper.

All three are reversible when they come into contact with water so they must all be "breathable".

By far the best performing of the three in my opinion was the ready mixed. The consistency was perfect and very little got squeezed out onto the front surface of the paper. This is important for hanging a fine paper but for lining this is not such an issue. Flour and water is authentic, but it's a pain to make and unless you add a fungicide or keep it in the fridge it will go off in a day or two. The powdered stuff is cheap and easy to mix and use, and would get my vote for this task. Make up a dilute solution first to size the walls.

 

[Feltwell]

For lining paper, I don't know how it performs on breathability but I found this stuff works far better than "standard" paper:-

http://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/viewprod/m/MAVNWLPV/

It's pricey, but very easy to use (paste the wall, so no soaking required) and it works really well - I used it on a couple of walls that I probably should have re-plastered, it gave a very acceptable finish.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

I agree with Nigel, the ready mixed paste is fine.

Check with your CO about the thickness grade of your lining paper, there are different grades.

 

[Lime]

In this situation I'd use tub paste.

http://www.sandersonfabrics.co.uk/acatalog/Cole_and_Son_Tub_Paste.html