Wallpapering

the covering of interior walls and partitions with wallpaper, Lincrusta Walton, or synthetic materials. Wallpapering, used chiefly in housing construction, is the final process in the decorative work. All work, except the installation of exposed wiring, escutcheons, and baseboards, must be completed before wallpaper is hung in a room. The surfaces to be covered with wallpaper are dried thoroughly, and surface irregularities are eliminated by smoothing, spackling, and sanding. Pieces of waste paper are pasted over concrete, plaster, or wallboard surfaces. Wooden structures are covered with millboard.

The wallpaper is cut into sections of the required length, and its edges are trimmed. In large-scale wallpapering projects, the wallpaper is cut in centrally located shops equipped with wallpaper-cutting machines; in such cases, rolls of wallpaper measuring up to 500 m long are used. The wallpaper may also be cut on a portable table in the area where it is to be hung; the table is equipped with a paste applicator. In modern construction, synthetic pastes are most often used for wallpapering. Thin wallpapers are hung so that their edges overlap, and thick (embossed and washable) wallpapers are pasted edge to edge.

When hanging Lincrusta Walton, prepared widths are rolled up, soaked in hot water (at temperatures of 50°-60° C) for five to ten minutes, and kept moist for eight to ten hours. This imparts elasticity to the material. The Lincrusta Walton is pasted edge to edge with casein glue directly onto the wall surface.

Synthetic materials, such as polyvinyl chloride contact paper, are cut to the required size. Their protective backing is removed, and the material is applied from top to bottom on a smoothed surface.