Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/293



When re-papering an old wall the first thing to be done is to remove the old paper. Now although this is very necessary in order to produce a good job, as well as for sanitary reasons, it is very frequently neglected altogether, and one paper is pasted over another time after time, the accumulation of dirt, decayed paste, and perhaps various insects forming a most unsanitary dwelling place. The paper may be usually removed by washing it over with hot water, giving a liberal quantity, and allow this to soak in, and then scraping off with an old chisel or scraper.

If the paper is varnished, or is printed in oil, that is, if it is of the quality known as sanitary paper, it may be necessary to score over the surface with a chisel before applying the water, so as to give an opportunity for the moisture to soak in. Commence at the top, taking care not to injure the cornice or ceiling, and to get every particle of the paper away. Sometimes plastered walls which have been papered with half a dozen or more papers are in such a bad condition that when these papers are removed a considerable portion of the plaster will be pulled away. In such a ease it may be quite necessary to leave the old paper on. In a fairly good wall the paper may be removed without injury, provided that plenty of water is used, it is very probable that there will be some breaks, which will require mending before the new paper is applied. This can be done without much difficulty by means of plaster of Paris mixed in small quantities at the time with a little glue water, and applied with a knife or piece of wood, and smoothed off to a level surface. In mending the walls of an ordinary room in this way it may be necessary to mix the plaster half a dozen times, as if sufficient is mixed at one time for