Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/32



Plaster ceilings are usually finished with calcimine, which, besides the advantages of cheapness and of covering in one coat, where with oil paint three would be required, shows superiority in many other respects.

In places where people congregate, the moisture in the atmosphere, unless the ventilation of the apartment is exceptionally good, will condense upon a painted surface and run down the walls. When calcimine is used in such situations, no unpleasant effect is seen, the distempered surface will absorb the moisture for the time being, and ultimately give it forth again without any detriment to its color.

This property of distemper also indicates the necessity of removing, with brushes and water, all old coloring and calcimine from the ceiling, instead of which, the dirty unhealthy coating is in many cases coated over with size. The size binds the dirt, and the opacity of the distemper does not show the dirt through, nevertheless, it is a practice to be condemned by all who desire sanitary homes. This labor-saving plan would be used to a greater extent but for the fact that continuous coats of distemper and size soon discover the bad worker by the surface cracking and peeling off, owing to excess of size.

When about to calcimine a ceiling, the first thing is to have the room as clear as possible, and to protect the wall-paper.

Next with hot water thoroughly wash off from the ceiling the old calcimine, being careful to wash only the ceiling, and not to let the dirty water run down the wall-paper nor splash about.

It is important to have the board at such a height from the floor that the ceiling can be comfortably reached. Have