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Roll-On Painting

Embrace pattern and texture with the help of expert installers

After years of white-painted walls, wallpaper is making a comeback – ushering in a spectrum of prints, from romantic florals to classic pinstripes and breathtaking murals. According to design insiders, the attraction to wallpaper is as reactionary as many design waves we’ve experienced in the past. This one is a pendulum swing from minimalist interiors to warm and textural spaces with an air of comfort and nostalgia. For Chad Gilchrist, owner of Roll-On Painting, the trend is a welcome design element, especially at the cottage.

“Wallpapers are anything but boring. With so many colours, textures and patterns, they make every cottage unique, which is exciting to see.”

So far this year, Chad has wallpapered powder rooms, bedrooms, and even two-storey stairwells. While the technology and technique are not new, Chad says the renewed interest in wallpaper has caught many trades in Muskoka by surprise.

“I’m one of the few painters in our region offering wallpapering as a service,” he notes, adding that it requires a skillful hand and practiced technique to install wallpaper well.

Papering with precision
The process of applying wallpaper is not as simple as the DIYers on YouTube make it seem. While wallpaper can be a do-it-yourself project, Chad notes that application is a multi-step process that requires precision, patience and at least two people.

The first step is to measure and plan your pattern, cutting the paper and matching the seams so the edges of each strip disappear into the paper’s design.

Once you have measured, cut and matched up your paper, it’s time to choose an upper corner to start papering from.

“While we think of our walls and corners as perfectly plumb, they hardly ever are,” says Chad. “Walls are often wobbly, which can make applying a straight paper tricky.”

For Chad, this is mitigated through a nip-and-tuck approach: levelling, aligning, and carefully cutting to create a flawless finish.

As he works his way down the wall, Chad not only aligns and cuts to keep the paper plumb but carefully makes incisions around plumbing, electrical switches and outlets.

“You need to not only cut carefully to frame them correctly but make the cuts disappear.”

While the process requires a keen eye, and a level and steady hand, Chad says there is one more factor to keep in check: the stretch.

Stretch-free technique
There are a few different types of wallpaper, but the two that Chad encounters most often are pre-glued, which is wet down and pasted like a licked stamp, or unpasted. The latter requires rolling the wall with wallpaper paste before carefully aligning the wallpaper and using a scraper to smooth it into place.

Regardless of the type of paper involved, applying it requires two to three people, especially on ceilings and walls that are higher than nine feet.

“My assistants hold the paper and monitor the weight and tension to keep it from stretching and distorting the pattern,” says Chad. “Either you stretch it all the same amount to keep the pattern consistent, or you avoid any stretching at all – so I do the latter.”

Planning your paper
While your wallpaper may be top of mind, it should always follow a fresh coat of paint.

“We typically see it used as an accent wall or a half-wall application when paired with a chair rail or wood panelling. If that’s the case, have the walls and wood accents painted first,” says Chad. “Wallpaper can be expensive – especially some of the custom, designer patterns. The last thing you need is for it to have paint drips.”

If you haven’t picked a wallpaper and don’t know where or how much to buy, Chad can connect you with talented local design professionals who will help you find the right options for your style.

Now’s the perfect time to get started. Some wallpapers can take up to a month to ship. Roll-On Painting is already booking into autumn and is happy to work around your cottage schedule.

“We’re happy to schedule around you,” says Chad. “Have us come in while you’re not there, and come back wowed by the results.”

TEXT SHELANNE AUGUSTINE
PHOTOS ANDREW FEARMAN

www.Roll-OnPainting.com

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