The reader should keep in
mind that 98% of all painting failures occur because of poor surface
preparation. Whether the painter decides to do a positive or negative technique
the surface needs cleaning and preparation before beginning to paint. Cleaning
the substrate thoroughly with soap or Tri Sodium Phosphate (TSP) and water will
create a grease and dust free surface.
When the surface is clean
the painter should make sure all holes, scrapes, and blemishes have a patch and
sealed with primer. By priming the walls, the basecoat on the wall is ready for
a faux finish technique. A painter’s tip is to tint the primer to eliminate
adding too many coats of paint to the wall surface.
Anything the painter does
not want painted; he or she should mask off and cover with drop cloths. The
painter may want to use tape or strips of masking paper to frame out the
ceiling line. This process will eliminate paint on the ceiling as the painter
begins the faux finish.
Walls with existing
texture will work for most faux finishes except for strie,
a French form of streaking, dragging or
wood-graining. Painters can smooth out the walls if he or she decides to use
one of these three finishes and would like to eliminate the bumps in the
finish.
A Positive Sponge Painting
After the primer coat or
basecoat color is dry, the painter can begin the positive finish process. This
effect is applied by using an organic
sea sponge. This tool adds the most natural
effect on the wall and it can be applied lightly by using a
translucent glaze. Glaze is made by using one
part color to five parts glazing liquid. For durability, use a polypropylene to
the finishing glaze to protect the finish from marks. Faux finishes are very
difficult to repair so it is important to use a protective finish coat for the
faux finish.
The steps to faux
finishing are easy to follow. The painter should pour the glaze into a flat
painter’s tray or a pie tin. Rinse out the sea sponge before painting to remove
any remaining salt water in the sea sponge. Moisten the sea sponge with enough
glazing liquid to begin faux finishing. If the sea sponge has too much glaze in
it, the painter should squeeze out the excess liquid until he or she has the
desired amount to work with on the wall.
One way to test the
effect of the sea sponge is by blotting the sponge on a piece of old newspaper
or plastic drop cloth. The sea sponge should leave little blobs or spots of
paint everywhere, and the painter can use it on the wall to give a positive
effect for a faux finish.
When the painter has his
or her wall prepared, the glaze ready in a flat tray, and the sea sponge full
of glazing liquid; the painter can begin to apply the faux finish. With the sea
sponge, the painter should blot, twist, and turn the sponge in different
directions to create an irregular pattern. The painter should attempt to keep
the amount of glaze consistent as the appearance of the faux finish should look
uniform. If the finish becomes too thin, the painter should add more glaze to
the sea sponge to make sure the finish is even in shade.
After a short time, the
painter should step back and review the pattern. This frequent inspection will
make sure that the pattern is even. If there are any missed spots, the painter
can lightly blot in that area without changing the consistency of the finish.
Once the painter has
finished the first coat of color, he or she should rinse out the sea sponge and
repeat the process for the next color. Most of the time the painter does not
have to wait for the paint to dry between coats, but if the painter wants to
have the colors not blend, he or she should wait for the glaze to dry before
starting the next coat.
Corner and Ceiling Tips for Faux Finishing
- When
the painter comes to a corner in the wall or the ceiling line, he or she
should take a brush and blot lightly in those areas to keep the regularity
in glaze finish.
- Another
process is using the back side of the sea sponge cut with a clean edge,
like a wedge, to fit as close to the opposite wall as possible.
- The painter
can place a large piece of thick matting board against the ceiling line as
he or she blots the wall with the brush or sea sponge. Any of these
techniques will aid in making sure the evenness of the faux finish is
accomplished.
Patterns vary from painter
to painter and day-to-day so the person painting should try to stop at the end
of the wall and not in the middle. If possible, the painter should try to
finish the wall in one process per glaze coat. This will guarantee a consistent
finish every time until the entire faux finish is complete. The painter can use
this same process if using other applicators like rags or plastic. The painter
should remember to have fun and relax; this will always create a positive
effect.
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