Calcimining Walls, Applying Calcimine to Walls

Calcimine is applied with a wide brush, like whitewash; and if the wall is stained, it must be treated in some way to remove or cover up the stain; this is like the preparation tor whitewashing. First remove all old calcimine, whitewash, or wallpaper; then wash the wall well with soda solution, then with clean warm water; if any stains remain they may be covered with a coat of shellac varnish; many advise painting the whole surface with an oil paint, the only objection to which is its cost and the time required. I have found an efficient covering for spots to be a coat of aluminum paint, which is nearly white, absolutely opaque, dries quickly, and adheres to anything, but is rather costly except for small spots. If it is used, it should be the sort which has a pungent smell of bananas; aluminum paint is sometimes made with a rosin size, which is not so good.

After "killing" the stains, it is usual to apply a coat of size to the wall, as if for wallpapering; this keeps the calcimine from striking in and being spotty. A soap and alum size is also recommended; enough soap is dissolved in hot water to be, when cold, a jelly, and this is rubbed well into the wall with a stiff brush; after a day's drying a solution of alum, a pound to a gallon of water, is applied in liberal quantity; this makes an insoluble alum soap; and this should be allowed a day to dry.

Since the lime in calcimine is in the form of carbonate, and not caustic, it is possible to use a wide range of pigments to obtain color effects. After the wall or ceiling has been kalsomined, it is possible to decorate it with figures or borders, using, as paint, kalsomine of suitable colors; this is called frescoing. The English name for this kind of paint is distemper; and these fresco or distemper paints are often sold in bottles or jars ready for use, containing some preservative to prevent decomposition of the glue or other binding materials.

Kalsomine is sold, ready mixed, in packages; these are emptied into hot water, stirred until the glue is dissolved, then allowed to cool before using.

Recently kalsomine has been put on the market which dissolves in cold water and is ready to use at once; this is very convenient and satisfactory. A much greater variety of color effects can be had with kalsomine than with whitewash, and it has a softer and smoother appearance, free from the somewhat rough and sandy look of whitewash, especially when put on a little too thick; but it has not the antiseptic qualities of the latter. Whitewash costs almost nothing; it is sanitary, easily applied, may be so made as to resist the weather tolerably well, and is and always will be the paint for the million. Kalsomine is used almost solely for its artistic effect, in which it is equaled only (if at all) by the most costly enamel painting. On plain work it is easily applied, but it also lends itself to display the highest skill of the artist. Some of the most celebrated pictures in the world are fresco paintings.

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