Modern materials make this job a pleasure and, more important, produce a highly pleasing appearance

Home remodeling, along with virtue, thrift, honesty and several other nifty qualities, does have its rewards. To a large degree this chapter is the payoff. Much of the labor that has gone into your project up to this point is more or less invisible. All the preparatory work, the electrical work, plumbing, etc., that has occupied your evenings up until now adds comfort and conveni­ence but not beauty. When you have finished the work detailed in the next few pages that brand-new living area in the attic or base­ment will suddenly display all the effort you've lavished upon it. Partitions will become walls instead of bare studs. Suddenly the tool-cluttered, sawdust strewn area will emerge as a room.

		From rags to riches: Effective remodeling converted the dusty attic below to the room at left. The prime ingredient in creating attractive sitting room was the wood paneling used here for both the walls and ceiling overhead.

Furring Strips

Preparatory work first. In this case we are involved with fur­ring strips. These are boards (Ix2s, Ix3s or Ix4s) fastened hori­zontally to the existing wall or the new stud wall. They serve two purposes. Furring strips bridge over any minor irregularities in the surface and provide a backing to which you can fasten the finished wall surface.

The procedure is quick and easy for stud walls. Merely attach one furring strip to the top and another to the bottom of the studs. Add a third strip in

Five furring strips are used, one at top and bottom and three between. One more will go midway be­tween the two central ones shown in place in photo.

the middle and two more dividing up the remaining space. Hold them up with common nails and be sure to use at least one nail at the point where each strip crosses a stud. Get sloppy in this de­partment and the furring strip will bounte when you hammer into it.

If the studs are not exactly in line you'll have to pay for your carelessness at this point. Fortunately the remedy is not too difficult. Nail a small wooden block at each end of the furring strip and leave the nail projecting out slightly. Stretch a string taut between these two blocks. With a third block (of the same thickness) check the spacing between the string and the face of the strip along its entire run.

You may have to shim out slightly be­tween the face of the stud and the back of the furring strip by tapping a small hunk of wood shingle in place. By the same token you may have to chisel out part of the stud if the furring strip is bowed outward slightly.

Somewhat the same measures are taken to provide a flat rfailing surface over an al­ready finished wall. To get all of the strips completely flat you'll either have to shim out from the wall or else chip into the old surface so the furring wood can be re­cessed a bit.

Make sure that you have a vertical fastening strip where the edges of the wall paneling will meet (especially true if you're going to use large sheets for the wall). Some surfacing materials are made of narrow boards with edges that are cut so they interlock. If you're going to use this type of stuff, vertical furring strips aren't nearly as important. However, if you are going to put up 4x8 plywood sheets in which the joints will be concealed by a molding or a V groove, you must have some backing at this point. The easiest method is to just measure carefully so that all joints will fall on studs, then nail short lengths of vertical furring strips to the stud faces.

In the event that you're going to fasten the finished wall paneling onto a masonry wall, make sure that you first waterproof the stone or block. Furring strips can be held to the masonry surface with expand­ing plugs. The how-to of both procedures is covered in previous chapters.

Gypsum Board Walls

The most inexpensive wall surface that you can apply is gypsum board. Inciden­tally, unless you're skilled in this depart­ment, don't fool around with lath and wet plaster construction. You'll have nothing but a wild mess. Gypsum board is a "sand­wich" with a hard plaster core covered on either side with a layer of cardboard. De­spite the impression of flimsiness you may get from this description, it is a rugged building material. Plan the job so that you can utilize full-sized sheets as much as pos­sible. The fewer joints you have the better.

In most applications gypsum board is put up in vertical sections using standard 4x8 sheets. However, you may prefer to use the material horizontally. For this type of work, although the 4-ft. dimension re­mains standard, the stuff is available at many lumberyards in lengths running all the way to 12-14 ft. so you can cover the entire width of a wall with one long strip.

Trimming gypsum board to size is child­ishly simple. Measure and mark the sheet, hold a straightedge in place and score through the cardboard covering on one side. Use a wallboard knife for the job. This tool has a heavy duty (and replaceable) blade that fits into a sturdy handle. Make sure that the sheet is flat on the floor while cutting. Lift the sheet slightly and slide a length of 2x4 underneath. The edge of the wood should be right in line with the scored mark on the other side. Press down on the scrap edge of the sheet and the inner core plaster will snap neatly along the scored line. Cut through the other card­board face to separate the pieces.

Shim out from wall (or studs) with shingles if necessary to get a iirm, plumb nailing surface.

Chip into old wall (above, right) or chisel out part of stud ii required to make the strips plumb.

U.S. Plywood Corp. photos Use a level or plumb line frequently - while work­ing to make ture that all the strips are in line.

Inexpensive, rugged wall surfacing is gypsum board. To cut. score the cardboard with a knife.

Press down on the scrap edge of sheet to snap inner plaster core neatly along the scored line.

Nail the sheets directly to the studs or to furring strips. Make sure you get special nails designed for this job. Space the nails about 2 in. in from the edge of each panel and 6-8 in. apart. The same spacing applies when you nail in the center of the sheet. Drive in vertical rows of nails down each stud. There's a technique for this. Hold the sheet in place and drive in the center nails first. Finally finish up along the edges.

There's a little knack to the hammer work, too. Drive each nail flush with the sheet, then give it one additional bang so that you set the head slightly below the surface and actually crush the cardboard face of the gypsum board a bit. You'll wind up with the nails in the bottom of a slight dimple. Without this maneuver there would be no way of hiding the nail heads.

Taping and Cementing Joints

The same lumberyard or building supply company where you bought the gypsum board panels sells a special joint cement designed to be used with them. Following the instructions on the container, mix the powder with water in a clean pail. Stir until it's the proper consistency (about the texture of decent chocolate sauce). The stuff should not be firm like putty, but should not drip too much when you pick it up on a trowel.

The long edges of gypsum board sheets are tapered slightly so that you can make a neat joint. For this you need a roll of special perforated tape in addition to the cement. Generally the tape is tucked into the same package. Using a wide putty knife, butter the wet cement into the shallow channel where the tapered edges of two sheets come together. You don't have to be too neat with this phase of the operation; just get the stuff into place. Press the perforated tape into the fresh cement. The best method is to hold the tape in one hand and unroll it as you go, poking it down into the cement with the putty knife. Joint adhesive will ooze through the holes in the tape. At this point the whole procedure looks pretty sloppy, but don't be dismayed. Use one unbroken strip of tape all the way down the joint.

To complete this part of the job apply one more layer of cement on top of the tape. Smooth the joint using a putty knife with a blade wide enough to span the entire channel so that the edges of the metal blade will ride on the gypsum board, rimming the joint. Using a steady even stroke, draw the blade down the wall. If you're in luck you should wind up with a smooth layer of cement that is now flush with the rest of the gypsum board sheet. If not, glob some more cement into place and go over it once again with the putty knife.

Fill the nail heads, too. Work some cement into each depression and draw the putty knife over it so the blade spans the dimple and levels the cement. When all of these seams and holes have been covered, allow the cement to dry thoroughly. It will usually shrink a bit in the process and you'll be able to apply another layer on top. This time "feather" the edges of the cement with the putty knife so that it blends into the rest of the sheet.

Nail the gypsum board directly to studs or to furring strips using the nails designed for this.

I'hntns rourte-y IT, s. Qj Gypsum board can also be put up horizontally and is available in lengths running to 12-14 ft.

Tape and cement conceal joints. Press the tape into the wet cement, then put a layer over it.

S OjrpSUB Co. Perforated tape and cement are also used to con­ceal the joint between the walls and the ceiling.

Nail the gypsum board directly to studs or to furring strips using the nails designed for this.

Photos rnurtp-y P. B. G Gypsum board can also be put up horizontally and is available in lengths running to 12-14 ft.

Tape and cement conceal joints. Press the tape into the wet cement, then put a layer over it.

U.S. Gypsum Co. Perforated tape and cement are also used to con­ceal the joint between the walls and the ceiling.

Allow this final layer to dry thoroughly and then go over each joint and filled nail hole with sandpaper until the entire surface is smooth. The best tool here is a sheet of sandpaper wrapped around a hand-sized block of wood. Paint? We'll get to this a little later.

the boards. Just brush any good wood primer onto the reverse side of each. Don't make this a work of art, but do keep the primer off the face of the boards and save yourself problems later on.

Stain the boards next and be sure to do this before you put them on the wall. There's bound to be some slight shrinkage in the wood. Although the tongue-and-groove joint will keep the boards from coming loose, a thin light line will show up between the boards when this occurs if you don't prestain the wood. Coat both edges first and then the center of the panel. Allow the stain to dry until the surface shine becomes dull. When this happens, immedi­ately take a soft clean cloth and wipe off any excess stain, rubbing with the direc­tion of the grain. Allow the boards to dry completely.

Measure the distance between floor and ceiling and cut four or five boards to this length. Allow yourself about Vi in. leeway to take care of any slight variation. The little crack at the top or bottom of the wall will be covered by the trim at the top or by the baseboard below.

Installing Tongue-and-Groove Paneling

Fit the first board into place against a corner. Hold a level alongside it and jockey the board until the bubble is in the center of the glass. Hold the board in place while you measure the crack between the other edge of the board and the wall. If this dis­tance is 14 in. or less, forget about it. If it's more, trim down the .edge of the board that fits into the corner until you come within this leeway. Incidentally, remember that the grooved side of the board faces the corner.

Nail the corner board into place. The side toward the corner will have to be face nailed (using finishing nails) through the face of the board into the furring strips beyond. Nail the other edge of the board in place (finishing nails again) by driving them through the projecting tongue into the furring strips at about a 35 degree angle. Put one nail into each furring strip for a total of five.

From here on the job goes swiftly. Check to make sure the next batch of boards have a pleasant similarity of grain and tone. If your lumber is widely mismatched as to color or number of knots, try to mix the boards up as much as possible; otherwise you may have one section of a wall heavily festooned with knots and the next rela­tively clear. This gives an odd appearance and one you should avoid.

Use any type of paint or primer to seal back of new wood paneling so moisture won't affect it.

Western Pine Assn. Next, stain the surface of the paneling. This job must be done before the boards are nailed up.

Interlock the groove of the next board into the tongue of the first. Don't worry if the lumber is slightly warped; this closely fitting joint will straighten it out. If you have any trouble bringing the edges of the boards together, fit a scrap piece of wood, cut from the groove side of a board, against the tongue of the new board and hammer on it. From here on, until you have finished paneling the wall, all nailing will be through the projecting tongue of each board.

After every fifth or sixth board check the edge of the lumber with a level and if the vertical line is not plumb angle the next couple of boards very slightly to even it up.

Corner Fitting

Inside corners of a wall are just simple butt joints. Naturally the last board in line will have to be scribed to fit the remaining space. To do this, measure the distance between the last board you nailed in place and the wall at four or five different points. If this measurement doesn't vary by more than V2 in., forget about it. Just cut a board to the narrowest dimension and slip it into place. There will be a slight gap between the edges of the thin board and the wall, but this will be covered by the first board that goes up on the adjoining wall.

If the corner is really way off plumb, measure the distance and set a compass (an ordinary pencil compass will do) to the maximum distance between the last nailed board and the wall. Take the board that will be fitted into the corner and tack it lightly right onto the face of the last nailed board. Make sure that the edges line up perfectly.

Run the compass down the wall. The penciled leg should rest against the board that's loosely tacked in place, while the other leg rides against the adjoining wall. This little maneuver will transfer a pattern of all irregularities onto the board that will be fitted in that space. Take down the board, cut it along the pencil line and fit it into place.

Repeat this procedure for all other walls that will be paneled. Naturally as you go around the room you will have to cut out for windows, switches, electric outlets and the like. Following is a tip that may save you grief.

Despite the fact that they are turned out on a production line, the actual width of the boards tends to vary a bit. Because of this, if you are paneling a wall above and below windows, you may run into trouble unless you use lengths of the same board in both places. Here's the procedure: First cut a board to length so that it will fit the space under the window. Cut another hunk off the same board to cover the space above the window. Use an entirely new board for the next strip.

Good tip is to use pieces of same board above and below window as board width varies.

Start in a comer when installing paneling. Get the first board level and then scribe it to fit.

II boards are warped slightly, use a piece of scrap cut from groove side to hammer in place.

Check with a level every few strips. If neces­sary, correct by angling a few boards slightly.

With this method, both the top and bottom sections of the wall will be equal in width when you get beyond the window and begin to use full length boards again.

Outside Corners

Outside corners are quite easy to fit. Keep paneling until one board overhangs the corner. Using the corner as a guide, mark off the overhang on the reverse side of the board. Trim the wood along this line and plane it until it fits flush with the corner. The first board, applied to the other wall of the corner, overlaps this last board. Use a level to plumb the tongue edge of this board. Mark off the overhang that projects beyond the corner (you don't want the groove side hanging out into the room) and cut it to size.

Inside comers (right) are simple butt joints. Level board, then scribe and cut to fit into the space.	Simply glue panel; in place. Put two coats of cement on furring and plywood where they meet.

Plywood Sheet Paneling

For sleek, modern good looks, few materials can match the luxurious appear­ance of plywood paneling. Unfortunately to most people the word plywood means a large thin sheet of lumber with a grain pattern that runs
a close second to a pack­ing case. Technically this is plywood, but it's a utility grade mostly intended for con­struction. The face of this material (the side that you see) is fir which grows with a rugged wood grain pattern that runs in dark, pronounced swirls.

But plywood is also available with a face veneer of such elegant woods as mahogany, walnut, teak, oak, birch, Korina, and a host of other exotic surfaces.

There are many advantages to paneling a wall with plywood and, of course, a couple of drawbacks. On the plus side, you're working with a jumbo-sized sheet that covers a 4-ft. strip of wall from floor to ceiling at one time.

Use care in cutting prefinished paneling. With power sawing, keep veneer on padded surface

I"- S 1'lywood Corp. photos Hold panel at angle and slip into corner mold­ing. Pivot slowly and gently into exact position.

Then, too, you're getting cabinet wood paneling at a tiny fraction of what it would cost in solid lumber. On the dim side of the picture, the jumbo sheets are more difficult to cut and fit than narrow boards. There have been some advances in this field within the past few years, however, and the job is con­siderably easier than it used to be.

For example, most of the paneling turned out by such firms as U. S. Plywood Cor­poration and Georgia-Pacific Corporation is now available completely prefinished. It's been run through a battery of machines that sand the surface glass smooth, apply sealers, lacquers, waxes, etc. Once you have this stuff on the wall, the job is done. Also available is a batch of special mold­ings. Intended for inside corners, outside corners, as a dividing strip between sheets, etc., these are formed of aluminum and covered with a face veneer of whatever wood you're using for the paneling. The assistance list doesn't end here. You can also buy matching solid wood molding that's precarved into trim for ceiling and baseboard.

Installing Plywood Sheets

There are a few good hints on handling plywood sheets of this type. For one thing, since the surface is already prefinished, you must be very careful during all hammer and saw operations or you'll have some spot touch up to do. Plywood can be cut with almost any type of saw. If you are using either a handsaw or a table saw, keep the plywood face up. If you're using a hand electric saw, keep the plywood face down on a couple of padded sawhorses. The idea behind this maneuver has to do with the way that the saw-teeth bite into the ply­wood.

Hammer gently with a rubber-faced mallet or padded block. The panel is now in place to stay!

T-shaped veneer-covered aluminum molding slips under edges of the sheets. It is nailed as shown.

Trim the first plywood sheet to proper length so that it matches the distance between floor and ceiling minus about Vz in. Cut and fit a length of aluminum corner molding into place. This stuff fastens with little nails to the furring strips (all five of them) through a projecting lip of the molding. Mark the areas on the back of the plywood sheet where the furring strips will make contact. Coat both the furring strips and the five corresponding stripes on the back of the plywood sheet with Weldwood Contact Cement. This is a quick drying adhesive that looks vaguely similar to rubber cement but holds with incredible strength. Put on a second coat when the first coat is dry.

For the next operation you'll need a bit of help. Get someone to give you a hand while you lift the plywood sheet into posi­tion. Holding it at an angle away from the wall, slip one edge into the corner molding.

During this phase of the job be very careful that the plywood sheet doesn't touch the furring strips. The term "contact cement" is very apt.

Plywood strip paneling (16 in. wide to fit from one itud to next) is another surfacing material.

V s I'lj-wood Corp. photos The prefinished 16-in. strips are held in place with metal clips nailed directly to the studs.

The stuff grabs at the slightest touch and forms a permanent bond. Jockey the sheet into place and, if necessary, place a small shim on the floor under the coiner. When you have slipped the entire edge of the sheet into the mold­ing, pivot the plywood as you would the page of a book and press it against the wall. Bang on it in a couple of places with the flat of your fist so the glue coated surfaces will make contact in these spots.

With a rubber mallet or a wood block that's been padded, hammer firmly but gently on the plywood sheet following the lines of the furring strips. When you've finished with this job the plywood should be solidly attached to the wall. To get it loose now, you would practically have to rip the layers of plywood apart.

If two sheets are going to butt together. make sure the joint will be supported by a stud and add a vertical furring strip to the stud face. Also, when you apply glue to the furring strips, don't coat the last :'\ in. of the area to be covered by the ply­wood sheets. A hunk of molding has to go into place here and its projecting flange must be slipped between the furring strip and the back surface of the plywood.

The foregoing is the basic procedure. Continue in this manner all the way around the room using moldings as you need them (inside corner, outside corner, divider strip, etc.). If you should have to scribe any plywood to fit a surface that is not plumb, use the same technique described in the section on tongue-and-groove paneling.

Plywood Strip Paneling

Plywood comes in another form. Also prefinished, this type is a great deal easier to handle. Made by U. S. Plywood, it's called Plankweld. The 16-in wide strips (the exact dimension to fit from the center of one stud to the center of the next) have interlocking grooves cut in the two long edges. The stuff is nailed directly to the studs or to furring strips with a system of metal clips.

Unpack the Plankweld and sort out the sheets so that you have a nice flow of grain or color. The manufacturing process can only go so far, and wood will vary a bit from one tree to the next. All this is to your advantage, however, because you can select the panels that give a pleasing continuity.

Installation

Measure the distance between floor and ceiling and cut the first panel to size minus V2 in. Stand the panel in a corner of the room and hold a level

		Plastic-surfaced hardboard (Marlite) is another possibi-lity; it is easy to clean. It has tonque-and-groove edges, and is nailed up or put up with clips and a special adhesive.
		Hardboard pane-ling in 4 ft. widths is made by Celotex Corp. (above, right). The tongue-and-groove wood-grain panels are simply fastened into place with clips as shown.
Prefinished plywood sheet paneling with vertical grooves is made by Georgia-Pacific. It can be nailed up, placing nails in grooves so they auto­matically hit the stud beyond.

against the outer edge. Juggle the strip until the bubble is centered. If necessary, scribe the corner edge to fit the space exactly. Fasten this edge in place, using 6 penny finishing nails through the face of the sheet into the stud or furring strips in back. From here on the Plankweld is held against the wall with metal clips.

Fit the lip of a clip into the groove in the edge of the strip. You can slide each clip slightly until it is in the center of the furring strip. (If you're attaching directly to the studs, space the clips about 16-18 in. apart.) The projecting part of the clip has a hole punched in it. Drive a nail through this hole into the stud or furring strip. Con­tinue the same procedure all the way down the edge of the panel. To attach the second panel, simply interlock the edges of the two.

Genuine stone veneer is held to wall with spe­cial clips. Sheathing behind should be plywood.

Mortar competes beautiful stone wall. Stone can be used around a fireplace or for contrast (above).

Other Types of Paneling

A quite similar material turned out by Masonite Corporation is called Marlite Paneling. It's made of hardboard and is installed in the same way as Plankweld (clips plus interlocking edges). The face covering is made of either simulated wood or a tough plastic finish in a selection of quite a few colors.

You'll also find plywood sheets like those mentioned previously but made with a series of vertical grooves cut into the sur­face. These give the appearance of a tongue-and-groove wall, but actually the surface goes up in one large hunk. Although the grooves appear to be spaced at random, you'll find one every 16 in. For this reason, you can put this stuff up against a stud wall, drive a nail through the plywood within a groove and hit a stud beyond. As long as you use small finishing nails and set the heads slightly below the surface, the nail holes will be almost in­visible. If you are finicky on this score you can use a colored putty stick to hide the hole. Pick this item up at the lumber­yard in a matching color if it's not supplied with the plywood.

Since you're free to use nails in putting up this plywood there isn't much sense in going through the complicated procedure with contact cement. Nor do you have to bother with divider strips. The edges of the sheets are beveled and when two are butted together the resulting V-joint looks exactly like the other grooves cut into the face of the sheet.

Stone for Walls

How would you like to have a stone wall in your basement? Used with an eye for design it can look quite elegant around a fireplace or as a contrasting wall with wood paneling. Thanks to some very fancy ad­vances made in stone quarrying you can now buy genuine stone carefully cut into thin sheets approximately 1 in. thick. The stuff comes in heights of 4 in. or 8 in. and in random lengths that range from 8 to 24 in.

Because you're working with a thin veneer of stone the material is a cinch to apply. The wall sheathing should be ply­wood securely fastened to the studs. A smooth cement wall is also good. Gypsum board or any of the composition materials won't hold the weight of the stone, how­ever.

To start off the job, strike a chalk line Vz in. below the highest point that the stone will extend. Working from this line down, snap parallel chalk lines (make sure they're level) 4I74 in. apart. Nail a metal starter strip to the wall at the floor. Here again don't forget to use your level. Open up several cartons of stone: they come neatly packaged like a supermarket item. Spread the stone around on the floor so that you can get a pleasing pattern of color and size.

Start building the wall at one corner, working your way across. The stones are held to the wall with special metal clips. The clips in turn are held in place with special case hardened nails. Continuing with this medley, the nails are driven into place with a special nail-set. All this junk, however, is supplied in a kit together with the stone, starter strips, etc., so you don't have to worry.

When the entire area has been covered, mix up some mortar following the instruc­tions that come with the kit and apply it to the crevices between the stones. The final effect will be a beautiful masonry wall that is indistinguishable from the genuine item made of full size, brute-heavy stone blocks.

Imitation stone can also be used, is made by hardening concrete in these latex rubber molds.

When the concrete is dry, simply peel ofi the rubber mold and use it to make another "stone."

The kit of stones, clips and accessories is called Silvara- Natural Stone and is made by the Shakertown Corporation. The whole rig is available through many building supply companies and lumberyards.

As a variation on this same idea you may be interested in a set of latex rubber molds (Art Anson Articles). With these you turn out your own stone—imitation stone. Following the manufacturer's instructions, fill the molds with cement, trowel the back smooth and allow the concrete to harden. Next day peel off the mold and reuse it to make yourself another hunk of "stone." If you have the time and patience for a project like this you can save a consider­able amount of money. So that the job does not stretch out beyond the turn of the next century, you might buy several molds. These manufactured stones are held to the wall with a heavy rubber base cement. Joints are filled with mortar in pretty much the same fashion described above.

New Wall Materials

There are quite a few more choices available to you when you start to select the materials^ for your walls. Many com­panies, although they don't make a great to-do about the fact, put out a line of rather unusual or exotic woods. The Georgia-Pacific Corporation has just come out with a hard wood paneling with a face veneer of natural pecan. This gives a warm luxurious tone with a delightfully different grain formation. As far as durability is con­cerned the stuff is equal to hard maple.

Many of the Georgia-Pacific and U. S. Ply­wood wall panelings come with a baked on coating that resists hot grease spatters in the kitchen and the routine abuse of day-to-day living. This stuff comes with either plain or vertical V grooves.

Also new and now available in many sections of the country is an entirely pre-finished partition called Easy Wall that comes in 4x8 ft. sections. This material utilizes a sandwich type of construction. Over a center core of thick rigid insulat­ing material, tough, rugged prefinished paneling is applied to both sides. The in­stallation procedure is amazingly easy. The material simply fits into place between special floor and ceiling molding. At one fell swoop you get a wall that is completely finished on both sides. The same company (Simpson Logging Company) also puts out a matching paneling which has an in­sulated backing but wall covering on one side only. You fasten this material to fur­ring strips with a staple gun. It's available in a whole assortment of plain and "fancy wood finishes to match the Easy Wall pre­finished partitions.

Painting Unfinished Surfaces

If you've used prefinished paneling the job is nearly done at this point. Unfinished wall surfacing, on the other hand, requires painting or papering. Let's consider fir ply­wood first. It may make a desirable, economical surfacing in many instances, but it presents special finishing problems because of the pronounced grain. If you've used an unfinished cabinet wood panel­ing such as walnut, mahogany, oak, etc., finish it following the instructions given later in this chapter for solid wood paneling.

There are really only two approaches to handling fir plywood. Since the grain pattern is dark and heavy you can either subdue it completely and winrl up with a flat smooth surface that will take paint quite nicely or you can capitalize on the grain—accentuate it. One way of utilizing the grain formation is a technique called "pickling."

Insulated prefinished Easy Wall par­titions fit into special molding. Units are finished on one or on both sides.

After applying paint to the fir plywood, wipe it off with cloth or steel wool before it dries. This accentuates the grain.

First step in "pickling" plywood (after sanding) is to brush on a coat of paint, usually a white or cream color.

After paint has dried, finish pickling process with layer of clear brushing lacquer or of water white varnish.

Sand the wall surface smooth, dust it thoroughly and brush on a coat of paint (usually white or cream). Before it has a chance to dry, wipe off the surface with soft clean cloths. Some of the paint will remain behind. Allow the coating to dry and apply a protective layer of clear brushing lacquer or water white varnish. Incidentally, clear varnish won't do be­cause it isn't really clear; it's amber colored. You can buy water white varnish, however, at most large paint stores. If you run into any trouble with this system, cut down on the size of the area that you're covering. Work on a small section (2 or 3 sq. ft.) at a time and then blend the edges of the checkerboard together before you apply the final finish.

To paint plywood you'll need a grain-tamer. This is available at most large hard­ware or paint stores under such trade names as Firzite or Rez as well as other titles. Following the instruction on the container, apply two coats allowing proper drying time in between. Then brush on a couple of coats of any good grade interior paint such as a quality latex coating or the new (and quite fabulous) Lucite paint put out by DuPont.

Last step with cabinet woods is to apply a thin coat of paste wax and buH it hard for a luxurious finish.

Unfinished paneling must be stained before putting it up. Once in place, finish with vanish or brushing lacquer (right) and then wax it.

New thixotropic wall paint plus the materials shown, brushes and a roller, make painting easy.

IhiJ'unt photos With any job, the first step is to paint the trim, baseboards and corners with a paintbrush.

Wallpaper on top of plywood requires a little special preparation. Buy felt lining paper from your local wallcovering store. Cut strips of this to fit between floor and ceiling and glue it up with standard wall­paper paste. To get a good bond you'll have to apply a coating of paste both to the wall and the back of the lining paper. Slap the liner onto the wall with reasonable care. Butt the seams of sheets together neatly and trim the stuff off to exact size at the floor and ceiling.

Finishing Cabinet Woods

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, you should always stain solid wood paneling or unfinished veneer plywood before you put it up on the wall. This procedure is for your own protection. During warm dry weather the boards will shrink if they are not prestained and a little gap of lighter colored wood will be exposed. This, as any finicky housewife will tell you, tends to spoil the job.

All that remains at this time is to put on the final protective coating. In this department you have quite a bit of choice. You can apply clear varnish or water white varnish. Flow this material on with as little brushwork as possible to cut down on the formation of bubbles in the finish. Also, after you open the can of varnish, just leave it quietly without any stirring. All unnecessary agitation pays off in unneces­sary bubbles.

Flow on the varnish with a full wet brush. Hold the brush at a sharp angle to the wood; almost flat.

Brushing lacquer is also an elegant finish. It drys very quickly and darkens the wood only slightly. One brand made for this pur­pose is U. S. Plywood's Satinlac. Be sure to rub the finish down thoroughly but gently with steel wool after each coat has dried. If you like a satin affect, rub the final coat too. For a completely luxurious touch as well as a bit more durability, you can then apply a coat or two of paste wax to the finished surface. The whole trick here is to wipe on as thin a coat of wax as possible. Allow it to dry thoroughly and buff it like crazy.

Some types of wood such as walnut or oak have an open grain that takes very well to a color toning process. Handled carefully the decorative effect can be quite handsome. Brush on paint in whatever tone you've selected (it's a good idea to experiment a bit first using some scraps of the same lumber). Before the paint has com­pletely dried, wipe off all that remains on the surface with clean soft cloths and large pads of steel wool. Tiny streaks and flecks of the paint will remain behind in the pores of the wood to give a softly toned appear­ance. To finish the job, apply either paste wax or clear lacquer and at least two coats of each.

Selecting a Paint

If your last set-to with a paintbrush in­volved the use of those old-fashioned oil base paints, you're in for a jolt. The new coatings just arriving on the market go on like no paint you've ever handled before. They're available in a range of colors varied enough to confuse an electronic brain (but not a housewife). What's more they set new records for durability, wash-ability and beauty.

Use cm extension handle roller to do the tops of the walls and ceiling. Paint the ceiling first

DuPonl photon Most of the new paints can be touched up eren alter coating has dried. Just hit with a roller.

By now you're probably quite familiar with the latex or alkyd paints that are on the market under quite a few different brand names. Most of these do an excellent job. However, when you buy paint don't try to skimp on quality.

For the most part this is one field where you get precisely what you pay for. Top quality paint put out by a reputable firm is not cheap.

Columbus coated Fibrlrt To apply wallpaper, first size wall. Apply the paste working from the center toward the edges.

The strangest and, to a large extent, the most fantastic paint that has come along in a good many years is the new Lucite wallcoating. This stuff isn't a liquid and it isn't a paste. It's a sort of jell about the same consistency as mayonnaise. Lucite paint is ready to apply directly from the can with no stirring or thinning. What's more you can dunk a brush into this glop and pick up a tremendous portion at one time without having the paint run down your elbow. An odd thing happens when you touch the brush to the wall and start to flow on the paint. It goes on with a sleek smoothness that seems almost unbeliev­able.

The chemical reason behind these amaz­ing properties is expressed by the word thixotropic. A paint with these character­istics loses body and flows under conditions of force (back and forth brush work). As soon as you stop painting, the coating re­gains body and forms a film.

Painting Techniques

With a brush, paint the areas along base­boards, trim and corners. These are tough to cover with a roller. Paint the ceiling first. Your best bet here is a paint roller coupled to an extension handle. DuPont and several other

Walllrx Cut strips to size plus about 8 in. The material shown here is prepasted coated fabric type.

companies put out a special paint for ceilings that has added hiding power so that one coat will often do the job of two. The trick to handling most of the new paints is to first concentrate on slobbing the paint onto the wall, then, be­fore you move onto another area, smooth the coating with several side-by-side roller strokes running in the same direction.

Take care of the walls next. The job will be easier if you plan to work in a series of vertical panels about as wide as you can comfortably reach. Roller coat the top part first. Your extension handled roller makes this job simple. Finish up the rest of the panel with a standard roller. Most of the new paints can be touched up even after the coating has dried—just be cautious.

If you notice a spot you missed, even days later, just give it a quick swipe with a brush or roller.

Many of the new paints dry so quickly that a second coat can be applied even an hour or so later. This means that by the time you've finished painting your way around the room you're back to the start­ing point and all set for the second coat. Because of this, a two-coat job can be a one-evening job.

Willttx With prepasted coverings, the back is merely wet with a sponge before pressing the strip in place.

With paste applied (or activated) fold ends over, paste to paste, without creasing paper too hard.

You'll notice that little space has been devoted to the subject of primers or undercoating. Most of the new paints are their own undercoat. This varies from brand to brand, however. Check the manu­facturer's instructipns on the label and if a primer is required use the right type and apply it as detailed.

Wallpaper Preparations

A tremendous variety of beautiful wallpapers are now available in stores across the country. If you're in the midst of a re­modeling project you've probably been ac­cumulating swatches and samples. Here is the procedure for papering once you've selected a pattern.

As your first step, size the wall. Buy ready prepared sizing at your local paint store. It usually comes as a powder and 1 lb. of the stuff will do an average room. Following the instructions on the label, mix the sizing with water to form a thin liquid. Apply the material to the wall with a large sponge. It's not necessary to get fancy with this stage of the operation. Just get the sizing on the wall. Start at the top and work down.

When you buy your wallpaper, pick up an inexpensive kit of the special tools needed for the job. Admittedly these will be on the cheap and shoddy side but they will do the work without costing you more than two or three dollars. Included in the flimsy cardboard box will be a paste brush and a long, flat smoothing brush, a plumb bob, a roller knife and probably a few other odds and ends.

Measure the wall area of the room. Also measure and count windows, doors, etc. Dump all this information into the lap of the guy behind the counter. Let him figure out approximately how many rolls of wall­paper you need. If at all possible select a paper that is in open stock. Should the storekeeper goof in his calculations you'll still be able to pick up an additional roll or two. If the rolls are not ready trimmed, have the store do this job for you. They have a special machine that cuts off the waste selvage edge in a matter of seconds. Otherwise you'll have to do this job with a straightedge and a razor blade. It's a miserable, time consuming process.

Buy ready-mixed wallpaper paste. (It's ready-mixed except that it has to be mixed with water.) There's a method to getting it ready to use. The whole trick is to add paste to water, sifting it through your fingers while you mush it around with a wire pastry whisk. The paste should have the consistency of condensed milk. If you run into any trouble with lumps forming in the adhesive, allow it to sit overnight. A little fast work with the wire whisk will then make the mixture creamy smooth.

Press first strip of covering (this is coated fabric) into the comer using a plumb bob for accuracy.

To start papering, measure the distance between the wall and ceiling and tear off some strips of paper about 8 in. longer. No need to cut the paper precisely, just hold a straightedge in place and tear. If you're using a paper that has no pattern, all the strips can be torn one right after the other from the same roll. If the paper does have a pattern, tear the first strip from one roll. Unroll a section from the second roll, adjust the pattern to match and tear off a strip. From here on you can just tear strips from alternate rolls and they will match. Stack the strips one on top of the other and, if necessary, scrape them over a table edge to remove the curl.

Spread a batch of newspapers on the large table that will be your pasting sur­face. Place the first strip face down on the newspapers. Brush paste onto two thirds of the strip. Always apply adhesive work­ing from the center of the strip toward the two edges. This keeps the paste from ooz­ing under the edges of the wallpaper. Fold this section in two, paste to paste, but don't press the crease down. Finish applying paste to the rest of the strip and fold this closed, paste to paste.

Applying Wallpaper

Climb up on a stepladder, holding the doubled up strip of paper over your arm. Unfold the short end and press it to the wall at the top. Allow 3-4 in. to extend above the molding. Gently pat the paper smooth with your hands, but don't be too finicky at this point. Drop down a plumb bob (nothing more than a weight dangling from a string to give you a vertically level line) and line up the edge of the paper with the string. Should you have to slide the paper, hold the palms of your hands flat against it and push gently. Don't use your finger tips; you're liable to tear the stuff.

When the paper is in position, smooth it down with the wide flat brush. Your strokes should start at the center of the paper and extend back and forth to either side to work out any air bubbles. Reach underneath the doubled up section below and unfold the second part. After aligning it with the plumb bob, brush it down smoothly against the wall. This is a good time to wipe up any smears of paste that have appeared. Trim off the excess paper at the top and bottom of the wall using the roller cutter.

The next strip goes right beside the first using the edge of the first as a guide. The easiest technique is to overlap the vertical seams by about in. Professional wall­paper hangers usually butt the seams of the strips together, but this process can be a little touchy. Roll the seams flat using a small wooden roller that should have been included with your kit of tools.

When you have to paper around doors or windows, use a full length strip of paper wherever possible. Stick to this rule even if you will have to trim out most of the paper. To make a neat job, poke the,paper against the molding of doors and windows using the smoothing brush. Trim it to size with the roller knife or a pair of shears.

Use a slightly different technique to cover around switch plates or wall outlets. In this case turn off the electricity and re­move the cover plate. Brush the paper down right over the switch or outlet. Trim the excess away from the center with a' razor blade and flatten the paper carefully around the cutout. Replace the cover plate and you're back in business.

Coated Fabric Coverings

Many homeowners are finding that the new coated fabric wall coverings are a thoroughly practical luxury. Because the material is so much heavier than ordinary paper it's far easier to hang. When you apply it, it clings evenly and firmly to the surface. Once in place it cuts household chores to the vanishing point because most stains and markings will wipe off with warm soapy water. If you think of these new materials as an almost permanent wall covering the fact that they are more ex­pensive than most standard wallpapers doesn't seem so important. Certainly in the long run they are cheaper.

Some companies with the do-it-yourself market firmly in mind have made this heavy wall covering even easier to apply. The back surface is prepasted so that it merely has to be wet with a sponge before being pressed into place.

Fit the covering around obstructions. This ma­terial is waterproof—ideal for a bathroom decor.

Willtex photos With the paper in position, smooth it down with a wide flat brush to work out any air bubbles.

One brand. Wall-Tex made by Columbus Coated Fabrics Corporation, comes with an entire line of matching fabrics so that you can carry the wallpaper theme over into draperies, slip­covers and even plastic shower curtains. Most of the new coverings are almost com­pletely waterproof and can be used to finish off bathroom walls.

The coverings are very easy to apply. Cut a strip long enough to extend between floor and ceiling. Wet the reverse side with a sponge to activate the prepasted ad­hesive. Press the covering to the wall start­ing at a corner, and use a plumb bob to make sure that it is absolutely vertical. You can use a towel or smoothing brush on the surface to work out all air bubbles and get a smooth job. When you add the next strip, butt the seam.

When you have to fit the material around an object such as a shower head, cut the paper following the lines of the pattern rather than making a straight slit. This will help conceal the cut when you paste the ends down later. Wherever pos­sible smooth the fabric into place working from the top down to avoid wrinkles. To trim around the obstructions wet the strip and press it to the wall at the top. Patting the fabric gently into place with your hands, cut it out so that it fits around the ventilator, soap dish, etc. Use a sharp razor blade for this job, and then smooth the paper carefully into position.

To trim the line where the wall fabric meets the ceiling, make a sharp crease with a wide putty knife. Using the blade of the putty knife as a guard, trim off the excess fabric with a razor blade. The same tech­nique does quite nicely for making a neat joint at the baseboard or where the wall covering meets the tiled wall.

The Luxurious Touch

Some of the nation's leading interior decorators have a standard gambit that you can adapt to your own project. They try to make one area of the room strikingly elegant. This single luxurious touch tends to raise the

To trim fabric, crease it with a wide putty knife; use the knife as a guard and cut with a razor.

level of the entire room. Using this concept you can get by splendidly with bare painted walls as long ar one section (if only a small part) has the spendthrift look.

Many homeowners are using the fabu­lous new wall coverings for this purpose. At your local emporium you'll find a dazzling array that includes Japanese papers plus the laminated materials that have actual leaves, ferns, real fabrics and even butterflies sandwiched in.

Royaltex photos New coatings give luxurious touch. Under a vinyl film are inset real leaves. The inner layer is foil.

To smooth very heavy wall coatings, cut brush bristles short and apply it with more pressure.

One na­tionally available material called Royaltex has been produced with the do-it-your­selfer in mind. On top of a paper backing goes a layer of aluminum foil, then a layer of linen, jute or other fancy plus a scatter­ing of flora or fauna. Top covering is a layer of tough, transparent plastic to make the finished job stainproof. You can wipe off dirt and smudges with a damp cloth.

Royaltex (and similar materials sold un­der other brand names) is handy for home application because of the paper backing. You can put up the stuff with any top quality wallpaper paste (such as Valar) to which you have added a dollop of Ad-hesium.

Wide putty knife with flexible blade is handy for smoothing; work from the center to the sides.

Smooth seams with seam roller; use a sponge to wipe up the paste that oozes out from under edges.

Be sure to size the wall carefully. Mix the paste to standard consistency or just a bit thicker. Trim down the length of the bristles on the smoothing brush (tool used to press the covering against the wall) leaving a stub about 1 or 1% in. long. When you brush with this, you can lean on the tool and make sure the paper is pressed against the contours of the wall. A wide putty knife with a very flexible blade is handy for this job. Draw it across the surface of the Royaltex working from the center to either side until you have squeegeed out all the air bubbles.

There's one slight peculiarity to this and other heavy coated wall coverings. Be­cause the face or surface is waterproof, it is also airtight. As a result, the paste dries very slowly. Sometimes it takes two, three or even four days. During all this time you'll probably find small bumps in the surface that squish under your finger. As the adhesive dries the paper will be slowly pulled taut and flat against the wall.

Painting Masonry Walls

Most basements are made of concrete or masonry block. In a good many cases this stuff is completely dry. If no water prob­lem exists, a simple paint job can often take care of all decorating. Here's where Portland Cement Paint comes into the pic­ture. Available in white plus tints or various colors, it can quickly dress up a drab masonry wall. Sold as a dry powder to be mixed with water just before you apply it, cement paint looks best over a flat, uniform masonry surface. The cement wall should be clean and completely free of oil, oil paint, dirt or any other nonsense that will keep the paint from sticking. Fill all cracks with patching cement and allow them to cure thoroughly.

Lightly dampen the masonry surface with water before you start the brush-work. The idea is to keep the wall from drawing moisture from the paint. The easiest technique here is to turn a garden pressure sprayer on the wall using a fine fog spray nozzle so that you moisten the area but don't soak it.

Mix the paint with water following the directions on the container. Cement paints are quite heavy and the ingredients tend to settle out, so keep Stirling the paint as you use it. The brush used for applying this paint is a stiff fiber scrub brush. This isn't a lightweight coating that you just flow onto the surface. Because the cement or masonry has many pores, you'll actually have to scrub the paint into the wall to get a decent looking job.

Dunk the brush into the paint and scrub back and forth. Then scrub round and round until the area is covered. Plan to work on a relatively small section at a time. When this is finished move onto the next square.

Portland Cement Paint can be used on dry base­ment walls. Dampen the wall and apply the paint.

Portland Cement Assn. Cement paint (mix. following directions) is scrubbed hard into the wall with a stirf fiber scrub brush.

Here's another fact about Portland Ce­ment Paint. It must be moist-cured, that is kept very slightly damp for at least 12 hours after you put on the first coat. The second or finish coat should be kept moist for 48 hours. Again, a garden sprayer with a fog nozzle is the best mechanism to use. Allow the first coat to harden for 12 hours, dampen the surface and apply the second coat.

Paint is applied as shown. Merely spreading paint would leave holes penetrable by moisture.

Moisture first coat by spraying for 12 hours. The finish coat should be sprayed for 48 hours.

If this sounds like a great deal of work, keep in mind that you're applying a per­manent coating. As a matter of fact, when properly scrubbed onto the wall and care­fully cured, cement paint becomes an ac­tual part of the concrete masonry surface.

There is one big pitfall to this entire rou­tine of finishing walls. In conscience we'll have to pass the sad word along to you. As noted, this phase of the job makes a big fat difference in the looks of the remodeled area. Because of that you may have a tendency to rush the work; even skimp here and there. There's a time limit on how long you can get away with this idea. For example, let's say you are so anxious to get on with the job that you decide not to waterproof a masonry wall that really is not very damp. Comes a wet spring and the paneling all buckles. Moral? Do it right!

If absolutely no moisture problem exists, masonry basement walls can be painted with latex paints.

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