The new RRP Lead Law will have far reaching effects for anyone who is a contractor or property owner.But it might not be so bad for paperhangers who observe the EPA guidelines to legally avoid the law.
I just posted this to Parodi Palace:
http://www.parodipalace.com/rrp_lead_law_and_paperhangers.pdf
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
How To Hang Phillip Jeffries Jackson Squares
Phillip Jeffries Jackson Square has been problematic for paperhangers to say the least. Even saying the name is a problem because PJ calls it Jackson Square and paperhangers call it Jackson Squares.
I tested the product 2 years ago after PJ was getting reports that the material bubbled up after being pasted and the bubbles never dried out after the material dried on the wall. I thought I had come up with a workable solution at that time until I heard from installers in the field who said they still got bubbles using my "fix." So I went back to the testing board and came up with something much better. I'm hoping this is fool proof and I will never get another phone call about the stuff. Truth be known, I am not even crazy about the way it looks. Phillip Jeffries has some really beautiful and unusual offerings http://www.phillipjeffries.com/ and IMO this isn't one of them.
Before you watch these videos I also want to say that I made a big mistake right off the bat. I thought that those random strands of stuff all over the surface of Jackson Square were strands of sea grass. But when I went to PJ's web site to find out what the current hanging instructions are... I found this:
I tested the product 2 years ago after PJ was getting reports that the material bubbled up after being pasted and the bubbles never dried out after the material dried on the wall. I thought I had come up with a workable solution at that time until I heard from installers in the field who said they still got bubbles using my "fix." So I went back to the testing board and came up with something much better. I'm hoping this is fool proof and I will never get another phone call about the stuff. Truth be known, I am not even crazy about the way it looks. Phillip Jeffries has some really beautiful and unusual offerings http://www.phillipjeffries.com/ and IMO this isn't one of them.
Before you watch these videos I also want to say that I made a big mistake right off the bat. I thought that those random strands of stuff all over the surface of Jackson Square were strands of sea grass. But when I went to PJ's web site to find out what the current hanging instructions are... I found this:
Made from Paulownia wood known in Japan as the “good luck”
princess tree, the wood is first hand cut into thin veneer sheets. It's Paulownia wood strands not grass. How could I be so obtuse? Maybe all our luck will change to "good luck" now that we know what to call it.
(I suggest you right click on embedded videos and choose "Watch on youtube", then choose the full screen option because there are some close-ups you will want to see in HD.)
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Conquering the Fear of Wallpapering
After years of decline in wallpaper usage the trend line has been moving up.
Personally I have been doing almost 100% wallpapering in my jobs the past 2 years with almost no painting (besides wall priming for paper.) Yet the industry and everybody in it still ignores one of the major reasons for the decline in paper and that is the issue of removeablilty.
In fairness I must say that mass manufacturers of wallcoverings did respond to the issue by coming out with strippable nonwovens, but in this case the cure could kill the patient. (See my post on Sanitas in August 2010.)
One thing to consider is that paperhangers, our trade organizations, and internet groups CAN also do something to get the consumer over the fear of and misconceptions about removing wallpaper. In my opinion we paperhangers, designers and retailers need to "go back to the future" and specify the tried and true material that has always been easily removable and that is fabric-backed vinyl (FBV).
With the easy availability of digital video cameras, some built-in functions to upload to youtube, blip tv, etc. it is possible for painters and paperhangers to quickly demonstrate to the public just how easy and quick most fabric-backed vinyl removal jobs are. I have opined for years that instead of doing demos on how to hang wall covering for the public that we do demos on how easy it is to remove FBV from a well primed wall. If we use the public relation tools we have right in our hands we may return to the day when the consumer would never say, "I love wallpaper, but I don't like that it doesn't come off once you commit to it."
Personally I have been doing almost 100% wallpapering in my jobs the past 2 years with almost no painting (besides wall priming for paper.) Yet the industry and everybody in it still ignores one of the major reasons for the decline in paper and that is the issue of removeablilty.
In fairness I must say that mass manufacturers of wallcoverings did respond to the issue by coming out with strippable nonwovens, but in this case the cure could kill the patient. (See my post on Sanitas in August 2010.)
One thing to consider is that paperhangers, our trade organizations, and internet groups CAN also do something to get the consumer over the fear of and misconceptions about removing wallpaper. In my opinion we paperhangers, designers and retailers need to "go back to the future" and specify the tried and true material that has always been easily removable and that is fabric-backed vinyl (FBV).
With the easy availability of digital video cameras, some built-in functions to upload to youtube, blip tv, etc. it is possible for painters and paperhangers to quickly demonstrate to the public just how easy and quick most fabric-backed vinyl removal jobs are. I have opined for years that instead of doing demos on how to hang wall covering for the public that we do demos on how easy it is to remove FBV from a well primed wall. If we use the public relation tools we have right in our hands we may return to the day when the consumer would never say, "I love wallpaper, but I don't like that it doesn't come off once you commit to it."
Monday, September 6, 2010
New Page at Parodi Palace--The Grass Cloth FAQ
Everthing you ever wanted to know about grasscloth but were afraid to ask:
The Grass Cloth Wallcovering Frequently Asked Questions Page
Designers and Paperhangers: Email this link to customers before they choose grass cloth...it should save you a lot of headaches, or just link to it from your website.
The Grass Cloth Wallcovering Frequently Asked Questions Page
Designers and Paperhangers: Email this link to customers before they choose grass cloth...it should save you a lot of headaches, or just link to it from your website.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Taming Phillip Jeffries Metallic Weaves
Here is something you should look at before you hang any Phillip Jeffries Metallic Weaves. These weaves are of two types: the metallic-backed paper weaves and the linen weaves. In this video, I show that bending these materials causes a deformation which is much more visible than with non-reflective wallpapers. I hope the "Watch Mr. Wizard"-type demo makes it plain to the viewer. (Next video I may make a hard-boiled egg go into a milk bottle.)
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