This is a torn paper called Subtle Surfaces. It
is similar to Stoney Brook Torn Paper.
This product comes in 3' X 6' sheets. It tears
very easily when dry. After pasting it tears easily while handling.
Trimming around outlets, counter tops, at the ceiling line and baseboard
is ridiculous. This paper is not easy to install. It's about 1 degree
below impossible to get a good cut while trimming. Your installation
must be slow and deliberate.
This paper does come with some touch up paint which
is essential. As you can see the backing is white. And since this
stuff tears while you're handling it you will need to touch up the
tears after the paper dries to hide the white backing.
Slow and steady wins the race with this material.
You can see the overage on the right outside corner. This excess
material was impossible to trim while wet.
We arrived at 0645 hrs and were told to be done
by 0900 hrs when the place opened. Personnel began arriving at 0700
hrs. I don't mind an audience.
Shannon Russell trims off the excess. His first
experience with torn paper was installing Subtle Surfaces a few
years ago. He did not want to hang this material again so guess
who got called? I tore and installed the paper.
I highly recommend Stoney
Brook Torn Paper. It is a much superior product in both beauty
& structural integrity. You can purchase Stoney Brook from
my web site www.fauxpaper.com
Here's the completed installation. I do not recommend
this product for the Do It Yourselfer. It is best left to the competent
wallcovering installer with prior experience hanging torn papers.
"And now the rest of the
story" ... Paul Harvey
"People are strange." ... Jim Morrison
When we installed this paper, the employees loved it. After we
left, they somehow started to hate it. After enough complaints
the employer decided to change the wallcovering. After something
more subtle was selected & delivered a couple months later,
Shannon & I returned to do the removal & install the new
wallcovering.
To our dismay this Subtle Surfaces did not strip
well at all. Just like the install, the removal was a real Dr.
Smith Special. You remember Dr. Smith from the TV series Lost
In Space don't you? Whenever I encounter something in paperhanging
that is ridiculously more difficult than it should be I think of
Dr. Smith whining, "Oh the pain! the pain!"
First the paper was perforated with my favorite
scoring tool the Piranha. It doesn't put little holes in the drywall.
We used DIF blue gel & DIF liquid plus a whole lot of elbow
grease.
The replacement paper was not a torn paper. It
was actually a 54" wide commercial vinyl with a more subdued
random faux pattern.
Here Shannon installs the last sheet.
After the last seam is double cut all that's left
to do is clean up & get out.
