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Surface prep determines how well coverings adhere, hence how good the job looks and how long it lasts. Ideally, surfaces should be clean, dry, flat, and stable. Before hanging wallcoverings, assess existing surfaces; remove, replace, or repair them as necessary; and then prime and seal them. Sealing surfaces improves adhesion and, just as important, allows you to remove coverings later without destroying the underlying drywall or plaster.

In the old days, a wall was sized, or brushed with a glutinous mixture to improve the adher­
ence of the wallpaper. But sizing is rarely done today because it’s chemically incompatible with many pastes, causing them to crystallize, lump, and bubble, creating voids where the covering is unattached...

Wallpaper, actual paper, is most appropriate for historically accurate restoration and wherever you want fine detail. Although vinyl coverings are increasingly hard to distinguish from paper, vinyls tend to look glossier. Although paper may have an aesthetically pleasing flat finish, it is more vulnerable to grime and abuse.

Vinyl is today’s workhorse, available in a dizzy­ing range of patterns and in finishes ranging from flat to glossy. Vinyl is especially suitable for areas with traffic and moisture. Most vinyls are washable, and cloth-backed vinyls are usually strippable—that is, they are easily removable when you want to change them. Although no wallcovering is intended to conceal major cracks and irregularities, heavier vinyls can conceal minor ones.

Fabric coverings include cotto...

Prep work done, it’s almost time to paint. Even if you’ve read this entire chapter, you might want to scan it one last time for tips about paint quality, tools, basic techniques, spray-painting, and so on.

Here’s a quick review of factors mentioned in greater detail earlier in this chapter: Regarding exterior coatings, the more opaque the finish, the better it will protect wood siding. Clear, oil-based sealers help siding shed water without obscuring the wood grain, but they must to be reapplied every 2 years to 4 years because they offer rela­tively little protection from UV rays. A second

option, semitransparent stains resemble thinned down-paints and represent a compromise that adds UV protection but reduces siding visibility, That is, you can see wood texture but not its grain...