In the final instalment of our Dulux Academy series, Professional Builder attends the Wallpaper Introduction course
The decorative potential of wallpaper is back in vogue. Whether it’s utilised on a feature wall – or covering a whole room – it is an increasingly popular choice for homeowners, and that’s reflected in its status at the Dulux Academy. In fact, after its Spray Introduction course it is the second most popular that the flagship Slough facility, and its wider national network of training centres, delivers.
“It’ only a relatively small part of college curriculums,” explains Matt Gray, Dulux Skills Development Consultant and our trainer for the day, “and because it’s often subject to changes in fashion there are many even very experienced decorators out there who’ve never really built up much pratice on wallpaper projects.”
The Dulux Academy 1-day course is designed to lay the grounding on which on-the-job experience can then build. The decorators in attendance were eager to acquire another skill and open up a business opportunity in the process, as one delegate explains: “When we’ve had clients who’ve enquired about wallpaper I’ve either sub-contracted it out, or tried to steer them away from it,” reveals Surrey-based painter and decorator, Matt Tween. “With more and more property owners looking at it as an option it’s something I want to take on myself because there’s clearly some money to be made from it.”
The 1-day Wallpaper Introduction course is intended to familiarise attendees with some of the basic principles, with the option of progressing to a further 2-day Wallpaper Intermediate Course that will address the more advanced techniques. Matt Gray has more than 30-years’ experience in the industry and understanding the levels of competence around the room is his first task. Safety is, of course, paramount and, with knives used to cut the wallpaper on the day exhibiting a surgical level of sharpness, everyone is reminded of the importance of staying alert.
Wallpapering can demand more planning than some other forms of decorating and it’s imperative that professional decorators read the instructions on the packaging. Use the wrong paste for that particular paper, for example, and it’s down to you, whilst that old adage of measure twice and cut once is never truer than with wallpaper. The material itself can vary hugely in price – with high-end rolls upwards of a £1,000 or more, so mistakes can prove very costly indeed. For those less experienced in wallpapering the labelling might present some unfamiliar symbols but Matt translates these for the class, as well as communicating the different grades and thicknesses of papers available.
The key to any successful decorating job is in the surface preparation and it is here that lining paper comes into its own, disguising imperfections in the wall, providing an even surface and colour. Lining paper is also good practice because it gives you a feel for the layout of a room. Similarly, Matt recommends the use of ready-mix paste. It’s more stable, less susceptible to damp and offers a stronger bond when dry.
As is befitting a room full of practically orientated decorators, learning at the Dulux Academy is largely about doing and we quickly move on to the hands-on tasks in the dedicated booths that the impressively equipped Dulux Academy provides. Each delegate is supplied with all the recommended tools, with brushes favoured over rollers. Similarly, Matt advocates the age-old accuracy of plumb bobs as the most reliable method of finding a level.
It quickly becomes apparent that, under the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable trainer, the class can glean a myriad number of small hints, tips and techniques that will come together to smooth the path to a perfect wallpaper job. The paper table is itself lined, for instance, so you can write dimensions on it and then transfer these to the wall. The best methods for handling and cutting the paper, brushing on the paste and applying to the wall are all meticulously demonstrated before the class are themselves tasked with hanging two lengths. Matt is on hand to advise at every stage and it is a testament to his training that some very creditable results are immediately achieved.
The Wallpaper Introduction course has been designed to familiarise the class with some of the typical scenarios you would encounter in a room. Once the principles of cutting, pasting and slinging have been introduced in the morning session, the afternoon is dedicated to navigating electrical sockets, and mastering the art of achieving a match in patterned wallpaper around corners. This is where a decorator can really impress the homeowner, and gain that crucial recommendation of a job well done from a client to other potential customers in their catchment area.
If the paper has writing on, for example, and you’re adept at matching the text successfully, then it’s a design that will have that wow factor. Matt’s easy to follow step-by-step instructions elicited some impressive results from the class, most of whom were able to demonstrate a level of proficiency that they can translate into their own jobs.
With the Wallpaper Introduction course completed the decorators have the option to move on to Wallpaper Intermediate, where they can increase their knowledge and confidence still further. With wallpapering now a regular feature of interior décor schemes, it is an investment in your skill-set that is likely to pay dividends
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Wallpaper Introduction
The course covers tool selection and use of lining papers and wallpapers in order to complete a simple wallpapering project. Delegates will learn how to prepare surfaces for a wallpaper project. Look at the features and benefits of suitable tools and understand the impact they have on quality installation. Use lining paper, including a variety of cuts and folds to complete the preparation and use finishing paper to tackle basic obstacles, such as cutting around sockets, switches, and corners.
Time: 1-day
Cost: £150+VAT
For further information on the Dulux Academy visit https://academy.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/
