|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
| Balcony Paint Job |
It really does look real! This old balcony is a plain Jane no longer, once it's had the painted-finish treatment from an expert.
|
|
|
|
|
Jennifer Bennell is an expert on the art of painted finishes. She lives in Redfern, Sydney, and is going to renovate the balcony of her unit as an enclosed area, so that it looks like part of the interior.
It will be transformed into a conservatory with verdigris lattice painted on the walls. The balcony runs off the lounge room, so the idea is to give the illusion that the entire area flows together.
1
Jennifer started by creating the support struts that would be part of such a structure if she were working with real lattice. A 50mm-wide strip is measured above the doors and a pencil is used to mark the line. Use a spirit level to check that it's straight.
Mask either side of the line with masking tape. To ensure that the tape is securely fastened to the wall, run your thumbnail or an eraser over the edge. Bleeding of paint will occur if the tape is not securely in place.
Next, a similar border strut is run around the doors - again, a spirit level is used. This framing is completed with a 50mm section around the base of the wall.
2
Square Lattice
Each section of the wall is measured to find the central point where the vertical and horizontal measurements meet. For the square lattice, measure out approximately 100mm from the centre.
Draw a pencil line to mark the width of the strip, which is 12mm. From the centre, allow 6mm for the central stripe and mark with a vertical line. A 12mm strip is then measured for the stripe and the vertical line is drawn. This is continued until the end of the wall is reached. You then return to the centre and work out to the other end of the wall in the same way. The horizontal stripes can now be marked out using the same method as above.
3
Masking
Mask either vertical or horizontal stripes only at a time. Paint with Real Copper Paint, being careful not to overload the brush. One coat is all that's necessary. By the time you have reached the end of the wall using this method, the paint at the other end of the wall should be dry.
Apply the oxidising patina. Try to keep the coverage uneven so that quite a lot of copper still shows through. Use a damp cloth to catch any drips and for cleaning up. The tape should be removed immediately after doing this. The oxidising occurs straight away and becomes darker within an hour or so.
4
Diamond-Shaped Lattice
Measure the wall again and mark the centre for the horizontal and vertical centre of the wall. Use a protractor to mark a 45-degree angle from the centre point of the wall. Measure out 6mm and then 100mm. Mark this as the first diagonal stripe across the wall. Work to the same method as the square lattice, but this time, work diagonally.
When the intersecting diagonals are measured, keep checking with a spirit level to ensure that the tip of each diamond is in an even line. When the wall is marked out, mask one diagonal section and paint and oxidise as before. Remove tape, and then work on the opposite set of diagonals.
5
Pediments
A pediment is a low-pitched gable, often triangular in shape, as seen in classical architecture.
Cheap cornice material is purchased and the pieces made up using a protractor to get the angles right, then they are cut with a metal saw (hacksaw). A bandsaw, if available, will speed up this process.
The pediments are attached to the wall with screws, after previously painting and oxidising them to look like part of the lattice structure. The holes are drilled and plugged.
6
Raised Stencil
Tape the stencil to the wall. Mix together small equal quantities of raising compound and Special Paint (see Materials). Make sure the material is thick enough to hold a peak.
Apply a small amount over the stencil to cover the design, then scrape off with the filling blade. For the body of the pineapple, Jennifer applied the raising compound mix with a brush so that the finish looked rough.
Special Tips
The raising compound mix may be coloured with Universal tints or artist's water-based paints. A coloured glaze may also be applied over the dried stencil.
An easy way to make the pediments is to make a template out of newspaper to represent the wall, and use masking tape to represent the moulding. This will allow you to work out the angles and cut the moulding to the correct size.
7
Just one coat of the copper paint is needed, and one of the oxidising patina. Both dry very quickly. As soon as the copper starts to turn green, remove the masking tape.
Try not to coat the copper paint completely with the oxidising patina. It will look great if you can see some of the copper showing through.
Safety tip: when it's time to apply the oxidant, wear rubber gloves. This chemical compound should not come into contact with your skin, eyes, etc.
|
Materials
For the pediment:
Cornicing from Hardware House
Metal saw, to cut cornice material
Raised stencil
Jennifer Bennell's Magic Effects Special Paint White, 250ml
Jennifer Bennell's Raising Compound
Filling blade
Small bristle brush
For the lattice wall:
Masking tape (12mm)
Pencil
Long ruler and measuring tape
Protractor
Spirit level
Eraser
Jennifer Bennell's Magic Effects Real Copper Paint
Jennifer Bennell's Oxidising Patina
Rubber gloves (for protection from the oxidant)
|
Cost
Real Copper Paint $28.20 (500ml)
Oxidising patina $28.20 (500ml)
Cornicing From around $10
The overall cost for this project is around $70.
|
More Info
Haymes paints were used for this story. Jennifer Bennell runs painted-finish classes from her workshop. For further information, ph: 1800 033 431.
Jennifer's books Master Strokes and Painted Finishes are available from bookshops and some art/craft shops.
|
Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
|
|
|
|
|
