I am afraid I am not finding much time to be on Ciao these days but with a new puppy in the house I ...
I am afraid I am not finding much time to be on Ciao these days but with a new puppy in the house I have some doggy related products to review from time to time.
Member since:11.10.2006
Reviews:283
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I quite enjoy a bit of DIY and one of the things I like to do is hang wallpaper - it is great way to get a new finish to a room and the results don't take too long to achieve. I live in a house where the walls are not perfectly finished so wallpapering is useful to cover up the odd imperfection. Whenever I am wallpapering I usually make a bee-line for the Solvite Wallpaper Adhesive because I have been really pleased with this product whenever I have used it.
Many years ago they ran a series of TV adverts where they pasted a bloke on to a board using Solvite and then flew him over the countryside to show how effective it was. If I am honest I never really was convinced that the stuff was that good (and I certainly wouldn't take part in that stunt to prove it one way or another) but it was a distinctive enough advert to make me use it the first time and I have used it, and got great results, ever since.
It now comes in three varieties Extra Strong, Pink Extra Strong and Paste the Wall Extra Strong - funny that they don't do a standard variety if the do an 'Extra Strong' ? - I tend to use the basic Extra Strong. They developed the pink one so that you could see where you had pasted the paper but I have never felt the need to use it because I can generally see what I am doing - however if you do use the pink I am assured that it dries clear so it shouldn't make any difference which you prefer.
When wallpapering with Solvite you need to mix it according to the instructions on the packet depending on the type of wallpaper you are planning to hang. Heavier wallpapers need a 'thicker' mix and thus you add less water. The instructions on the pack also helpfully tell you how many rolls you could expect to hang depending on the mix you choose.
The packs of Solvite come in various sizes . 3 Roll Sachet · 5 Roll Sachet · 10 Roll Sachet · 15 Roll Sachet · 20 Roll Box · 30 Roll Box which should enable you to choose just the right size for the job you are doing.
Once you have selected your mix, fill a bucket with the requisite amount of water and then sprinkle the paste mix on to the water whilst mixing it briskly for 20 seconds. Personally I do the mixing with one hand whilst sprinkling with the other and you can easily feel the texture changing indicating it is properly mixed. OK it does feel a little glutinous on your hand but it is easy to wash off and I feel that method always ensure it is fully mixed right down to the bottom of the bucket. Leave it to stand for a minute and a half and then stir thoroughly before use.
Next apply the paste to your length of wallpaper making sure you go right up to the edges and the ends of the paper, fold the paper concertina fashion and apply to the wall. Solvite is great because it allows you to reposition the paper as you wish until you are happy it is correctly positioned. Carefully smooth the paper into place squeezing out any obvious bubbles, trim the edges and leave to dry. I find that so long as you follow this procedure you don't get bubbles with Solvite, any small imperfections that may appear to be there when the paper is wet will dry out flat (providing the paste is well mixed before application).
It is best to wipe off any excess paste whilst it is still damp. Just a word of warning though Solvite paste does contain a fungicide to inhibit mould growth so you should keep the wet paste away from children and pets. This might seem obvious but curious toddlers or dogs could try to eat the wet paste and you should take steps to prevent this - the simplest way is to shut them out of the room!
Solvite is made by Henkel who also make a whole range of DIY products including Unibond, Duck tapes, Loctite, Sellotape and Pritt so they should know quite a lot about adhesives! I have no hesitation in recommending Solvite Wallpaper adhesives to all would be decorators. Properly used it should give you a great finish.
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Good review - I just bought some cos we intend to wallpaper the dining room end of the kitchen where we knocked down a cupboard - when we get round to it though, is another matter!! tc x Sal x
Writing321 26.12.2006 13:12
You make it sound so easy but I am sure even with such well presented instructions I would end up in a mess ....or not so proud of the result...... good writing
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