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Swarm

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Hi guys .

This has probably been covered previously- but I can’t find any helpful advice .

Although I have built many houses in the past I’ve never decorated nor painted , that has been left up to others .

Question : Is it best to paint or wallpaper the interior of a house prior to assembly for ease of getting to certain areas ? Or can this be done effectively once assembled ? 

No particular house just interested in what the majority of people do .

What is the general consensus - feedback much appreciated .

Stuart.

Edited by Swarm
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I paper once assembled so I can wrap at least 1/8” around the corners. This hides any gaps. Also, I tapewire so assembly is required before papering. If you want to tapewire and paint you need to put the tapewire under the baseboards. Unless you are using a good cabinet grade plywood you will have to apply drywall compound to your walls and sand very well then paint with either craft paint or an eggshell latex. You could do this prior to assembly. 

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I also paper after/during assembly, but I trace outline templates of the walls before assembly.  I use those templates for the final fitting before cutting my good paper.

I've never used self-adhesive wallpaper.

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22 minutes ago, otterine said:

I also paper after/during assembly, but I trace outline templates of the walls before assembly.  I use those templates for the final fitting before cutting my good paper.

I've never used self-adhesive wallpaper.

Very good idea - tracing the outline before assembly and using it as a template !

Why no self adhesive paper any reason ?

Can you buy books of wallpaper of varying types like 100 page or is it an individual item purchased ?

I don’t have the luxury of just popping down the shop - besides the fact there are no dollhouse or miniature shops in the closest major town to me - it’s over 150ks one way drive .

I have to buy online and get items posted.

Thanks :cheezy:

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1 hour ago, Swarm said:

Can you buy books of wallpaper of varying types like 100 page or is it an individual item purchased ?

I can't add anything to the great advice above but re: this question, I can offer a thought: Don't.

There are multi-packs of wallpaper out there. The old adage "You get what you pay for" holds true with those. In my experience they are generally of terrible quality. Even Real Good Toys, a company I like very much and have done / will continue to do business with, has a multi-pack of wallpaper for which the best use is keeping it next to your fireplace to get a fire going.

If there's a good multi-pack out there, I sure haven't seen it. Maybe others have had different experiences. You're better off getting individual papers that you like. Three sheets is usually sufficient to complete all but the very largest of rooms. Ebay is loaded with wallpaper options.

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Stuart, when I build a kit the very first thing I do is to haul out my utility knife and rolls of blue painters' tape and stick the parts together with the tape before gluing anything.; we call this dry fitting, and here are some reasons to do this:

Sometimes I don't always understand the instructions, even after the second or third reading, so doing the dry fit helps me find a way to get the thing together that works for me.

I prefer to decorate as I build; prep and do the floors, glue up the walls, prime and paint or paper the walls on the ground floor, prep  and do the ceiling and next floor and glue it in, etc.  Occasionally there are areas (stairwells, etc) too d**n small to fit my hand or a paintbrush in once the house is together, so I need to decorate before gluing up; the dry fit shows me those.  I can also see what I will want to stain vs prime.

I get an idea of which rooms need to fill what function when I have the whole thing in dry fit.

Finally, if the house hasn't spoken to me in detail prior, it will start telling me in excruciating detail what it wants and how it wants to look once I start putting it into dry fit.

As for priming and painting, I prefer to use interior latex emulsion paints in a flat finish, both because they are soap and water clean up and because I can custom mix colors using small amounts of emulsion paint with acrylic colors from the tube.  I also like to use polyfilla/ joint compound for fixing any flaws in the wood (or construction).

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I was a huge fan of themed scrapbook paper books because they have papers which compliment each other. Each room must have 3 sheets of the same design.  Many books only have 2 sheets of the same print so you need to purchase additional books. Problem is you may or may not ever use the remaining sheets in the books so it gets expensive. Many craft stores have loose sheets of scrapbook paper to choose from. I’m not a fan of the commercial dollhouse papers, I find them very dated but my style is more contemporary. 

An example of scrapbook paper books:

https://www.papersource.com/craft/paper-bar/scrapbook-paper

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Hi Stuart. Fairy Meadow Miniatures in Port Kembla has a good selection of wallpapers on their website. Most capital cities (except Darwin) have a miniature show once a year and there’s usually one or two traders that will have wallpaper. The shows are listed on the Fairy Meadow website or here: https://www.vame.org.au/fairs-and-shows/

I concur with others - some bits get decorated as I go along but most of it is left til the end. It can be tricky but usually a neater finish.

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I also use a scrapbook paper for wallpaper. But I also scrapbook as a hobby, so it's not as wasteful buying a whole book for just a few pages. But always check the clearance section at craft stores (or even walmart/target), sometimes you can find a deal on scrapbook paper books. A friend closed his paint store and gave me 10 huge sample books of wallpaper, so I've used those a lot too, but they weren't self adhesive. I used glue spread out evenly over the whole page with a sponge. But I've also painted a lot too. When I need a solid colored wall or section I choose to paint instead of cover up. I use acrylics, flat, for walls.

If you're not going to electrify, it's easier to do all the floors, walls and ceilings before you build/as you go. Dry fit it first though - before you start to cover any wood. You'll get to know which parts you should paint first. I also find it easier to measure baseboards, chair rails, moldings etc while I can still hold the walls in my hand, before the rooms are permanently put together.

For re-doing a house already built, I use cardboard templates. Saves a lot of trial and error LOL!

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For covering walls I have used dollhouse wallpaper (Dover Publications used to put out books of 1:12 wallpapers in various period designs), scrapbook paper, gift wrap, gift bag paper and fabric; I used a bit of grasspaper in one build.  I use premixed wallpaper paste from the hardware store to hang it and I drop match the patterns.

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1 hour ago, blueirishmoon said:

Also, if you're going to wallpaper, you really should paint the wood beforehand, as gluing the paper on the bare wood can lead to paper discoloration over time.

You really need to prime (paint to seal the wood) whether you're going to paper or paint, as the naturally occurring acids in the wood as well as any treatment chemicals will "burn" your final paint or paper over time as they leach out.

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I use a coat of polyurethane on all the wood before I paint it or cover it. Even the smallest of pieces, like trim etc. It's thin and goes on easy with a paintbrush and dries relatively fast. Anything and everything wood gets a coat - furniture, accessories, whatever. Unless I'm staining wood, then I don't.

This is an older picture, maybe 5 yrs ago - and I'm still using the same can. (sealed tight and shaken often)

 

 

DSC07280.JPG

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Oh good tip! I kinked a lid on my favorite stain color and didn't notice, but luckily used it in time to catch it and I used aluminum foil with a rubber band around the outside of it LOL. Never thought to use clear wrap underneath the lid.

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45 minutes ago, havanaholly said:

Bobie, a trick I learned from KathieB; I put a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper across the top of the can before hammering the lid back on.

Actually, I use 2 pieces of a plastic grocery bag. It is sturdy and thin, so the lid snaps into place easy peasy. Using two pieces assures that the lid won't be stuck to the can. The top layer keeps the lid clean. The bottom layer may stick to the paint on the edge of the can, but if it rips in removal can easily b replaced. :) 

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8 hours ago, Island-Shack said:

I use a coat of polyurethane on all the wood before I paint it or cover it. Even the smallest of pieces, like trim etc. It's thin and goes on easy with a paintbrush and dries relatively fast. Anything and everything wood gets a coat - furniture, accessories, whatever. Unless I'm staining wood, then I don't.

This is an older picture, maybe 5 yrs ago - and I'm still using the same can. (sealed tight and shaken often)

 

 

DSC07280.JPG

I recognize those pieces of wood! :)

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11 hours ago, havanaholly said:

I thought of you, Bill, when I saw Bobie's picture!

Why thank you Holly! I will really be happy when I can post photo's of the finished project! 

 

1 hour ago, Island-Shack said:

I figured you would! Ha. Very excited to see your finished trailer, it looks amazing so far.

Thank you Bobie! I was looking at your gallery photos of your awesome trailer just today! I was telling myself " look.....this is what one of these looks like FINISHED:)

I've really learned a lot doing the trailer but sometimes I wish it was finished. Does that make me a bad person?:dunno: 

:)

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