As a Lincrusta Approved installer for Nottinghamshire I thought you might like to read this information from Lincrusta themselves. It explains a little of the history of the product and shows how the level of service and convenience they offer now is so much better than in the past. If you have any questions, I will be happy to help.
Lincrusta develops Restoration Kit to conserve historic examples
Naturally, with a heritage dating back to 1877 and with key benefits such as toughness and durability, there are countless examples of properties containing Lincrusta dating back through the twentieth century, and even into the late nineteenth century.
Every now and again, accidents happen and old examples become damaged (eg. a leaking shower, a burst water pipe or something similar), or a derelict building may be due for renovation or restoration. Whatever the reason, we are often asked if it is possible to purchase an old design to replace a damaged section of a wall, thus avoiding destroying the original Lincrusta feature.
Until now the costs and timings were often prohibitive, requiring the hand engraving of a steel roller with the original design, taking up to 6 months and costing in the region of £25,000.
Lets have a look at the Restoration Kit at work:
Keen to do everything we can to protect our heritage, at Lincrusta we have developed a Lincrusta Restoration Kit – ideal for restoring damaged designs in repeats up to 1 square metre and for wall areas up to 20 square metres.
A silicone mould is first applied to the original wallcovering to make a pattern mould, this does not cause any damage to the original surface.
The silicone mould is applied onto the existing wall area with 3 applications, making a mould approx 4mm to 5mm thick. This is to ensure it has the imprint of the pattern, it then has a a support jacket made over the back of the mould to keep it rigid when casting begins, this has a fibrous matting added between the compound to add strength. The casting material is made from a Plaster-of-Paris type casting compound, this allows the damaged design to be replicated exactly and decorated to match perfectly, whilst being flexible enough to be used on curved as well as flat walls and ceilings.
Here you will see the mould is now ready to receive the casting plaster, supported by the fibreglass jacket beneath. The casting plaster cures very quickly and will require 3 applications to gain some depth to the panel. Once fully cured the whole cast is turned upside down and the edges are trimmed off. This now creates a perfect cast of the original dado panel which can then be applied to the wall.
This process can be repeated numerous times from one mould, therefore whole wall areas can be matched to the original wall covering.
The newly cast panels are fitted to the wall area using a non-slip tile adhesive. The detail from the cast is very accurate and picks out any indescrepencies from the original panel, so its best practice to take the mould from a good quality area of panelling. Once all the panels are installed its best to leave them at least overnight before any redecoration.
FLUXAF ECO STRIPPER FOR LINCRUSTA
Lincrusta will soon be introducing a powerful new eco-friendly water-based paint-stripping agent called FLUXAF; this product is supplied in the UK by Fibre Multipurpose Products Ltd and can be used safely and conveniently on Lincrusta wallcoverings. This product is totally safe for the user and the environment and can strip years of old paint from original wallcoverings, making it an invaluable addition in the restoration and repair process.
Russ actually introduced FLUXAF to the team at Lincrusta, and after carrying out numerous tests, Lincrusta will be introducing it to their range. This is great news for the Specialist Wallcoverings industry, combining traditional and modern environmentally friendly products.
If you are fortunate enough to have Lincrusta already installed in your period property, and would like a quotation to restore or change the decorative finish and appearance, or you are considering installing Lincrusta for the first time, then give Russ at Prime Decoration a call. He’ll be more than happy to advise.
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2 comments
October 10, 2012 at 7:19 am
Hi Russ Nice Write Up Mate Keep The Good Work Up
James
April 13, 2013 at 1:40 pm
Dear Russ, Wondered if you could help identify where we may be able to order a Oak effect Lincrusta to match with original panels from late forties early fifties period. The property which was my parents house has recently been refurbished and decorated but we have had burst water pipe from upstairs which has badly effected the original Lincrusta in the hallway so much so we have had to remove 5 panels of it to allow the plaster underneath to dry out. I understand you specialize in restoration Kits but this pattern is so delicate it would not be an option in this case. May I send you a piece from the original for you to see if you can advise?
Many Thanks
Diane Chadwick