 | John Niedens is part owner and one of the systems operators of Texturite, LLC. John has no problem expressing who he believes his favorite teacher to be. It is Marvin, his father. John began at the very young age of 14 in the construction and remodeling business as a framer, pursuing a maintenance and remodeling business of his own when he started high school at Kapaun Mount Carmel. John has had experience in everything from kitchen design to all facets of construction and remodeling. Since his tenure with Texturite, John has created Sahara, Texturite's most popular wall finish. Incorporating neutral colors with texture and sand, Sahara can hide old wallpaper, and turn it into an eye-popping work of art. To find out more about Sahara and all of the Texturite processes, visit www.texturite.com. To contact John, call (316) 210-7800. |
Home Improvement
2006-12-01 15:48:00
Faux stone, painting? Which is better?
Other than giving a different look, why is Faux stone mixed with Tuscany finishes better than painting the interior walls and ceilings of my home?
ANSWER: Actually, either finish will provide the same amount of protection. It's really all about the aesthetics. Here is the case for Faux Stone mixed with Tuscany finishes. Next month, we can talk about the case for painting.
Decorative painting and Faux finishes have advanced during recent years. They have definitely moved past what is remembered as Faux sponging and ragging methods. There is a unique and new dimension for creativity and realism which has emerged that can challenge many of the Old World looks and techniques, as well as to create new plans for interior spaces. It’s not a look for everyone or every situation, but it is a look to consider not only for walls, but also for cabinets, fixtures, ceilings, doors, columns, windows, molding treatments, and even floors. There is a broad scope of finishing designs, ranging from the look of antique to modern. A Faux finish applied to a room's walls can add interest and distinction compared to just painting. The faint display of color balance produces an unparalleled visual element to a room. The idea is no longer just to choose between a small number of finishes, but rather to create a custom look that will boost the final impact of the room, a feel that homeowners and designers try to obtain.
The basic technique is called glazing. Faux finishing in its simplest form takes a medium, usually a pigmented glaze, and applies it to a painted surface. Then that medium is manipulated to give it movement and color differential. The varying translucent thickness of the glaze, applied over a solid color, gives the color balance shift. Application types are never-ending. The important aspect is to achieve the desired amount of movement. It can be loud or soft, bold or subdued.
Taking the basic glazing concept of a Faux finish one step further, you can take the colors that will work well in the room and overlap them. This will show color shifts throughout the room. These colors can be applied at the same time to the areas where the different pigments meet. Layering adds a toning layer over an existing glaze or Faux finish, and that shifts it in a certain direction. In this regard, you might want to apply a thin layer of white glaze at the end to give the finish an Old World chalky look.
The final look for discussion today is called the embedded finish. Glazes, while still wet, can be made to react with different chemicals and mediums. This reaction creates organic patterns that are different thicknesses and that dry at different rates. This gives the Faux painting visual depth. Depending on the chemical medium used, areas of glaze can embed themselves into the bottom layer of paint. This uneven organic quality gives a wonderful Old World look and feel while still keeping the flat to the touch surface. This is ideal for those who want the look of texture but without the work when wanting another change. There is the old technique of applying paint over fresh plaster walls as the wet walls absorb the paint unevenly and give it an organic embedded pattern. This gives a great Faux Old World look to both large and small rooms. This also is excellent as a base in setting up movement under other layers of glaze, a creative tool which adds drama to any finish. Additional information can be found in the next issue.
