Ever since we moved into our house a decade ago,
we have lived with plain, painted walls.
Yes, the colour has changed, but the wall surface remained plain
But thanks to these two brothers,
Ian(on the ladder) and Synetti Kainja,
all that was about to change.
From plain to brick in a morning…
My original idea was to chip away the plaster
to reveal the bricks underneath.
That idea was rejected for three reasons:
1] Removing plaster is messy and not cost effective
2] I had no idea of the quality of the brickwork…
seeing that the house was built in 1953.
3] From a resale point of view the next owner might not like the effect
So the next best option that would negate all the reasons above,
was wallpaper.
I did not know that people still used the product,
let alone being able to find it in “brick”.
And textured at that!
You can actually feel the “cement” between the “bricks”.
We bought the wallpaper (part of their Fired Earth range)
and glue from Builders Warehouse.
It is all in the preparation.
Ian and Synetti spent the best part of 45 minutes making certain
that all the surfaces were clean and wires etc were out of the way.
The marks on the flooring had nothing to do with their work.
It was from when I removed the carpet from our bedroom several years ago.
I was not able to get rid of all the under-felt.
Synetti making certain that all the patching
I had done met with his approval.
The first piece of paper gets prepared.
And up it goes.
The brothers made it look really easy.
But making certain that the pattern matched
is NOT easy.
Especially if the wall is not 100% square.
Ian seemed to do most of the actual hanging.
He, together with his brother, made certain
that every “brick” was aligned.
Not an easy task.
Synetti making certain that the socket outlet covering was removed
so that the paper went behind it.
About 75% complete.
Concentration…
At this stage there was only one more full length to hang
Some consultation on alignment.
After this piece went up,
the last place to paper was above the door.
Almost done…
Final quality check.
The guys started hanging at 09h49 and finished at 15h30.
They cleaned up before they left
and all I had to do was put the furniture back.
I was really impressed with their work ethic
The final product!
My wife cannot get over the transformation to our room.
She keeps asking me “Am I in the right house!”
If you are looking to transform a room at price
that will not break the bank, then think WALLPAPER.
proud of their work!
Aside from hanging paper,
I have been told that they can also paint, do alterations etc.
We will be trying their painting skills soon,
and a posting will follow.
Highly recommended.
Contact details:
Ian: 073 483 1262
Synetti: 071 842 3277
Facebook: Sai Kainja
Email: synettikainja@yahoo.com
and may not be used without permission
