Wallpapered Walls and Flat Screen TV’s – Which do you install first?

Wallpapered Walls and Flat Screen TV’s – Which do you install first?

by | Oct 16, 2021 | renovations, Wallpaper installation

Many people like to have wallpaper installed on the same wall as their TV is mounted, which is a great look for your Toronto home. But this begs the question, should you have the wallpaper installed first, or the TV mounted to the wall first?

To answer this question we have guest blogger Gordon Cameron from TEC.works taking us through the process of installing a TV wall mount on a wall that will be wallpapered. We don’t want any extra holes put in our wallpapered wall for fishing wires, so here is Gordon’s fool-proof method for ensuring a properly positioned TV that keeps all wallpaper intact:

Getting exactly the right position for a flat panel TV installation requires some planning up front.
  • Is the screen the right viewing height from your favourite chair?
  • How many other people join you for movie night, and where will they be sitting?
  • What about a sound bar? Sound bars typically work best mounted below the screen, but this could push the screen height up if there is a mantle. Speaking of sound, have you sorted the EARC (https://www.hdmi.org/spec21Sub/EnhancedAudioReturnChannel)? If you want good quality audio and depth, EARC is vital.
  • How are all the wires for the HDMI inputs, power and possibly an optical cable run from AV components to the TV? How will they be concealed? Do you need to buy some heatshrink sleeving for the cables?
You can get answers to some of these questions with a measuring tape, or even a masking tape outline on the wall. But there is no substitute for actually lifting the TV into the approximate position to get a feel for how it will fit with the room. Each of these tape outlines or temporary lifts is an opportunity to scuff up a beautiful wallpaper job. Here is what I’d recommend to get the TV installed where you want it, without damaging the wallpaper:
  1. Determine the desired location for the TV, and then decide what sort of wall mount makes most sense. TV wall mounts can be mounted flat against the wall, tilt out a few degrees from the top, or even swivel and tilt. It all depends on your room and seating.
  2. Mark the studs, install the desired wall mount and then hang the TV
  3. Run all the cabling. Often there are several HDMI cables, power and possibly optical cables, and they all need to be concealed.
  4. Once you are satisfied with the installation, remove the cabling and the TV
  5. Loosen bolts or screws and lags and remove the wall mount
  6. Have CAM Painters work their magic with the wallpaper installation
  7. Install wall mount again into existing holes or lags
  8. Install and level the TV
  9. Rerun and conceal all the cabling
  10. Order pizza and enjoy the movie!

Thanks Gordon for the great advice! Here’s a little information about TEC.works:

At TEC.works, we help solve technology headaches for consumers and small businesses. That might mean reviewing consumer bills for cell phones, Internet, TV packages, or home phones and finding less expensive options that are a better fit for your needs. It might mean installing a home theatre system, or a presentation screen in a retail outlet. It might mean troubleshooting WiFi signal strength in a dead spot at your home or business. We’ll find the right technology products or services for you, and then manage them professionally. Because you’ve got better things to do with your time.

READ MORE: Choosing wallpaper for your Toronto home

So if you’re planning on having a TV and wallpaper on the same wall, why don’t you book a quote? With both us and TEC.works it will be a seamless process! Transform your home with lasting beauty!

Best Toronto condo painting experience

Best Toronto condo painting experience

by | Oct 14, 2021 | Condo Painting, Interior Painting, painting experience

Painting a condo is a specialized task, which requires a different approach than painting other structures. Here’s some reasons why CAM Painters offers the best condo painting experience in Toronto!

We offer remote estimates

Many of our clients hire us to paint their condo before they move in. This can present some challenges for an in-person estimate, given that an estimate is required before our client’s have possession of the property.

We are happy to do a physical inspection during a real estate visit, but sometimes that’s not possible.

Fear not! We offer remote estimates! Send us pictures of the condo along with a floor plan and we can provide an estimate based on these. Another option is when visiting the condo, let’s do a video chat walkthrough of the space and we can provide an estimate based on that.

We only need one trip up the elevator

We understand what a hassle it is to book a service elevator for multiple trips up and down with tools and other equipment!

We address these issues with a modular stackable tool kit that allows us to get all we need up to your suite in one trip. Since we’re up in one trip, we find most of our clients don’t even have to book an elevator (check with your management office as rules vary between condos).

We work efficiently
In most condos, space is at a premium. Therefore, we work methodically from room to room, so that furniture can be moved out and then put back in that particular space after we’re done. This minimizes disruptions for our clients and keeps a clean and neat work environment.

In summary

We offer remote estimates, we only need one trip up the elevator and we work efficiently. Why not let CAM Painters transform your condo with lasting beauty?

Do I need to Prime my Toronto Home?

Do I need to Prime my Toronto Home?

by | Sep 30, 2021 | General posts, painting experience

There has been a lot of talk about paint and primer in one products.  Are these all they’re cracked up to be? Are they much different than regular paint?

Whenever I mention the need to prime before painting, many times I hear from my clients “what about the paint that has the primer built-in, why don’t you just use that?”

paint and primer in one, Renovating, Toronto great painting experience

Is paint and primer in one any different than normal paint?

In a word, “no”, it’s no different than a good quality paint.  A good quality paint is self-priming in all the situations that a “paint and primer in one” product is.

If the surface is previously painted a primer is not necessary in most cases.  If the surface is glossy, a light sanding will allow the new paint to adhere properly, no primer needed.

When do I need a primer?

When there is a major colour change

Paint will get better coverage over a primer, than over a paint.  Therefore, if you’re going from a light to dark colour a grey primer is recommended.  If you’re going from a dark colour to a light colour a white primer is recommended. The primer makes the surface porous, so that when the finish coat goes over the top the coverage is better than if it was going over a paint (which is generally less porous).

Paint and primer in one, does not give any advantages in terms of coverage over that of a good quality paint.

When painting over unpainted surfaces

There are primers designed to adhere to certain surfaces.  The sole purpose of these products is to adhere to the surface, they don’t have any protective elements in them, that’s the job of the finish coat.

Paint is designed to sit up on the surface and protect it.  So when you have a system of a primer, followed by a paint, you have both adhesion to the surface along with protection of the surface.

paint and primer in one, door painting, toronto house painter

When sealing out stains

Water stains, nicotine stains and wood knots/tannin bleed can come through the finish coat.  What does that mean? You’ll paint the area and then as it dries, you’ll see the stain reappear–Not Good!

What that means is that you’ve got to use a specific stain-sealing primer.  Generally these are oil-based or shellac-based, which can seal more stains than a latex-based product can.

In conclusion

As we can see, there’s not a great deal of difference between the performance of a high quality paint and a “paint and primer in one” product.  There are many instances when a primer is necessary even when using a “paint and primer in one” product. Therefore, when your painting contractor recommends a primer they are not trying to upsell you, they just want to give you the best end result.  The best end result is a job that looks great and can stand the test of time.

paint and primer in one, toronto house painter, interior painting

So if you want a painter that will give you a great looking and durable paint job, while giving you a great painting experience along the way, why don’t you book a quote?  We’d be happy to Transform Your Home With Lasting Beauty!

Toronto Wallpaper Installation Project: 2 Storey Fireplace

Toronto Wallpaper Installation Project: 2 Storey Fireplace

by | Sep 15, 2021 | Wallpaper installation

Recently we transformed the fireplace in a loft in the west end of Toronto with wallpaper. This wasn’t a typical installation and it required more problem solving than a normal wallpaper installation. Let’s go through how we did it:

Material requirements

First, we had to make sure that we had wallpaper quantities properly calculated. The ceilings were 18′ high and it was a 15′ drop from ceiling to the top of the fireplace. Usually a double roll will do 3 to 4 drops (the distance from ceiling to top of baseboard), but in this case we were only able to get 2 drops out of each double roll. So, due to the longer drops we required more rolls of the wallpaper than a similar area with smaller drops.

READ MORE: How many rolls of wallpaper should I order for my wallpaper project?
toronto wallpaper installation, 2 storey fireplace

Access issues

The most obvious issue that had to be dealt with was accessing the two storey wall. If the fireplace wall was being painted we could just put up an extension to brush the top edge in and then roll everything else using a roller on an extension pole.

Extension ladders are problematic with wallpaper installations because it has to be set up to one side in order to avoid the path of the strip of wallpaper. This means that the installer has to lean far to one side in order to install a strip of wallpaper, an awkward position to say the least. However, if the painter or installer was to look into a website such as platformsandladders.com for other solutions to reach inaccessible places, they might find various mobile platforms that could be set up in such a way that could make the installation of the wallpaper, to be a much safer and easier process.

Step ladders are generally used on most wallpaper installations, which is fine on ceilings up to around 12′. This particular installation would have required a 16′ step ladder, which wasn’t practical to get through condo hallways.

Scaffolding was the best solution. The scaffold frames were 5’x5′, which meant that they could be easily maneuvered through the hallways, and we could have brought them on a service elevator if we needed to. Scaffolding, similar to that from Tiger Scaffolds, can help in many different ways during construction and is a must on any site or building structure. It keeps workers safe while enabling them to reach the highest points of a building. It can be used over and over again and can withstand all weather conditions. Not to mention, you can get scaffold security systems to protect people and buildings from accidents. If construction crews are looking for scaffolding services in Sheffield or any other area, they will need to do their research first to make sure they are getting good quality equipment.

3 levels of scaffolding were used, so the scaffolding height came to about 16′ when it was fully assembled. This is where our employees really found the best benefit of their scaffold tool belt.

Wallpaper Installation

Once we had the access issue taken care of, the installation was fairly straightforward. Each strip was hung by two installers, the first on the top platform and the 2nd on the middle platform. Once the top portion was put in place the top platform installer would descend the floor to complete installation of the strip.

READ MORE: 5 Interesting Wallpaper Ideas for your Toronto Home

In conclusion

Through proper planning we were able to take a complex install and turn it into a regular day at work. If you’d like CAM Painters to tackle your complex wallpaper installation why don’t you book a quote? We’d love to Transform Your Home With Lasting Beauty!

Want to install a wallpaper mural in your Toronto home?

Want to install a wallpaper mural in your Toronto home?

by | Aug 27, 2021 | Uncategorized, Wallpaper installation

mural installation, toronto wallpaper installation

Marble slab wallpaper in an office

One of the things we’ve been doing more of the last few years is mural installation. Murals are a specialty subset of wallpaper and were traditionally very hard to source. They don’t just come in the form of wallpaper though. Some artists offer custom murals LA which are painted directly onto the wall, to show a beautiful image or text. Wallpaper is an easy option, but if you’re interested in getting a traditional route, contact an artist. Traditional paint stores with their books of wallpaper, just weren’t able to offer them. Now, however, with the popularity of online shopping, many websites specialize in offering wallpaper murals. In fact, some printers will make a custom mural from any digital image you can supply them!

What’s the difference between traditional wallpaper and a wallpaper mural?

mural installation, toronto wallpaper installation

Traditional wallpaper

The main difference is that wallpaper is a repetitive pattern, whereas a mural can be anything at all. Some popular murals can be city skylines, world maps, even a picture of a marble slab.

How to select a wallpaper mural

You want to make sure that the size of the mural will fit the size of your wall. If it’s too big for the wall you might lose some of the picture as it’s trimmed to size. If the mural is too small then it won’t fill the entire wall.

mural installation, toronto wallpaper installation

World map mural in a nursery

Therefore, you want to purchase a mural that’s bigger than the wall it’s going on. A good rule of thumb is to have at least a couple of inches of waste, but not more than a foot. Therefore, if your wall is 8’h x 10’w you’ll want something that’s in the range of 8’2″ to 9′ high by 10’2″ to 11″ wide.

Is there a different installation process?

Since there is no repetitive pattern to a mural, the picture is divided into numbered panels. The actual installation process is no different than normal wallpaper, in most cases it uses the same paste and the same techniques. However, there’s no room for error, because if a panel is ruined, there’s nothing to fix it with. Therefore, when it comes to the installation you want to select an experienced wallpaper installer, rather than a novice.

mural installation, toronto wallpaper installation

Clouds in a powder room

READ MORE: What are the 3 most important questions to ask your Toronto wallpaper installer?

In conclusion

CAM Painters has taken on many mural installations and has the expertise to ensure your installation is done to the highest standards. Why don’t you book a quote? We’d love to Transform Your Home With Lasting Beauty!