Frequently Asked Questions

General

 

What is ITALEDEKOR made of?

The primary material of ITALEDEKOR is made of the small leather pieces falling down in during the tailoring of natural, tanned leather (i.e. shoe-manufacturing, finishing). In the course of production also other natural materials (textile, cotton etc.) are added to improve the characteristics of the primary material. The CMC-based, high-quality glue is also an environment-friendly product.

 

How long is the shelf-life of ITALEDEKOR?

The quality of regularly stored ITALEDEKOR in intact packaging does not deteriorate even over several years. However the guarantee of the glue supplied with the product is only 2 years, thus the material can be applied with the original glue only for two years as of the date of manufacture. With new glue even older materials can be applied.

 

Does the surface peel off like many other liquid wallpapers?

Surfaces coated with ITALEDEKOR are strong and are not peeling off. In case of intensively exposed surfaces (i.e. floor wall etc.) this stability can further be improved by increasing the glue quantity by 10–15%.

 

How long is the life of ITALEDEKOR on the wall?

Normally we say that if ITALEDEKOR is faultlessly adhering to the wall 10 days after being applied, then it will stay there even for an unlimited time. There are even 14–15 years old, faultless surfaces.

We say 10 days because eventual wall preparation and application mistakes appear before the drying process is over.

It is important to note regarding the complaints received in the past that it was found that in all cases either the wall surface was not properly prepared or no deep primer or water-sealing paint was applied, or the quantity applied was not sufficient, thus in all cases, technological shortcomings have caused problems.

 

How can the surface be cleaned?

As the material consists of natural components only, surfaces coated with ITALEDEKOR do not attract dust. Should the surface become dusty anyway, please vacuum-clean it with brush.

In case of damage or spots, it is of course possible to repair the surface with “patches”, as this method is normally used in case of liquid wallpapers.

Cleaning with liquids and by scrubbing can result in the peeling off of the surface.

 

What to do, if the surface coated with ITALEDEKOR has to be renewed over time?

If the surface coated with ITALEDEKOR requires repair, there are three options to choose:

The surface can be sprayed with water or wallpaper solvent and peel the material off the wall, like a traditional wallpaper.

A new, thin layer of ITALEDEKOR can be sprayed on the surface to be renewed.

The surface coated with ITALEDEKOR can be painted with brush, rolling or even spraying, applying two layers of paint (this can be theoretically any kind of wall paint). In this way we can have a new surface, preserving the favorable properties and structure of ITALEDEKOR.

 

What about the humidity-resistance of the material?

Surfaces coated with ITALEDEKOR should not be exposed to direct, continuous humidity. However it resists vapor, therefore it can be applied above tiled surfaces of kitchens, bathrooms, washing kitchens.

 

What about the thermal insulation properties?

The thermal insulation properties of surfaces coated with ITALEDEKOR are extremely good. The thermal conductivity factor of the material is: λ = 0,085 W/mK

 

What about the sound absorbing properties?

The sound absorbing properties of ITALEDEKOR are good, in the high sound ranges in particular.

 

What does it mean that the material has got good dilatation properties?

ITALEDEKOR, due to its excellent material structure, covers hair-cracks on the wall, therefore these cracks cannot be seen on its surface.

 

What about the fire resistance of the material?

On the basis of tests ITALEDEKOR was qualified as “hardly inflammable”.

Surface preparation

 

Generally which types of surfaces can ITALEDEKOR be applied on?

The wall has to be prepared for the application of ITALEDEKOR in the quality required for wallpapers. However it is not necessary to have “mirror-like” surfaces, minor surface mistakes are well covered by the material.

Nevertheless special attention shall be paid to the soundness of the surface. A wall-fixing deep primer is always important. If the poor stability of the surfaces requires, even several layers of the wall-fixing deep primer shall be applied.

 

How „smooth” shall be surface underneath be?

The base surface under ITALEDEKOR needs not be absolutely smooth, therefore spreading two times is not important. Sharp breaks, deep gaps, rough surface “bumpiness” have to be eliminated, because the material, when drying, follows such uneven points and this can show up on the finished surface.

 

Is it possible to apply it on a surface coated with wallpaper?

No. ITALEDEKOR like any other wallpaper, should not be applied on a previous layer of wallpaper, as the original wallpaper might result in the detachment of the whole surface from the wall.

 

What are the typical mistakes of wall preparation?

Special attention should be paid to the verification of the soundness of the base surface. It is recommended to always use deep primer. On old surfaces of uncertain quality it is specially recommended to apply several layers of deep primer and if necessary, one should make sure about the necessary stability by means of a sample spot.

 

Is it possible to apply it to wood or metal surfaces?

The adhering capacity of ITALEDEKOR is extremely good, and is easy to apply to both materials. Metal surfaces should be protected against corrosion. In case of wood surface proper fixing is a must, as poorly fixed wood can be deformed during the drying process or later the large-scale movement of the wood (i.e. in case of thin base-board) the material layer might tear.

The material is mixed

 

How strictly shall the mixing ratios specified in the instructions for use be followed?

When mixing ITALEDEKOR slight deviations from the instructions for use can be tolerated, however this is recommended only, if you already have some previous experience.

 

How much material shall be mixed at once?

The packaging of ITALEDEKOR allows the easy handling of the quantity of one box at once. If a large surface is being coated, it is reasonable to mix each ITALEDEKOR box separately and then blend them thoroughly all together.

 

Is a color deviation possible between the boxes?

As ITALEDEKOR is made of natural materials, some slight color deviation is possible between the individual boxes, therefore the material to be applied to coherent surfaces shall always be mixed in one batch, in order to avid spots.

Coloring

 

Is it possible to use a different dye for coloring?

The manufacturer supplies a very high quality leather dye for the coloring of ITALEDEKOR, however also powder and liquid dies being normally used in the dye industry can be used. However the manufacturer of ITALEDEKOR offers guarantee only for the dies purchased from him.

 

Can shades different from those in the catalog be produced?

ITALEDEKOR can easily be color with various dyes. The colors indicated in the brochure can be guaranteed only by using the dye supplied by us, however the craftsmen working with ITALEDEKOR as the say, use the most various kinds of dies in the course of their work.

 

How can a white surface be produced?

The lightest base material of ITALEDEKOR is not completely white. In case we want to have a completely white surface, the surface has to be overpainted. For this ITALEDEKOR must be completely dry and then it is easy to overpaint it with a white wall paint.

Application

 

What kind of instruments can be used for the application?

In the course of mixing, storing, applying ITALEDEKOR only stainless steel or preferably plastic applicators should be used.

 

How dirty is the material, how much stains the material in the course of the works?

Base and prime color ITALEDEKOR materials leave stains neither during mixing, nor during application. When blending the colored version the dye can color the surrounding surrounding area. However the mixed material does not leave stains any more.

 

How and how long can the material left be stored?

It is reasonable to mix only as much ITALEDEKOR at once as to use it up within one or two days. If the work drags on, the material can still be stored in a cool place for three-four days. However in the course of the storage the strength of the glue will be impaired.

 

What to look for during the spraying?

When spraying surfaces that are not to be coated have to be covered. Covering shall be stable and the adhesive tape should be continuous. If the spray gun blows under the covering, then the adhesive tape might detach and it is very difficult to glue it back because of the humidity and the wallpaper glue.

ITALEDEKOR being on the tape and the film, from time to time, has to be removed by hand and this material can again be applied by spraying. This is important to save material and also because the high quantity of the material is heavy and might pull down the tape and the film.

On spots, where it is difficult to glue, but covering is necessary, one should normally hold a paper or plastic sheet. The material collected on the same can also be re-used.

The adhesive tape has to be removed after the application of the last layer, when the material is still wet. (After drying one might even tear off the finished surface) Carefully detach the tape, every 30–50 cm, by carefully putting back the material at the edge of the tape by using the edge of a finishing-tool. In that stage eventual damage can still easily be repaired by hand or by the finishing-tool. Please do not hurry with this activity, attention should be paid to this work in order to get quality.

In the course of spraying attention should be paid to spraying the material to the surface from various directions, by continuously moving the spraying gun or this effect can be achieved also by spraying the individual layers from different directions.

 

How thick should the layer of ITALEDEKOR be?

It is a rule of the thumb that after application no “holes” should be left, there should be no discontinuity of the surface. In case no special insulation is required, the thinnest, still coherent surface has to be prepared. The coverage data (3,2 m²/kg) specified by the manufacturer is also related to this thickness.

 

Does the wall surface influence the coverage?

In case of sprayed coat the wall surface does not significantly influence the coverage, however in case of trowelled and rolled surfaces the quantity of the material required might be much higher if the surface is not even.

 

How fine should the trowelled, rolled surface of ITALEDEKOR be?

In case of trowelling, rolling an absolutely smooth surface is not a must, as slight traces of trowelling disappear after drying.

 

How to make a “spattered” surface?

On a sprayed or trowelled ITALEDEKOR base surface one or more colors of ITALEDEKOR should be “scattered”, but without covering the total surface, just as a kind of “fog”. The number of colors is identical with the number of layers.

 

How can the peeling off of the edge of the coated surface be prevented?

One of the possible aesthetic problems of trowelled liquid wallpapers is that sometimes their edge peels off or detaches from the door/window frame, stucco.

If proper care was used in the course of the application, lateral shrinking (causing the wallpaper to peel off) during the drying process is not typical of ITALEDEKOR. Therefore please make sure that there shall be no stress left in the wet material after application. You can achieve this by paying special attention to the finishing of the edges of the material in the course of the application, by spreading the material by means of the trowel into various directions, in order to eliminate any stress in the material. This can be repeated at the end of the day once more again.

If the coating applied ends behind an object that cannot be moved (heater, fixtures, etc.) it is reasonable to smooth the edge of the material by hand in order to eliminate stress and prevent eventual crinkling up in the future.

 

How to make “cloudy” surfaces?

By spraying on a primed surface, without creating a coherent surface, decorative surfaces can be effected with ITALEDEKOR. In such cases ITALEDEKOR serves as a decoration only.

 

How to make a „marble” surface?

With ITALEDEKOR, by trowelling, also surfaces with marble effect can be created. For this blend each of the selected materials separately (two or more colors) and then, in the course of the trowelling, dosing the material in the desired quantities the distinct or interfluent mix has to be applied to the wall. The color compositions and the patterns can be repaired or changed in the course of the work as long as the coating is wet. With some sense for colors and practice very special surfaces can be effected.

 

How to save material?

If, during the preparation of the wall, one picks a color for the primer being close to the color of the wallpaper to be applied, possible smaller holes and discontinuities melt into the environment and will be less obvious.

 

What are the characteristics of the application error?

  • Trowelling, rolling:

    During application, the surface is stained?

    Mistake: the material was not blended properly.
    Remedy: put the material back and properly blend it once more again.

     

    The material is “sliding” on the wall and does not adhere to the surface?

    Mistake: Either the material is too wet or the angle of the trowel position is not flat enough.
    Remedy: please make some trowelling tests, it the material is too much sliding, add more dry material. (Before being familiar with ITALEDEKOR, it is reasonable not to blend the total powder quantity at once. In particular please do not dilute the total quantity. Please keep also some blended material being more dry, so that over-diluted material can be thickened.)

     

    The coating is too thick, it is not possible to finish it properly?

    Mistake: the material is dry.
    Remedy: take the material off the wall, blend with the other material, and add small quantities of water to it, as long as proper hardnes is achieved.
  • Spraying:

    From certain angles holes are visible in the surface?

    Mistake: This problem happens mainly on ceilings, because the material has been sprayed from one direction only and if one looks at the surface from a different direction, the holes being left are visible.
    Remedy: apply material to the surface with holes by spraying from the direction, from where the holes are visible. All this can be avoided if the spraying of the first layer is started as early as before the coating of the adjacent wall, and therefore it is easy to work close to the wall, moving the spray gun into various directions.

     

    There are „craters” in the surface, the material distribution is not uniform?

    Mistake: the gun is held to close to the surface or the air stream is too strong.
    Remedy: please hold the gun further away, or decrease the pressure on the compressor (a pressure of 3–3,5 bar is good).

     

    No material is coming out of the gun?

    Mistake: the material is dry, or is not blended properly (knots) or the air pressure is too low.
    Remedy: remove the material from inside the gun, if it is lumpy, blend it properly and add water, if dry. If necessary, adjust the air pressure on the compressor.

Drying

 

How much does the color of the material change after drying?

The wall surface coated with ITALEDEKOR becomes more (in case of dark colors) or less (in case of lighter colors) light after drying, if the base colors and dies supplied by the manufacturer are used. If different dies are used, it is reasonable to test it on a small sample surface first.

 

What can be used for the re-painting of surfaces coated with ITALEDEKOR?

ITALEDEKOR can easily be re-painted with any type of solvent-based or water-based paint. The surface can be re-painted by means of brush, roller or spray gun.

 

Is it possible to speed up the drying process?

AThe drying process of the material is facilitated by corresponding ventilation, temperature and humidity. If necessary, these factors can be substituted, facilitated or reduced, in order to speed up the drying process. However, when scheduling the work stages, please consider that the high amount of water applied needs a longer time to evaporate than in case of normal wall painting.