Old walls and new walls stand side by side in Orlim, and they want opposite treatment. The traditional houses near the church are lime-plastered, and lime must breathe; sealing it under vinyl traps moisture, more so when the flooded fields make monsoon air heavy. In those houses, paper a later partition and leave the original walls in limewash or paint. The bungalows built by families back from abroad have cement-plastered walls that are dry and flat, and there nearly any wallpaper will hold, including textured and imported rolls. Large rooms can carry a large pattern. Any wall that faces the monsoon rain should still be looked at for seepage first.
- Traditional houses by the church: wallpaper on a newer inner partition only, after the plaster has been tested and made good.
- New bungalows: a mural or large-pattern vinyl on the main living-room wall, where the room is big enough to show it.
- Air-conditioned bedrooms: textured paper behind the bed, since a closed, cooled room keeps humidity from the fields away from it.
Orlim is a small village just inland from Varca, on the road towards Chinchinim. It is a farming village of paddy fields and coconut groves, with old family houses around the church and a few new bungalows.
Homes are mostly traditional family houses, some large and well kept, with long verandas and many windows. Newer bungalows have been built by families returning from abroad.
Orlim is sheltered from the sea by Varca, so salt is slight. The fields around it are flooded in the monsoon, which makes the air humid and brings mosquitoes in the evenings.
Inland homes
Dry inland walls are the kindest to wallpaper. Almost any type can be used, including textured and fabric-backed papers. The risk here is a wall that takes the full monsoon rain from outside, which should be checked for seepage before papering.
Old Goan houses
Old walls are lime-plastered and need to breathe. Sealing them under vinyl can trap moisture, so a wall is tested first, and loose or powdery plaster is made good. Often the answer is to paper a later partition wall and leave the old lime walls painted.
