An old Saligao house has walls that were built to breathe: lime plaster, thick, and liable to damp at the foot when the fields around are wet in the monsoon. Vinyl wallpaper seals a surface, so on these walls it can hold moisture in and push the plaster off. The usual way round it is to test the wall, leave the original lime walls painted, and put paper on a later partition or a rebuilt wall where the backing is cement. The new villas are a different case. Their walls are modern and dry, their rooms large, and a mural or a bold repeat that would crowd a small room has space to be seen. Air-conditioned bedrooms hold paper well.
- Restored houses with lime walls: paper only later partition walls, after testing for damp, and keep loose plaster repaired and painted elsewhere.
- Living rooms of new villas: a large-pattern or mural wallpaper, set out from the top so the repeat falls right at eye level.
- Ground-floor rooms near the fields: stop short of wallpaper where the base of the wall is damp, and use PVC panels there.
Saligao is a village between Porvorim and Calangute, known for the Gothic-style church of Mãe de Deus standing among the fields. It has many well-kept old houses, a strong village community, and restaurants and villas that have come up in recent years.
Saligao houses are classic Goan village homes, often large, with balcões, wooden ceilings and tall windows. Several have been restored, and new villas have been built in a similar style.
The village is inland and green, sheltered from sea wind. Fields around it are wet in the monsoon, so humidity is high for several months.
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.
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.
