1960's to now : our renovation

[croakey]

So just over a year since I started this process (from initial viewing) I've now begun to get some completed rooms... Unsure if anyone cares but as I said I wanted to keep a record for myself.

Kitchen has been finished a couple of weeks now....


















And some others...





One down... Loads left to do (albeit some are 99.9% done already)

[Neilsfirst]

Is it a light you are seeing at the end of the renovation tunnel? Good work.

[Welshbeef]

You've achieved a great result looks great.

Your Mrs should be very proud of you - not sure many could have the determination diligence and skill to do the same.

[croakey]

Thanks for your compliments.

It's a mixed bag of emotions, YES there is a light at the end of the tunnel,and NO because having a couple of finished rooms highlights quite how much the other rooms need!

One of the cats summarises my level of energy today

[Welshbeef]

Given these are finished why not relax and restart in early Sept so you can enjoy the long Summer weekends and evenings?

[croakey]

.... Our first baby is due 01/11.

Countdown is on!

Fortunately a lot of the work left is grunt work (stripping wallpaper) ready for the plasterer.

Have called in my wife's uncle whose a retired painter decorator on serious mates rates to sort the redecoration.

[Welshbeef]

croakey said:

.... Our first baby is due 01/11.

Countdown is on!

Fortunately a lot of the work left is grunt work (stripping wallpaper) ready for the plasterer.

Have called in my wife's uncle whose a retired painter decorator on serious mates rates to sort the redecoration.

Ok I get it now right timetable - oh well good luck but key is don't worry if it's not finished your done a heroic effort so far which I'm sure has got your brownie points big time.

[Craikeybaby]

Don't worry if it isn't finished! Our son arrived this week, but we'd been so focussed on finishing the DIY (target missed) we hadn't got a lot of his stuff ready.

Kitchen looks great though, well done!

[croakey]

Another finished room (well excluding a blind I need to put up!)

Bathroom!

[AndrewEH1]

That bathroom looks excellent! Top job!

[Welshbeef]

Top work - and id say that door totally finishes it off ditto kitchen.
Too many people ignore doors and door handles and hinges they make a massive difference

[croakey]

Parents been down today so Dad has helped strip the landing and hallway.





I HATE stripping wallpaper and heights.... So stripping paper in a hallway with over the stairs a 30ft ceiling.

Glad the old man was here to help!

[croakey]

The wife wants a woodland nursery for incoming baby...

Can't get much more woodland than:



I'm assured these are an absolute sod to install, luckily I've got my painter and decorator relative lined up!

Also finally looking at carpet...



Ive decided if ever hate someone enough I'll woodchip their house and let them strip it before doing it again. Awful Awful stuff



But the war is being won slowly and surely

[Peanut Gallery]

Just wondering if you are steaming the delightful woodchip before you are attacking it? - looks dry to me! - Failing a steamer, I have had success with spraying it with loads of either water or wallpaper remover stuff.

Congrats on all you have done!

[matty g]

2 ways to get wood chip off.

1:
Leave a steamer in the room hung on a wall so it fills the room with steam looking like a sauna. The stuff almost falls off then. BUT you run the risk of blowing the plaster underneath. Small risk but a risk nonetheless


2: Hammer and bolster and reboard and plaster.

My last 2 houses have had the 2nd treatment.

[Sowler]

Get yourself a spiked roller for the wallpaper stripping. I found scoring never that good in comparison.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-245130-Wallpap...

It helps the steam get right underneath the wallpaper to the paste. Just give the wall a good going over with the roller with enough pressure and steam away. I promise you it will make your life easier. I had a whole house to do and find it sooo much easier with one!

[croakey]

Best way with this having tried all of the above is to use bladed scraper on dry walls to remove the top coat of paper, and then a mix of water and fabric softener onto the remains of the backing portion before blading them off.

Comes off surprisingly well.

However it appears all of our walls have some kind of plaster sealer rubbery paint on them, this seems to have stopped the paper bonding to the actual gypsum

[Craikeybaby]

croakey said:

Best way with this having tried all of the above is to use bladed scraper on dry walls to remove the top coat of paper, and then a mix of water and fabric softener onto the remains of the backing portion before blading them off.

Comes off surprisingly well.

However it appears all of our walls have some kind of plaster sealer rubbery paint on them, this seems to have stopped the paper bonding to the actual gypsum

I also found that scraping the top layer off dry worked better, although it was a shame I only discovered this on the last room. It is harder work, but I found long handled scraper to be better as you could really get your weight behind it. Not having to deal with the hot sticky gloop and drips of boiling water more than made up for it.

[croakey]

This is what I've been using...

http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-long-handled...

[Craikeybaby]

That's the one, I wish I'd bought mine earlier in the process!