A new house

 Yesterday we collected the keys for a new house – not for us, but for someone who is moving to be closer to us. The house is a mid terrace, with two bedrooms – and we have three weeks to redecorate, sort the electrics, fit a stair lift, replace some carpets – and a few other things.

First thing this morning, I went to the house to check on things like where the electric sockets are located (in case we need extras) and see what other little things might need doing (the kitchen door handle has no internal workings, for example). I also contacted the electricity supplier to give them the final reading for the previous owner and start an account so I could get on with the redecorating.

I do like to do decorating properly, which means stripping the old paper off before putting the new on (I wish that was the same with everybody!)

So OH duly went out and hired a steam stripper to remove the current wallpaper. 

I started in one of the bedrooms, but it wasn’t as easy as I had hoped. The top coat is vinyl paint, on blown vinyl paper, so the paper had to be scored and/or pulled off by hand, before the stripper even touched it. Underneath that was a layer that looked like lining paper that had been painted with white gloss paint. At first, that layer didn’t come off with the top paper; if it had stayed that way, the layer could have stayed in place. But then it started to come loose and chunks of it removed itself, especially where it had been papered over the layer beneath that – which was old fashioned pink floral paper. So that’s three layers, two of which were not as easy as they might have been.

Then the internal walls are like partition walls and appear to be made of frames clad in hardboard. Not sure if that is actually the case, but it behaves like hardboard – if you get it damp with the steam stripper, it pulls away in layers, like cardboard.

Thankfully, not all the walls turned out to be that difficult. The front wall and the wall that joins the neighbour are made of sterner stuff. I was a little concerned about the apparent damp in the front wall - but it turns out it is historic and the wall is completely dry. 

Also, where the double glazed windows have been fitted, the piece that attaches to the internal wall has been put in over the top of the wallpaper! I will need to get as much out as I can, then using decorators caulk, stick the strip of plastic to the wall, and not the paper!

I had hoped to get both bedrooms done today, but with all the layers and having to be careful not to damage the ‘hardboard’ part, I only managed to do half of one bedroom. Half a bedroom, a second bedroom and the living room still to go then! We had hired the stripper for the weekend; looks like we are going to have to extend it to the whole week. That will leave only two weeks to get the redecorating finished and all the other little things that need doing. Still, nothing like a challenge to keep you on your toes J