Hello all,
I'm in the process of buying a 1930s semi. As you'd expect, it needs some work. I intend getting a contractor in to do some of the more complicated bits of work such as replacing lead plumbing, updating the electrics etc. However, I'm hoping to save some money by doing some of the more straightforward things myself.
I've been reading the forums, and although I'm a bit of a DIY novice, I'm reasonably confident I can do some basic things. I'm hoping to do the tiling in the bathroom and kitchen myself (new suite and kitchen needed). The house has supaglypta/ana glypta wallpaper on walls and ceilings and my wife wants to remove these. The hall has what the estate agent has called lincrusta on the walls, which looks like wood panelling, but feels like very thick wallpaper. This also seems to have been stuck to the bannister of the stairs etc (we're hoping to keep this, but its worn in patches and I think it'll be impossible to restore).
Anyway, enough babbling! We'd like to keep as many original features as possible, but the wallpaper has to go. I suspect its the original plaster (lath & plaster) beneath, and I fully expect it will need renewing once wallpaper has been removed (both walls and celings), as we want a smooth painted wall. Contractor has said his plasterers don't like skimming over old plaster. Should I therefore take it all off and let them re-plaster the wall? Or, should I take it off and put plasterboard on (dot and dab)? I'd like to keep the original skirting and picture rail if possible, so don't know if this will work? He suggested simply putting new plasterboard on the ceiling over the existing, as removing the ceiling will be very messy.
What would be the best thing to do?
Cheers
Dave
I'm in the process of buying a 1930s semi. As you'd expect, it needs some work. I intend getting a contractor in to do some of the more complicated bits of work such as replacing lead plumbing, updating the electrics etc. However, I'm hoping to save some money by doing some of the more straightforward things myself.
I've been reading the forums, and although I'm a bit of a DIY novice, I'm reasonably confident I can do some basic things. I'm hoping to do the tiling in the bathroom and kitchen myself (new suite and kitchen needed). The house has supaglypta/ana glypta wallpaper on walls and ceilings and my wife wants to remove these. The hall has what the estate agent has called lincrusta on the walls, which looks like wood panelling, but feels like very thick wallpaper. This also seems to have been stuck to the bannister of the stairs etc (we're hoping to keep this, but its worn in patches and I think it'll be impossible to restore).
Anyway, enough babbling! We'd like to keep as many original features as possible, but the wallpaper has to go. I suspect its the original plaster (lath & plaster) beneath, and I fully expect it will need renewing once wallpaper has been removed (both walls and celings), as we want a smooth painted wall. Contractor has said his plasterers don't like skimming over old plaster. Should I therefore take it all off and let them re-plaster the wall? Or, should I take it off and put plasterboard on (dot and dab)? I'd like to keep the original skirting and picture rail if possible, so don't know if this will work? He suggested simply putting new plasterboard on the ceiling over the existing, as removing the ceiling will be very messy.
What would be the best thing to do?
Cheers
Dave
