Show us yer house and house-related meddlings

[Cloo]

I vaguely hoped I'd have pictures today, as decorator's been at the hall while we've been away, but he is just one guy who's not that young so he's got as far as the upper part of the walls (the white bit of them), and the wood undercoating so far. I know he's also done some plastering upstairs (miraculously, in one large room and a huge hallway, we've only had that one section of plaster come away in all the anaglypta paper removal) and probably a shitload of painting and sanding to undercoat all the wood. Basically, been doing to the most time consuming prep and painting stuff. I expect just the wood topcoat and the blue paper underneath the dado rail will be a bit faster.

The main part of walls being white and the wood undercoat is already a massive difference, though!

I actually had anxiety dreams on hols where we came back and it was as we left it or that somehow the decorator had just replaced the upper part with the old paper from the bottom part, so this is much preferable to that at least

One upstairs hall wall is going to have to wait, as we've decided to do a bit of structural repair to a bit we've been aware of since we bought the place, where there is some historical movement in the brickwork. I got the surveyor who looked at it before to check it out and he wasn't too worried, but recommended shoring up with some helibars (basically some spiral steel bars you set into the bricks and cement either side), so now need to find some builders to do that. It'll be more damn money, but our best opportunity to set our mind at rest about it.

 

[mauvais]

we've decided to do a bit of structural repair to a bit we've been aware of since we bought the place, where there is some historical movement in the brickwork. I got the surveyor who looked at it before to check it out and he wasn't too worried, but recommended shoring up with some helibars (basically some spiral steel bars you set into the bricks and cement either side), so now need to find some builders to do that. It'll be more damn money, but our best opportunity to set our mind at rest about it.

Is this distinct from wall ties?

We had no wall ties in our front elevation. Normally the situation is they're present but corroded, but we just didn't have any. Stood for 100 years like that though. I had them fitted, probably a waste of money, but wasn't too bad costs-wise, about £450 for the whole front of the house.

 

[Cloo]

Yeah, IMO it's sandwiched between an awful lot of house in all directions and it's clearly not moved in the 3 years we've been here, as the stuff that had been used to fill them in hadn't cracked at all, and we know our neighbour has the same on his side but decided to just cover it. But my other half would feel happier if it were reinforced. Surveyor said it's quite common where the deeper-foundationed front section of the house meets the shallower back section, which gsv had correctly suggested might be what it related to.

 

[mauvais]

Our work was done entirely from the outside, FWIW. Holes drilled in the outer brick, ties inserted and screwed into the inner brick layer, tightened up and sealed. Not too involved or disruptive, except for brick dust.

Find someone reputable as it feels like the sort of thing that's ripe for mis-selling. I'd recommend someone but they're in the North West.

 

[teuchter]

One upstairs hall wall is going to have to wait, as we've decided to do a bit of structural repair to a bit we've been aware of since we bought the place, where there is some historical movement in the brickwork. I got the surveyor who looked at it before to check it out and he wasn't too worried, but recommended shoring up with some helibars (basically some spiral steel bars you set into the bricks and cement either side), so now need to find some builders to do that. It'll be more damn money, but our best opportunity to set our mind at rest about it.

If there's no evidence that it's currently moving I wouldn't waste money on helibars.

What would they be doing anyway? If the movement is the result of one part of the house sinking slightly relative to the other - they are not going to stop that. They will just make the crack appear somewhere else. But it's unlikely that anything is still moving anyway.

 

[Poi E]

Love all your work, mauvais.

 

[Cloo]

I've found the manufacturers of helibars have an approved fitters scheme, though dunno if that's worth anything or just pay to join like many schemes

 

[teuchter]

Sometimes using someone approved by the product/system manufacturer is worth something because it is what gives you a manufacturer guarantee, which whilst it in itself might not really be worth much, at least gives them some interest in checking up on the quality of the installer's work.
But regardless of how good the installer is, because there is money to be earned they are not going to give you an independent opinion on whether it's actually necessary. Does your surveyor have specific structural qualifications? You really need a structural engineer to give you a report, if you are concerned about it.
Remember these kind of reinforcements can sometimes cause problems when it comes to sell - although that would apply more to restraints that are visible on the outside than something internal which will be covered up.
There's also the possibility that one day an insurer asks if you've ever had to carry out works to rectify structural problems...and that's a can of worms best unopened.

 

[not-bono-ever]

right, have fuck off polished concrete floor idea- £150 m2 and needs done each year apparently. Rubber floor tiles are the way ahead.

we are only now realising how fucking big this project is and how fucking big the additonal space will be

 

[Cloo]

Finally enough prep work done to start putting on the lower wall covering. It's a sonuvabitch to match apparently, but it's looking lovely on the panel he's done. He'll do the big stretch along the one wall tomorrow

 

[equationgirl]

Finally enough prep work done to start putting on the lower wall covering. It's a sonuvabitch to match apparently, but it's looking lovely on the panel he's done. He'll do the big stretch along the one wall tomorrow View attachment 146616

That's fabulous Cloo, really nicely finished.

 

[Cloo]

Yes, this is why it's taken about 6 weeks of prep and everything else to get to this stage, but it's also why this decorator is so good and I suspect it will last really well because it's all been done properly. Just realised it's going to be an utter nightmare to match going up the stairs, but that's what we're paying him for!

 

[kabbes]

Various updates.

First, walls



Then, scaffolding

 

[Cloo]

Lovely house, kabbes

 

[astral]

That's a gorgeous house kabbes

I've redecorated the living room. Somehow ignoring that there are still rooms in my house I've not done once yet, redoing this one became a top priority.

I am very pleased with it though.

 

[twentythreedom]

Nice gaff kabbes, got to be £2m worth


I'll post a pic of the damp in the box room of my terraced house in the part of town the cabbies call 'Beirut' later

Good work there astral, looks fantastic

 

[equationgirl]

astral that's lovely. I love the curved furniture you have.

 

[rubbershoes]

Nice Eames chair

 

[astral]

Nice Eames chair

Faux Eames. I do not have that much cash, much as I'd love one.

Thanks equationgirl, the table is from made.com.

 

[rubbershoes]

Faux Eames. I do not have that much cash, much as I'd love one.

Thanks equationgirl, the table is from made.com.

I doubt I could the difference between real and imitation. So it's an Eames to me.

My mum has one ( not a real one) and I've put dibs on it if she ever gets rid of it

 

[Johnny Doe]

 

[mauvais]

That's a gorgeous house kabbes

I've redecorated the living room. Somehow ignoring that there are still rooms in my house I've not done once yet, redoing this one became a top priority.

I am very pleased with it though.View attachment 148005

Nice! What green is it, do you know?

 

[Cloo]

Ok, still some final coats to go on, and it'll be months before we cover the stairs, but this is the hallway, basically

 

[astral]

Nice! What green is it, do you know?

Sure, it's Valspar Deep Sea Green. Coverage wasn't great sadly, which is unusual for Valspar. That's three coats and being picky I think some areas could use another one. I love the colour though so I'm happy to have had to put in the extra work.

 

[mauvais]

Sure, it's Valspar Deep Sea Green. Coverage wasn't great sadly, which is unusual for Valspar. That's three coats and being picky I think some areas could use another one. I love the colour though so I'm happy to have had to put in the extra work.

It looks lovely. Ours was also Valspar, Emerald Temple, similar idea I think but yours has a bit more blue in it.

 

[teuchter]

I'd have gone for Clardic Fug, or maybe Dorkwood, rather than Emerald Temple.

Sindis Poop also works well.

 

[equationgirl]

Ok, still some final coats to go on, and it'll be months before we cover the stairs, but this is the hallway, basicallyView attachment 148185

That's really brightened up that space, Cloo, it looks very bright and airy, but not cold. Lovely.

 

[equationgirl]

I hung some curtains - I bought them back in December but couldn't find a decent width curtain pole. Quite pleased with them.

 

[maomao]

A work in progress. This is being changed from my wife's junk/hoarding room to a playroom for the kids. It's an odd room, you have to walk through it to get to the other bedroom so they're going to share one room for sleeping and this will be the play room:



I've done wood flooring before but this room has three doors and our main reason for changing the flooring was the ugly expansion gap (that never expanded) round the room on the previous laminate flooring. In order to avoid this I am replacing all the skirting (which was original c.130 years old. It was still held on with square nails) and undercutting all the door frames (the room has three doors!). This has been a lot more difficult than I imagined but quite pleased with the result so far:

 

[Baronage-Phase]

That's a gorgeous house kabbes

I've redecorated the living room. Somehow ignoring that there are still rooms in my house I've not done once yet, redoing this one became a top priority.

I am very pleased with it though.View attachment 148005

I love your style. That furniture is gorgeous !! And the bentwood low coffee table is beautiful.