Day four - I think - I have already lost count...
Today was all about locating the stopcock. For the mains water, that is. It appears that previous owners blocked everything that is useful and required to maintain a house in working order under layers of dry lining.
For an hour or so, we could not even find any of the main cold water pipes. So up came the floorboards. With some further detective work, and the help of a plumber who bothered to actually take the boards up, we got lucky third time around.
I have somewhat gotten used to the fact that under the boards we tend to find 100 years of accumulated mud, dust, rubble and so on. Feels a little like our own personal excavation site - we could do with a handful of first year archaeology students to help with the digging.
Seems the pipe is too small and should be upgraded. It is also apparently made of iron. I thought the tea tasted funny.
While my other half was showing around a plumber and a roofer, I kept scraping the wallpaper in the master bedroom off.
I had been to Gibbs & Dandy - great store, very helpful, and they have all the gear. I bought something called a Paper Tiger, which did its job in scouring the wallpaper, prior to wetting it with our garden sprayer.
Also got our face masks to combat any asbestos in the Artex (three rooms and the hallway are yet to be freed of this vice).*
Wallpaper was coming off nicely after a little persistent soaking. At least one thing that seems to be fairly easy / straightforward / cheap. We could do with more of that.
I hope to be up there again tomorrow around 8-ish - I like this wallpaper business.
*Ed. - Anyone tackling Artex removal should not do what we did and just start. Before embarking on the next lot of stripping, we got the textured paint checked for asbestos - luckily it came out clear. If there is asbestos present, then either leave it, get it skimmed with plaster or get the professionals with white suits to get rid of it.
For an hour or so, we could not even find any of the main cold water pipes. So up came the floorboards. With some further detective work, and the help of a plumber who bothered to actually take the boards up, we got lucky third time around.
I have somewhat gotten used to the fact that under the boards we tend to find 100 years of accumulated mud, dust, rubble and so on. Feels a little like our own personal excavation site - we could do with a handful of first year archaeology students to help with the digging.
Seems the pipe is too small and should be upgraded. It is also apparently made of iron. I thought the tea tasted funny.
While my other half was showing around a plumber and a roofer, I kept scraping the wallpaper in the master bedroom off.
I had been to Gibbs & Dandy - great store, very helpful, and they have all the gear. I bought something called a Paper Tiger, which did its job in scouring the wallpaper, prior to wetting it with our garden sprayer.
Also got our face masks to combat any asbestos in the Artex (three rooms and the hallway are yet to be freed of this vice).*
Wallpaper was coming off nicely after a little persistent soaking. At least one thing that seems to be fairly easy / straightforward / cheap. We could do with more of that.
I hope to be up there again tomorrow around 8-ish - I like this wallpaper business.
*Ed. - Anyone tackling Artex removal should not do what we did and just start. Before embarking on the next lot of stripping, we got the textured paint checked for asbestos - luckily it came out clear. If there is asbestos present, then either leave it, get it skimmed with plaster or get the professionals with white suits to get rid of it.
