HELP I think i am crazy!

[ilona73]

http://www.stripperspaintremovers.com is what the forum often recommends, they're pretty helpful on the phone in suggesting different products for stone, wood, etc.

I wonder how bad foam is for sandstone, whether it's any worse than cement pointing?

Anyway I reckon that what has been done can be undone, with time, money and patience.

How old are the kids? Don't worry, the feeling of incredulity at what you've done gets easier to live with!

Thanks for that i will give it a whirl...i would imagine that the foam wouldnt let the stone breathe properly?... Everything can be undone and un "oranged" the house feels like its been Tangoed!
My kids are 19, 15, 11 and 6... then my husband is like a 6 yr old too bless him lol!!
I must admit i ahve gone from feeling excited, to dread.. to awe to downright panic!..we know the house has no serious issues... it is mainly cosmetic apart from the pointing and a few corbels in need of restoration.... then the guttering...and pipework which at the moment is nasty black plastic... there is no damp that has been detected anywhere...yet anyway!!
Its mainly irritating silly things and just pure bad taste on the previous owners part...
We have a meeting with the local CO at 11 am tomorow so wish us luck!!

 

[Gareth Hughes]

If tomorrow's meeting isn't going right, just say "Greaves Hall" and look superior. :twisted:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh good, all the children are of an age responsive to bribery then. And I haven't met a man yet who got much past 6 years old, the dear creatures...we allow them to feel a little superior, but really, we know we're in charge.

I think it's a wonderful thing for a house like that to get a busy, big family in there to fill it with their stories and laughter. I went to visit a new friend today (Hooray for that- at last!) in her beautiful big Victorian hall and she didn't give a jot about about the peeling paint or collapsing kitchen, but the windows had been vomited out of by lively students and kids' drawings and detritus was strewn around...it really put my woes about which paint-stripper to use into perspective.

The kids will make it your home in no time!

Good luck tomorrow.

 

[ilona73]

Just a quick update.... all is well in the hampson hall tonight..!!!
The Conservation officer agreed with everything we want to do... didnt have anything negative to say ... is that normal???
He agreed with everything?...I at least expected some resistance somewhere ? but nope... Too good to be true surely?
I was so shocked i have had a mental block with his name.... :shock:
But basically he was in awe at what our vision for the house is and couldn't believe a family were taking it on. He thought it would just lie empty and eventually go to ruin as the previous owner moved to Hong Kong 15 years ago! And of course the local authority wont rescue it...
So onwards with the rescue of the humble abode ... yikes!!!

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Just a quick update.... all is well in the hampson hall tonight..!!!
The Conservation officer agreed with everything we want to do... didnt have anything negative to say ... is that normal???
He agreed with everything?...I at least expected some resistance somewhere ? but nope... Too good to be true surely?
I was so shocked i have had a mental block with his name.... :shock:
But basically he was in awe at what our vision for the house is and couldn't believe a family were taking it on. He thought it would just lie empty and eventually go to ruin as the previous owner moved to Hong Kong 15 years ago! And of course the local authority wont rescue it...
So onwards with the rescue of the humble abode ... yikes!!!

Some of us are quite nice, when the owner obviously is too

 

[JoceAndChris]

More than quite, I would say. And also, how lucky Ilona is to have a CO at all!

Ilona, so glad it went well today. Of course he was pleased. How lovely that one of these grand old houses gets a family to love it and take care of it, rather than being turned into some awful hotel or flats.

Now you have to face the horrid upheaval of packing up and moving! I unpacked my last box yesterday, ten months on. Now I'm carting it all to the charity shop: Lincolnshire has never seen so much Marc Jacobs.

 

[AMc]

The Conservation officer agreed with everything we want to do... didnt have anything negative to say ... is that normal???

That's very encouraging for you, the house and the CO. I have read on here in the past that it is best to confirm in writing what has been agreed to ensure there are no problems later on if memory slips on either side or the CO moves on etc.
If I were you I would put a short letter outlining the work you intend to do and that this was agreed at the meeting yesterday and send it to the CO.

One of the 'joys' of working on my renovation has been discovering that you need to hope for the best but plan for the worst and several steps of worst down the line too.

Good luck in your project, keep us posted with pictures and questions!

 

[Penners]

Some of us are quite nice

Q: What's the difference between a Conservation Officer and a terrorist?

A: You can negotiate with a terrorist.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Gareth Hughes]

How many conservation officers does it take to change a light bulb?

What do you mean, CHANGE it?

(or, What's wrong with the old one?)

 

[porter]

Ilona73 wrote; i have found the perfect spot for my drawing board. i though all designers used CAD programmes now

 

[ilona73]

Ilona73 wrote; i have found the perfect spot for my drawing board. i though all designers used CAD programmes now

I use both... i use my drawing board for drawing my ideas first quickly .. cad is very good but it doesnt give the personal touch you get from a traditional drawing. plus an A0 board is great for attaching all your samples to and working up a good mood board etc....I had had my board for years and could never imagine my workspace without it in it.... not to mention how temperamental cad is...It is good for helping people who are unable to visualise things in the same way a designer can but not the b all and end all..

Consequently while at the house the last few days we unmasked this is the master bedroom

 

[ilona73]

The Conservation officer agreed with everything we want to do... didnt have anything negative to say ... is that normal???

That's very encouraging for you, the house and the CO. I have read on here in the past that it is best to confirm in writing what has been agreed to ensure there are no problems later on if memory slips on either side or the CO moves on etc.
If I were you I would put a short letter outlining the work you intend to do and that this was agreed at the meeting yesterday and send it to the CO.

One of the 'joys' of working on my renovation has been discovering that you need to hope for the best but plan for the worst and several steps of worst down the line too.

Good luck in your project, keep us posted with pictures and questions!

Yes thanks for the advice .. duly noted and now done and sent off... i have 3 copied kept.. one on pc, laptop and hard copy too... Dont want to take any chances...
Just because this CO was all for what we want to do and our vision of the house which is mainly just to return it to its former glory as much as possible... doesn't mean that another one will share the same views... or agree with everything we would like to do

 

[ilona73]

More than quite, I would say. And also, how lucky Ilona is to have a CO at all!

Ilona, so glad it went well today. Of course he was pleased. How lovely that one of these grand old houses gets a family to love it and take care of it, rather than being turned into some awful hotel or flats.

Now you have to face the horrid upheaval of packing up and moving! I unpacked my last box yesterday, ten months on. Now I'm carting it all to the charity shop: Lincolnshire has never seen so much Marc Jacobs.

Thanks ever so much ... i am now back at our house which i have to admit i will be glad to see the back of... duly making lists upon lists .. ordering stuff from Laura Ashley like its going out of fashion simply because Ozzy is determined to have his football bedroom and its got 25% discount.. till next weekend ...My poor credit cards is gonna be crying... Its a good job Ozzys room will be done first and is one of the few rooms that is the most habitable and normal out of the bunch!
The dog escaped too today and the little devil ended up in the vets and i was made to feel like the most terrible person in the world because my dog has bloody wanderlust!!

As for the house... yeah we had been looking for almost a year and a half before we found it... then there was a few weeks we thought we had lost it as the owner pulled it off the market..... only for it to turn up with a new for sale sign with a completely different agent..It was only when that happened that Paul and i both realised how much we wanted it... Apart from the kids of course :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
I am sure once its eventually done we can say "we told you so " lol

 

[ilona73]

wow such a lot has happened since i last posted an update on this... for a start we have actually moved in...... and dare i say it got a few rooms decorated!!
Along with the usual problems such as leaking plumbing... replacing ceilings....waiting for builders... ahh the list goes on and on and on...
anyway... here are a few befores... and almost finishes.......... when i say almost.... its just a case of waiting for carpet fitters so nothing major....
along my way so far i have unearthed a lovely fireplace in mybedroom and a fab stone floor in the small toilet off the dining room....
tomorrow i am ripping up the floor in pauls office... he has been decamped to the undecroated and so not cool dumping ground we call the drawing room hahaha x
apologies for the quality of some of the piccies... i took them with my phone as in the mess i couldn't locate the digital camera!

This is the girls bedroom... apologies for the clutter but they are teenagers !!!
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[ilona73]

now for the dining room
This was being used as a bedroom believe it or not when we moved in!
The lovely stone fireplace was painted black and the range in such a mess.....

 

[ilona73]

and the almost afters
i have got a new cabinet and a few extras since these were taken and am having a carpet fitted next week so will update as and when i can
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[ilona73]

now onto the lounge......
this was the bain of my life when we took the wallpaper down off the ceiling... the whole lot fell down.... lucky it was laith and plaster so my brother in law who has his own building company and does alot of work on listed buildings came to my rescue!!!

first one is when we viewed.....

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[ilona73]

last few of the lounge....
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[Flyfisher]

Lovely photos. You're clearly getting to grips with things.

I would just take issue with one small point:

This is the girls bedroom... apologies for the clutter but they are teenagers !!!

Clutter? I can't see any clutter. Now this is clutter . . . . (perhaps it's a boy vs girl thing )

 

[ilona73]

Lovely photos. You're clearly getting to grips with things.

I would just take issue with one small point:

This is the girls bedroom... apologies for the clutter but they are teenagers !!!

Clutter? I can't see any clutter. Now this is clutter . . . . (perhaps it's a boy vs girl thing )

errr okay i stand corrected then by comparison.... i guess i am just a tidy feind :twisted:
hehehe
If my girls had a room like that they would be dead meat!!!