Retiring to listed Terraced House.

[Richeee]

Thanks all.
Yes unwrapping boxs and cleaning cupboards seems to be me for next few days and weeks. There will be an extension to be done to replace the upvc conservatory (planners said timber but previous owners ignored. ) and all needs new heating system and rewire. Lot of work to whole house. But if contractors matt is suitable then brill. Mr Bean exploding tin in paint tin here i come.
As i said need to temp lighten and freshen up if only for 12 months or so.

 

[Cubist]

Some people just can't help themselves or follow good advice when they hear it, ho-hum.

 

[a twig]

If you are determined to paint I’d suggest you only decorate the bare minimum that will make you happy, as no point in painting plaster you might end up hacking off at some point next year

 

[Richeee]

Not so much as determined but its grubby and its a mental tidyness sort of thing if you get my drift. Years of black soot and just feels unclean. So sugar soap and quick blast of spay with emulsion whilst discussions are ongoing and may be prolonged.

 

[Lacan07]

congratulations!

if it were me I wouldn't painting anything, it can't be that bad. unpack your stuff and get through christmas, painting should be the last thing on your 'to-do' list.

 

[Cubist]

and its a mental tidyness sort of thing if you get my drift

YES! I share this curse... and it is indeed a curse.

A little while back I was caught napping and ended up being press-ganged into dog-sitting when my daughter, her other half and their off-spring took off for a few days. Naturally enough they had abandoned ship at an impressive rate of knots as I arrived leaving me to the kind of chaos left behind by any typical two year old after a protracted and violent toy hurling temper tantrum! The manic Keeshund with ambitions to become a latter day Houdini they left to my tender mercies didn't help either.

Gripped by my innate desire for order, the fallout and debris from the infant explosion became my focus and after much grumbling and cursing it was all brought under control - despite the dogs best efforts to get me chasing him around the local streets and park. I have to admit though that I took some vicarious pleasure in arranging some of the little ones lettered and gaily coloured blocks to leave a 'NEVER AGAIN' message when I left.

 

[Richeee]

Morning all.

Just been scraping a minor bit of paint off a post in my cottage. Supposedly 17th century and rebuild 18th. Just to see what lies below. Suspect i will be chem strippimg in the future. But not yet.


Just as a matter of interest at this point. That im assuming is oak, and when stripped back that will be the natural colour ?

 

[Stevers]

The white material could be a skim of filler and that could be resistant to chemical stripping. Whilst not trying to egg you on - a bigger sample would help, but I'm thinking they'll be a bit rough (wormy) if that's filler.

An alternative approach would be to scumble grain them to look like natural oak - or whatever you fancy. Now that's a whole new hobby in itself!

 

[Cubist]

In the immortal words of Leslie Phillips - Ooooh Naaaaasty!

I'm hoping for your sake Richeee that the white stuff is mostly lime wash - commonly used on old timber frames - and not some orrible gloss white paint or, worse still filler as Stevers has suggested. Far better if its filler or lime as that can be relatively easy to get rid of as a good wire brush will do most of the hard work and some warm soapy water will help along the way. An old gloss paint though will cost you weeks of picking bits out of the grain - while wearing a mask - as it could be lead paint. Be ready though for timbers that look like something that washed up on a beach - all the softer elements will be lost to time, wasps and the stripping/cleaning process.

The colour of aged oak, and elm for that matter, often comes out close to a Milk Chocolate Brown.

 

[Drayton]

Hmmm. You are wanting tidiness, cleanliness and order - but can't resist poking at things and thus adding to the 'mess'?? Now why does that sound familiar...?

I suggest you choose one room now, clean and paint that, then install your favourite things - no boxes etc and strictly no 'investigations' in there. That will give you a haven to retreat to, invite people into etc, straight off.

In the New Year you can decide whether you want to go to the effort of moving things to get the rest of the temporary painting done, or can live with it as it is and other priorities have found you.

It can be difficult to tell how you are going to interact with a new living space when you first move in.