I moved into my house last May and today I was removing the curtains the
previous owners had put up in the master bedroom. When I took them down I
noticed that the wallpaper has curled off the wall at the top corner of the
window and has bubbled away from the wall all the way down.

I know that the previous owners son did a lot of work in the house himself,
including having a stopcock that is on the wrong way round, to you need to
switch it to off instead of on if you want water! Though the house looks
nice it has been badly done if you look closely, lovely looking laminate
that has been badly fitted, a beautiful modern kitchen that on closer
expection shows that the fitting leaves a lot to be desired. Could the
wallpaper coming away from the wall just mean that they cut corners when
putting it up or could it be a sign of damp?

If it is a sign of damp, is there a way I could definitely check to see if
it is damp or do I need to call out a surveyor? Also if it is damp, how
would I treat it?

Sorry if I have asked some daft questions but this was my exs' department
and since we split up recently I am trying to do the best I can though I
have never been DIY minded, closest I have got was when I painted a couple
of walls in my old house!

Thankyou for any help you can give me

Francesca

"Purple" wrote in message
...
I moved into my house last May and today I was removing the curtains the
previous owners had put up in the master bedroom. When I took them down I
noticed that the wallpaper has curled off the wall at the top corner of
the
window and has bubbled away from the wall all the way down.

I know that the previous owners son did a lot of work in the house
himself,
including having a stopcock that is on the wrong way round, to you need to
switch it to off instead of on if you want water! Though the house looks
nice it has been badly done if you look closely, lovely looking laminate
that has been badly fitted, a beautiful modern kitchen that on closer
expection shows that the fitting leaves a lot to be desired. Could the
wallpaper coming away from the wall just mean that they cut corners when
putting it up or could it be a sign of damp?

If it is a sign of damp, is there a way I could definitely check to see if
it is damp or do I need to call out a surveyor? Also if it is damp, how
would I treat it?

Sorry if I have asked some daft questions but this was my exs' department
and since we split up recently I am trying to do the best I can though I
have never been DIY minded, closest I have got was when I painted a couple
of walls in my old house!

Thankyou for any help you can give me

Francesca



You can buy an electronic gizmo that has a couple of studs at one end: you
press it to the wall to be tested and it emits a clicking sound, which gets
ery rapid indeed if the wall in question is damp. I have no other details on
it.

Quite often damp manifests itself with spots of black mould, or staining of
the plaster, or efflorescence crystals etc. I wouldn't call out a surveyor
to confirm damp, that's something you should be able to figure out yourself.
Is your house an old one wit solid walls? They are prone to damp via
ineffective dampproof courses, cracked external render or overflowing
gutterpipe. Even if your house has cavity walls, check to see if water can
be getting in from somewhere external as I have suggested ( hint: it may
only happen during heavy rain or with a particular wind direction ). Does
your wall have a water pipe in it? Could it be rising damp ( unlikely indeed
if you are on the second floor, as I surmise ). You need to investigate a
little,

Andy.

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 13:53:15 GMT, "Purple"
wrote:

I moved into my house last May and today I was removing the curtains the
previous owners had put up in the master bedroom. When I took them down I
noticed that the wallpaper has curled off the wall at the top corner of the
window and has bubbled away from the wall all the way down.

I know that the previous owners son did a lot of work in the house himself,
including having a stopcock that is on the wrong way round, to you need to
switch it to off instead of on if you want water! Though the house looks
nice it has been badly done if you look closely, lovely looking laminate
that has been badly fitted, a beautiful modern kitchen that on closer
expection shows that the fitting leaves a lot to be desired. Could the
wallpaper coming away from the wall just mean that they cut corners when
putting it up or could it be a sign of damp?

If it is a sign of damp, is there a way I could definitely check to see if
it is damp or do I need to call out a surveyor? Also if it is damp, how
would I treat it?

Sorry if I have asked some daft questions but this was my exs' department
and since we split up recently I am trying to do the best I can though I
have never been DIY minded, closest I have got was when I painted a couple
of walls in my old house!

Thankyou for any help you can give me

Francesca


Hi,

If it's continually damp it would most likely be mouldy. Probably just
iffy wallpaper pasting, maybe they diluted the last bit too much.

cheers,
Pete.

Purple wrote:
I moved into my house last May and today I was removing the curtains
the
previous owners had put up in the master bedroom. When I took them
down I
noticed that the wallpaper has curled off the wall at the top corner
of the
window and has bubbled away from the wall all the way down.

mix up some wallpaper paste, brush it on the back and pres flat.
Unfortunately this only sometimes gives a properly flat result, but is
about as good as I've found so far. The trick is not to bend the paper,
if it still wants to lie more or lses flat it should smooth down ok and
give a perfect finish.


I know that the previous owners son did a lot of work in the house
himself,
including having a stopcock that is on the wrong way round, to you
need to
switch it to off instead of on if you want water!

eh?

desired. Could the
wallpaper coming away from the wall just mean that they cut corners
when
putting it up or could it be a sign of damp?

yes, yes

If it is a sign of damp, is there a way I could definitely check to
see if
it is damp

sure, the main signs of damp a
plaster bubbling up and disintegrating
black muold
musty smell
and in some cases rotting wood

I dont recommend those damp meters, as
a) they dont measure damp, they measure conductivity.
b) they can be used to ascertain damp in wood, not
plaster/wallpaper/etc
c) theyre routinely misinterpreted by the inexpert, the readings they
give are *not* a reading of dampness.
d) theyre pointless in this case.


or do I need to call out a surveyor?

no, thats like calling 999 because you almost cut your finger.


Also if it is damp, how
would I treat it?

No reason to think you have damp problem so far.


Sorry if I have asked some daft questions but this was my exs'
department
and since we split up recently I am trying to do the best I can
though I
have never been DIY minded, closest I have got was when I painted a
couple
of walls in my old house!

Thankyou for any help you can give me

Francesca

NT

In article , "Purple"
says...
I moved into my house last May and today I was removing the curtains the
previous owners had put up in the master bedroom. When I took them down I
noticed that the wallpaper has curled off the wall at the top corner of the
window and has bubbled away from the wall all the way down.

I know that the previous owners son did a lot of work in the house himself,
including having a stopcock that is on the wrong way round, to you need to
switch it to off instead of on if you want water! Though the house looks
nice it has been badly done if you look closely, lovely looking laminate
that has been badly fitted, a beautiful modern kitchen that on closer
expection shows that the fitting leaves a lot to be desired. Could the
wallpaper coming away from the wall just mean that they cut corners when
putting it up or could it be a sign of damp?

If it is a sign of damp, is there a way I could definitely check to see if
it is damp or do I need to call out a surveyor? Also if it is damp, how
would I treat it?

Damp near windows is often caused by condensation - warm moist air
from the living area meets cold air from the window and condenses on
the nearest cool surface. It might also be caused by defective
pointing, bridging of the wall cavity or a problem with the roof or
guttering. Check the gutter is draining properly (not blocked,
leaking or running uphill) and check the roof for shifted or broken
tiles. It's always possible the paper just wasn't properly pasted in
the first place - if it's not discoloured or disintegrating stick it
down with wallpaper seam adhesive and see if it stays there.

"Rob Morley" wrote in message
t...
In article , "Purple"
says...

snip my original post



Damp near windows is often caused by condensation - warm moist air
from the living area meets cold air from the window and condenses on
the nearest cool surface. It might also be caused by defective
pointing, bridging of the wall cavity or a problem with the roof or
guttering. Check the gutter is draining properly (not blocked,
leaking or running uphill) and check the roof for shifted or broken
tiles. It's always possible the paper just wasn't properly pasted in
the first place - if it's not discoloured or disintegrating stick it
down with wallpaper seam adhesive and see if it stays there.

Thanks to everyone who responded. There isn't any black mould or bubbling
spots, it is just the wall paper coming away from the wall. My mum who is
staying at me had a look and said it may be damp and to phone a surveryor to
find out. I thought it was a bit extreme which is why I posted here first,
but my mum is like that!

There are a few broken tiles on the roof though but I can't see any
noticeable damp in the loft but I am getting a roofer out next week.

I am going to get advice from the roofer to see if the tiles are broken
badly enough to be causing damp, if not then I will just paste it back on to
the wall as I think that it just wasn't stuck to the wall properly in t he
first place

Thanks again

Fran