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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To put the in-laws up in a room that is freshly re-plastered but not painted?

44 replies

domestictreadmill · 16/10/2018 21:31

We've recently moved house, and the in-laws are due their inaugural visit next month. I'm not sure how "visitor ready" they're expecting us to be, but we've got a shed load of work to do, and I've just booked in the plasterer to do the guest room ceiling and walls about 3 days before they arrive. It should be dry by the time they sleep in it, but it obviously won't be painted. I'll warn them, so they have the option to postpone, but do you think I should spare them the decision and postpone them anyway? My MiL is asthmatic, so I suppose she may be affected by it.

OP posts:
Catspyjamazzzz · 16/10/2018 21:32

It may take longer than you think to dry in the autumn if it’s damp weather.

AnneLovesGilbert · 16/10/2018 21:32

I’d ask them and see how they feel. Unless having visitors when you’re mid work is a massive pain, which it might be, in which case postpone.

Honeyroar · 16/10/2018 21:35

It won't be ready, it will have a strong smell to it and may be patchy.

I'd either put the visit off or someone sleeps in the living room.

OneEpisode · 16/10/2018 21:36

You should expect to give up your room unless there is a reason like disability why not.

NailsNeedDoing · 16/10/2018 21:39

I'd give them the choice and suggest other weekends, but I wouldn't offer my room.

BarbedBloom · 16/10/2018 21:40

I would suggest postponing under the circumstances, but wouldn’t offer my room either

eddiemairswife · 16/10/2018 21:41

So long as they have clean bed-linen I wouldn't worry.

Purpleartichoke · 16/10/2018 21:41

I’d be more concerned about fumes than aesthetics. I would let them know so they can delay if they prefer.

CantWaitToRetire · 16/10/2018 21:41

I’d say postpone or else let them have your room if it’s a brief visit. It may well not be completely dry and likely to still smell strongly of damp plaster.

PositivelyPERF · 16/10/2018 21:42

The room will feel damp, if the plaster has t totally dried out. BTY, don’t try to drive it out quickly, as that can make the plaster crack.

Ontheboardwalk · 16/10/2018 21:43

There will be dust everywhere from the plaster until it’s painted. My mum has asthma and the dust impacted her when she had plastering done.

Unless there is a compelling reason for them to be there next month I’d postpone

SaucyJack · 16/10/2018 21:43

Just postpone it, unless there’s a reason it has to be that week.

It will pong for a bit. Be much nicer when it’s dried out.

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 16/10/2018 21:44

Plastering dries in a few days, maybe not enough to paint but it should be relatively ok, we got some done recently and even the next day much of it was looking fairly dry also not loads of fumes. I would warn them in case and let them decide.

hadenough · 16/10/2018 21:44

To be fair, I probably would offer my room in these circumstances.

I am totally renovating my house, and had a guest last week and put them to stay in my room and slept on a mattress on the floor in my other bedroom. I don't think YABU if you didn't do that though.

Parisbun · 16/10/2018 21:45

I would tell them not to come until the room is ready. The smell of damp plaster is horrible and the atmosphere in the room would be dank given its now colder and damper outside too.
Once the room has dried out and painted it will be a much more pleasant experience for them .Surely they can defer for a couple of weeks?

Monts45 · 16/10/2018 21:46

Fresh plaster STINKS! We had the upstairs of our house done over two days and the smell lasted over a week. It was the middle of the summer so had the windows open the whole time and it dried quickly. I think it would be fairly horrible to sleep in there, with the windows closed after 3 days!

thecatsthecats · 16/10/2018 21:51

Our plastering took WAY longer than the plasterer promised. Up to 3 days before our housewarming. Then the cleaning - thank the lord that was when we got our cleaner. I was tearing my hair out at the thought of guests with the whole house practically in that state.

So it won't be surprising that I vote for postpone!

RavenLG · 16/10/2018 22:01

After having our living room plastered not so long ago, the house will stink and feel dusty for a week or so and the room will probably still feel damp.

Postpone.

Connebert · 16/10/2018 22:04

Why not give them your room?

Notveryadventurousname · 16/10/2018 22:08

This happened to me...went to stay with a friend and spare room had been replastered a few days previously. There was a pervasive smell of damp plaster that got right into my lungs and made me cough and wheeze all night. This was 30 years ago and I can still remember the cloying feeling and how hard it was to breathe. I would reschedule the work or have visitors stay in hotel or B&B.

Fantasisa · 16/10/2018 22:34

I have asthma and we had our house plastered and it was awful, I could barely breathe.

Fairylea · 16/10/2018 22:37

I have asthma and there’s no way I could sleep in a room like that. At all. I actually had to leave the house when we did our extension as the dust from the plaster etc was so bad I had to stay elsewhere. Even when I paint a room I can only stay in it for about half an hour at a time- and I have moderate, not severe asthma.

I don’t think the plaster will be dry in 3 days either. Maybe to touch, but it will take a couple of weeks to completely dry out.

Maelstrop · 16/10/2018 22:39

Our rooms took way more than 3 days to dry out. Postpone.

HollowTalk · 16/10/2018 22:40

Why are they coming when you're in the middle of renovations? It's crazy. Tell them to come another time, when the house is ready for them.

19lottie82 · 16/10/2018 22:40

I wouldn’t count on it being dry in 3 days, especially at this time of year.