ah, Rita, Rita, Rita...why on EARTH did you gloss your ceilings?

[SpringHeeledJack]

The old lady who had this house before (Rita) kept it lovely but she glossed the ceilings- down to the picture rails naaaargh! Our builder told me this is pretty common

he's doing the tutting and blowing cheeks out thing, and making out there's nowt we can do about it, and that he'll have to do it (at huuuge cost)

has anyone else had these? What did you do with em?

far as I can tell this will mean either 1. sanding them and then using emulsion or 2. using something oil based (eg eggshell?) to cover it. Can't say am thrilled about either

[lazy]

tvm

I know someone who has just gone to the expense and trouble of replacing a (fairly minimally) artexed ceiling with pine tongue and groove. WHY?!

Nice ceiling bibbity!
Daisy, I too had a house with artex stalactites on the ceilings and lost much of the skin on my knuckles trying to remove it. In one room they had gone for the overlapping fan shapes with the artex but all the lines were wonky. Made your eyes go funny and made you feel a bit sick.

Daisy not only was it over-artexed, it had turquoise painted walls and tangerine orange woodwork!

T'was a riotous vision of colour, that's for sure.

Being pregnant I couldn't face skimming and repainting the whole house so we bought somewhere a bit less labour-intensive!

@ Sidge

Did I mention the bright yellow and navy blue gloss-painted woodchip in one of the bedrooms?

Mmmm, sounds lovely. Did you keep it?

Of course not

well, I've got carpets dated 1966 on the back

they're older than me

...actually was thinking of just leaving the house as is and charging people to come and look. Bit like Denis Severs' house in Spitalfields

Oy, Springy, did you decide to go for the rubber floor that looks a bit like big flat lego? Just asking cos my mate has been faffing about for months can't quite make up her mind re. her tiny kitchen floor and needs reassurance that she won't regret going for it. Any feedback I could share with her?

alas, Bib, we currently have marine ply on the kitchen and bathroom floors (cash flow- plus small matter of me titting about thinking about floors and french doors before we moved in, while neglecting to address the problem of non existent kitchen ) so your faffing friend will no doubt beat me to it

[hollow laugh emoticon]

We have magnolia woodchip on most of our ceilings. I've taken some off, but as there's nothing quite as hideous as steaming hot bits of woodchips in your eyes and up your nostrils, have decided I can live with the rest.

Was Rita a Meter Maid?

Woodchip is usually a sign that the plaster is in a terrible state and needs to be ripped off and replastered. Stripping plaster off ceilings is an amazingly filthy job and usually people try to avoid it.

Hassled I always think of her as Lovely Rita Meter Maid and have made her into a bit of a sauce in my mind

unless I am cussing her misguided ceiling/carpet choices

sorry Rita

We had crazy paint schemes too. The living had quite clearly been painted for sale and had been bright orange (I mean Bright), the stair well was mint green below the dado and egg yolk yellow above. The second bedroom was purple and white with Disney stickers. The bedroom doors were green one side and blue the other with flowers painted on. The kitchen had green unit doors with a dark red feature wall and pale pink walls.

Our neighbours said "Oh yes, it was X did that. She was a bit flowery." X was NOT who we bought it from...

I too have problems where the previous owners painted the ceilings with gloss. No paint will cover it without leaving parts looking dull like matt paint where other parts are shinny. Also, part of the paint is peeling off and I just don't know what to do, or anyone who would be willing to get it off. Steaming it off may work, but will probably be a tough job.