Feature walls

[noddyholder]

This is not a thread to say I don't like them etc (although I don't) but just a warning. I met up with a friend this morning who is a surveyor. he used to renovate houses like me and today he told me that the current fashion for feature walls and wallpaper is being used to conceal cracks and defects and he has been to see a few!

Wallpaper being used to conceal cracks/other wall defects is hardly a new concept is it?

No I know that but apparently rife atm and causing people problems.

Thanks for that Noddy, can I ask is there any way a lay person can spot when this has been done? ie before getting your hopes up on a property?

I don't know but I think if a house had a lot of wallpaper I would be asking the surveyor to be extra picky!

They could use filler and paint over defects too I guess.

Yes and I think many do but he saw major cracking in a cupboard with a boiler which had been papered over twice and it was movement although I think is a boiler cupboard i would find paper suspicious!

I have feature walls and I don't care what people think but my house is 5 years old with no cracks. Not sure how you are supposed to tell apart from discount every house with wallpaper ?

I am not saying discount every house as you would have a job just saying as paper is everywhere atm it does give an opportunity to disguise things.

There is nothing new wallpapering over cracks. Are we to be wary of pictures & mirrors on the wall to hide cracks, When will it end?

Not saying you were Noddy, but it would just be really difficult to tell wouldn't it ?. A new house like mine you would probably be OK but something older you just wouldn't know why the paper was there.

I just think my friend saw 2 very bad cases after the fact both movement/subsidence! No way to prove it was concealment I would have thought but not sure. One was covering a crack between 2 houses he could put his fist in it was stuffed with cardboard and then sticky back plastic then wallpaper!

Omg ! That's terrible ! Such a shame for the new owners - and tricky to spot for the surveyors ! Thank you for the shout ! Will pass the message on too ! :-)