Removed wallpaper to reveal hardboard walls?!

[Chanytelle]

Hi Ive just moved into a council house we began to strip the wallpaper after 4 layers of different paper we have found hardboard nailed to the walls no plaster is this a normal thing, this is my first house obviously going to report it to the council but what can be done?

Person in house before me was a old lady

 

[emilybronte]

Hi Ive just moved into a council house we began to strip the wallpaper after 4 layers of different paper we have found hardboard nailed to the walls no plaster is this a normal thing.

No it's not a normal thing nowadays, although it might have been when your house was built. It would have been cheaper. When was the house built?

I shouldn't think it would be very fireproof or noise-proof.

Person in house before me was a old lady

Oh, well that explains it!

Old ladies are renowned for their love of hardboard.

 

[sparkwright]

Is your council house an old pre-fab house?

Are all the walls like this?

Would certainly be worth contacting the council.

 

[Chanytelle]

Hi I don't know when it was built its certainly newer than the house I'm in at the moment, I think which is plastered, Ill be on the phone first thing tomorrow, I never thought of the fire hazard thanks and yes all the walls are like that so far not checked 1 bedroom

 

[JohnD]

Council houses were usually built to a good standard, better than speculative private builds, so something odd has happened here.

Luckily it is not very expensive to have a room replastered, but look for any signs of damp or cracking first.

Plastering is very dusty so get it all done before you add carpets and furnishings. Buy or hire a canister vac as it will ruin a domestic one.

 

[Chanytelle]

Council are coming out tomorrow lets see what they have to say, didn't think it could get worse but the ceilings in the bedrooms are all hardboard too there being held up by beams of wood like dado rails been scraping of paper neat the ceiling and the scrapers made a small hole in it!!!