Two sides of the valley
Carlton lies in a valley about two miles east-south-east of Mapperley, and its housing splits roughly in two. The northern side was built mainly during the Industrial Revolution and the early 1900s. The southern side went up mainly in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Next door, Netherfield grew from 60 people in 1801 to over 4,600 by 1901, and Wikipedia describes its rows of terraced Victorian houses as characteristic of the place.
Older walls on the north side and in Netherfield
In a Victorian or Edwardian terrace the walls are usually solid brick with lime-based plaster, and the ceilings are often lath and plaster. Typical repairs include hollow sections where the plaster has parted from the brick, crumbling patches low down behind skirting boards, and stair walls scuffed and dented after years of furniture going up and down. A narrow terraced stairwell takes a lot of knocks, especially on the corners.
The skill is knowing how far to go. A small hollow area can be patched on its own, but if tapping along the wall finds hollow plaster everywhere, patching one spot just moves the problem along. In that case we will tell you a larger repair or a skim is likely to last longer. Damp low down on a wall also needs its cause sorting before any plastering, otherwise the new patch will stain and break down.
The 1930s to 1950s houses to the south
Homes from these decades tend to have harder gypsum-based plaster and, especially after the war, plasterboard ceilings. The typical jobs here are quite different: holes where a wall cupboard or gas fire was taken out, chases cut in for new sockets during a rewire, and ceiling patches where a bath or tank has leaked through. Once the leak is fixed and the ceiling has fully dried, a damaged section of board can be replaced and finished level with the rest. Corners on landings and around doorways also pick up chips over the years, and these are built back up so the edge runs straight again.
Arranging a visit
Carlton Hill, Carlton Square and the streets around Standhill Road are all a short drive from Mapperley, and so is the rest of Netherfield and Gedling. Send a photo through the enquiry form, or call 07877 353120 and describe the damage. Patch Me If You Can is open seven days a week, 7am to 5pm.
