Built from Bulwell stone
Bulwell sandstone and magnesian limestone were quarried here, and many houses, schools, churches and garden walls of Bulwell sandstone still stand for miles around the town. The stone even went into the wall around Wollaton Hall.
Solid stone walls are rarely as even as brick, so the plaster on them often varies in thickness. Over time that plaster can crack or come away in places. Before panelling a stone-walled room, we check the whole wall with a straight edge and tap it for hollow spots. Loose plaster is taken off and patched, and if the wall is too uneven, it is skimmed so the panelling has a flat base to bond to.
Old solid walls can also be prone to damp. If a wall shows signs of damp, that needs sorting at its source before any MDF is fixed to it, because panelling will not cure damp and can hide it.
Estates from the last century
Around the old centre, estates have been added over the past hundred years: Crabtree Farm, Snape Wood, Highbury Vale, Hempshill Vale and the Bulwell Hall estate. Top Valley was built in the 1970s on three former farms, and newer homes have followed, including eco-homes at Ranskill Gardens from 2018 and private housing on the old Lido site.
Estate houses tend to have plain walls and straightforward layouts, which take panelling well. A half-height scheme along a hallway, a full-height shaker wall in the living room or a panelled stairwell can change how a room feels without any building work. In homes built from the 1970s onwards, walls may be a mix of plastered blockwork and plasterboard, so we check what each wall is made of and fix to suit it.
How the job goes
- We agree a style, height and frame size with you, using photos of the room.
- Repairs or skimming come first, so the surface is sound and flat.
- The layout is marked out, working around sockets, switches and radiators.
- The MDF is cut on site, then bonded and pinned in place.
- Joints and pin holes are filled and sanded, and every edge is caulked.
The finish is ready for priming and painting. If anything electrical needs moving, a qualified electrician should do it before the panelling goes up.
Contact us
For wall panelling anywhere in Bulwell, from the Market Place out to Rise Park and Top Valley, call 07877 353120 or use the enquiry form. Send a photo of the room and a picture of the style you like, and we can talk through what would suit it. We work seven days a week, 7am until 5pm.
