Homes from a fast-growing town
Ilkeston's population rose from under 2,500 in 1801 to over 25,000 by 1901, on the back of coal, iron and lace. Bricks were often made alongside the collieries, and Erewash notes that local brick gives the town centre conservation area much of its character. That area runs along Bath Street and South Street to the Market Place, with Wharncliffe Road a mainly residential part with wider plots and detached buildings. Period rooms in older houses like these suit picture-frame moulding or half-height panelling with a rail, and the original plaster is often the part that needs the most attention.
Post-war houses in Kirk Hallam
Kirk Hallam grew in two waves. In the 1950s, public housing was built by Ilkeston Corporation and the Stanton and Staveley company around St Norbert Drive. In the 1960s and 1970s, a mix of public and private homes followed around Godfrey Drive. Built decades apart, the houses around St Norbert Drive and Godfrey Drive will not all have the same walls, so each one is checked on its own merits.
Houses from those decades usually have practical, plain rooms, and panelling is an easy way to add interest:
- Shaker panelling across one wall of the living room
- Half-height panelling in the hall and up the stairs
- Board and batten for a bedroom with a more modern feel
Over the years, walls like these may have been redecorated, patched, or had fittings taken down, leaving filled holes and uneven areas. We straighten all of that out before panelling, so the frames stay level and the edges meet the wall cleanly.
How a panelling job runs
Our starting point is always the wall. We check it with a straight edge, repair any damage and skim it if needed. Next comes the setting out, so the frames are evenly spaced and balanced around doors, windows and sockets. The MDF is cut on site, fixed with adhesive and pins, then filled, sanded and caulked. It is ready for priming and painting when we finish.
A couple of things are worth thinking about early. If you plan to move a socket or a switch so it sits neatly within a frame, book a qualified electrician to do that before we fit. And for the paint, one colour across both the panels and the wall between them usually gives the cleanest result.
Contact Patch Me If You Can
We cover all of Ilkeston, including Cotmanhay, Larklands, Hallam Fields and Shipley View. Call 07877 353120 or use the enquiry form, and send a photo of the wall with your message if you can. We work every day of the week, 7am to 5pm.
