papermakerPGA

 I have waited 6 months after my remedial work was completed and walls re-papered before saying that the problem has been overcome! All the advice was followed - old paper completely removed, traces of paste scraped and thoroughly washed off all cork & plain walls, all surfaces thorughly washed with bleach solution & allowed to dry. 2 coats of kitchen emulsion paint applied all over then repapered. Still looking good!! Considering original 'mould' appeared within 2 weeks of papering think the problem has gone. Once again thanks for all assistance hope this may be of use to anyone confronted with a similar problem.  

Many thanks to you all for your suggestions and possible solutions. We are coming round to thinking that having used the steamer to strip the old paper we have caused problems with the cork - more likely to have degraded any sealer than left moisture in as it was well over a month before we repapered. We have removed one area of cork to have a look under and there are some mould spots there. We will now act on all the advice, prior to repapering, and let you know the final outcome. Again, many thanks for your most constructive help.

Thanks for that Musicmonkey - we feel that there is adequate ventilation with inbuilt vent in window, permanently open and an extractor over hob. If the marks only related to the exterior wall then of course damp would be most likely but having them on the internal wall also made us think of other alternatives.

Wonder if anybody has had any experience of our problem? We recently fitted a new kitchen & subsequently tiled & wallpapered the walls, using 'Contour' type paper. Within ten days of papering we noticed patches of 'blue' appearing in a few places. On 2 walls the previous owner had fitted cork lining & papered over it, there was no visible problem. We steam removed the old paper down to the cork prior to repapering. One cork lined wall is an exterior wall & the other is on an internal wall.  The 'blue' spots are on visible on both walls. Having removed the new paper from the worst affected area the mould is apparant on the cork. Not previously having had any experience of cork on walls we are uncertain as to the cause of the mould - could it be a reaction between old & new paste, wrong type paste to use if cork fitted. Really need to know how to proceed to prevent recurrence.  

To all who responded - many thanks, I will consult with the butchers around Dinan area and hopefully arrange a suitable size 'bird', (Sprouts plentiful here Liz). 

Many thanks for that Ian - was hoping for an oven ready turkey really - feel collecting a live one could end up as another mouth to feed!!! PGA

Help - First Xmas in France, Bretagne - Will it be possible to get a 6 - 7 Kilo bird in LeClerc or other hypermarket? Or, do we get the family to bring one when they come over?