German apartment walls and renovations

I know how to do the texturing on American walls - easy peasy. You just add a bit more spackle, push a crumpled up newspaper into it, so that there are peaks when you remove it, and then sand down those peaks when it's dry to end up with the texture that's standard on American walls.

But what's the best way to do the texture here? These walls just seem to have speckled bumps on them, rather than the familiar random little continent-like texture I'm used to. Does anyone have a specific technique to recreate this speckled texture?

I recently watched my future in-laws re-texturing the walls in their house. It's about the same process as you have desribed, but they used a special tool (which you can purchase at any Baumarkt) rather than the crumpled up newspaper that you mentioned. Good Luck!

Achso...thanks! I will inquire at the Baumarkt.

If the wall is textured like this,
[img]http://www.visual-effect.de/tx_gemischt_g_9.jpg[/img]
it is a wallpaper called Rauhfasertapete which you can buy in your
favourite Baumarkt rather cheaply. Sticking it to the wall in one flat layer
takes a bit of practice, though ...

Nope, it's not that coarse, and it's not wallpaper. No lines, just bumps. I just went to the Baumarkt, and the guy there suggested just using a toothpick for the little spots and a rough sponge for the bigger ones. So I spent the 99c and got a sponge.

I've got some other questions regarding painting (but not spackling).

How am I meant to paint behind the radiators? With a tiny roller? Or is it possible to move them? They seem to just be clipped to a couple posts sticking from the wall, and there are two pipes going in through the bottom (inflow and outflow, I assume). What goes through them, just water? If so, can I just turn it off and disconnect them to move the thing?

don't try to disconnect them...it could end in tears.

Either get a small roller with a long handle or employ a tiny little decorator man an pop him down there

Yeah, while I was spackling away today I thought about those tiny rollers, but hey, I think I might try that itty bitty decorator!