In the Holiday Spirit
The spirit of the festive season grows step by step at Islington 2000. It starts when our ever-helpful superintendents hang the lights and wreaths outdoors. Then a group of talented and energetic volunteers decorate the indoor spaces with Christmas trees, decorations, red poinsettias and twinkling lights everywhere. This weekend the social committee organized a wonderful party impressing everyone once again at how efficiently they put together a special evening of fun and food. Our party room is in almost constant use in December with resident’s private events. And this week residents gathered to sing carols and songs. Everywhere is evidence of the joyful spirit of goodwill. Thank you to the many volunteers who step up to make our shared home a place of fellowship and good cheer. Joy and peace to all!
AutumnFest 2025 at Islington
Last weekend the Social Committee gave us another amazing event, so inviting and well organized. Autumnfest was indoors this year again since it was a little too chilly to be outdoors for our barbecue. The caterers outdid themselves again with a enough variety in main and side choices to satisfy all tastes. The music was once again provided by Roy and the dancers danced. A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers. You are the best!
Around the world Lunch
On Tuesday Ron Warner presented the photos from a recent trip which took him and Tom cruising the Pacific Ocean and then touring Thailand with a private tour guide.
As you may imagine this was a very popular choice for a Lunch & Learn afternoon, and the event was well attended. The organizers provided a light lunch, and the first hour devoted to lunching, filled the card room with friendly chat. After the lights went down Ron’s photos and commentary nurtured some wanderlust, and we were keen for advice about planning memorable trips. This was all followed by coffee and dessert in the party room.
It is always a little more special when our guest presenter is also a neighbour. Thank you so much to Ron for sharing.
Skip the scraping
When Islington 2000 was under construction, popcorn ceilings were an obvious choice. The bumpy finish was easy to install, hid imperfections, and discouraged both fire and noise. If you still have the stippled finish you are still benefitting from these advantages.
Current taste has moved away from a focus on these practical issues and toward the modern look of smooth finishes on our ceilings. If you are inclined to make your ceiling smooth there are options. Scraping/sanding is the worst – the dust can be toxic.
Popcorn ceilings in big rooms can be covered with 3/8” drywall. This will lower the ceiling a very little. In a condo remember that the building is designed to sway which may in time expose cracks. More creative options for covering the stipple are decorative ceiling tiles or wooden planks. Both offer warmth and visual appeal.
A newer option for creating a smooth surface is to tightly stretch fabric or pvc across the existing ceiling. Installers work with an aluminum frame attached to the ceiling, then stretch the membrane of your choice over all. Besides a sleek look this improves acoustics. And the space above a stretched ceiling can include various kinds of ambient lighting options.
A plasterer can skim-coat the whole ceiling. It may require multiple coats to even out a very textured ceiling, because it is not advisable to prepare the surface by sanding. As mentioned above, it is best to avoid any contact with possibly toxic construction dust.
The least expensive and least fussy option is to paint over the textured ceiling. An acrylic/latex paint in a flat or matte finish, possibly in a darker colour will visually camouflage the texture. It is decorative and also works as a sealant. Lay down multiple coats very thickly for best results.
