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Artex is a water based surface coating which is used to decorate both ceilings and walls with a textured finish. Back in the 1970’s, artex happens to be very popular when the swirling or spiky effects it creates  were considered to be the best of fashion when it comes to interior designs. However, in today’s world, an artex ceiling is not only considered outdated but also a pain to clean and repair.

If you have an artex ceiling in your residential property and looking for a way to get it off, then you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’re going to show you how its done without much stress.

To get started you’d need to get the following tools and material which includes: safety goggles, dust mask and rubber gloves, plastic sheeting, canvas drop cloth ( carpet) or rosin paper (hard floor) and step ladder

Prepare the room. Start this by moving all furniture out of the room or stack the furniture at the centre of the room and cover using plastic sheets. Once done, cover all non-removable items with plastic sheets and lay down a canvas drop cloth for carpet floors and rosin paper for hard floors

• Put on your safety gear
• Use a utility knife or joint knife to slowly chip away at the texture and create a smooth surface.
• Mix joint compound in a bucket as per the instructions on the package
• Skim the surface with a thin layer of joint compound to smooth it out using a taping knife, then leave to dry overnight before you proceed
• Lightly sand the surface smooth with the help of a 220-grit sanding block
• Use a damp cloth to wipe the surface clean prior to painting.

Can You Plaster Over Tiles?

Yes, it’s absolutely possible to plaster over tiles but just because is possible doesn’t mean you should. Plastering over tiles is an option but it’s not recommended by experts due to several reasons. A good example is the fact that a tiled environment is in no way a suitable environment that can serve as a good bonding surface for a plaster. For the success of a plastering project, there’s the need for the surface to be able to bond to the PVA base coat. Due to fact that most tiles are slippery in nature and also lack of the ability to be able to absorb moisture, the PVA base coat layer will not be able to bond to the tiled surface, which will ultimately make for a weak surface upon the application of the plaster. Consequently, the plaster will easily flake and fall from the wall.

The inability to drill into the tiled wall surface after plastering is one of the major disadvantages that also arises when you decide to plaster over tiled surfaces. Most tiled surfaces are found in kitchens and bathrooms which are going to need appliances such as sinks, lavatories, kitchen counters and lots more. These appliances are designed to be installed on solid surfaces which would not be an easy task to carry out on tiles knowing there would definitely be great cracks or damages.

The best tip you’ll get if you’re considering to plaster on a tiled surface, is that detaching tiles from a surface can easily be done with a hammer and chisel, and that would save you a host of problems later in the future. However, if you still wish to plaster on your tiled walls, then you best bet would be to get a Blue Grit bonding agent. It works better than PVA and only needs one coat.

Plastering is suitable to cover most Artex. If it’s shallow Artex, it may be covered by skimming plaster on top. If the pattern of the Artex is too deep, you may need to use plasterboard to cover it or if you want to remove it entirely, you will need to use a wallpaper steamer.

Plastering will fix small cracks in walls. Very small cracks may be fixed by simply reskimming plaster. More serious cracks will usually mean that you need to use new plasterboard or backing plaster. Larger jobs or deep cracks may need an experienced plasterer to come in.

Artex was originally made using white asbestos to make it stronger. However, this stopped in the mid-1980s, and the use of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, due to its extreme health risks. So, any artex you buy today won’t contain asbestos.

If you have an artex ceiling or wall that was created before 1999, it may have asbestos in it. This won’t be a health hazard if you leave it undisturbed, so it’s not necessary to remove it. However, if you want to get rid of or alter your artex ceiling or wall, you must get it tested to check if it has asbestos in or not first. If it does, you’ll need to hire a qualified professional to work on it.

The short and simple answer to this question is, it depends. Artex surface coating was manufactured with white abestos ( until the mid 1980’s ) in order to strengthen as well as harden it. In other words, this implies that all the ceilings and walls coverings made by Artex Ltd and other manufactures at the time are highly likely to contain asbestos. Although Artex Ltd stopped using asbestos as early as the mid 1980’s, there were still other manufacturers who continued using it until 1999 when the laws and regulations covering the use of asbestos changed in the year 2000.

Asbestos, however, is only harmful when disturbed and releases its deadly fibres. For instance, when it’s being sanded and removed as it usually poses no risks when left undisturbed. Since it’s not possible to identify Artex containing asbestos fibres with the naked eye, it’s strongly recommended that you hire the services of a qualified person or company to help determine if you have asbestos in your ceilings or walls especially if your house was constructed before the year 2000. The professionals will be able to advise you on the best course of action as well as if it’s dangerous.

To be sure if your Artex contains asbestos, you’ll need to have the artex sampled by an asbestos surveyor. If you’re planning to have a construction or maintenance work done on your property, and the artex is likely to be in the way or disturbed, there’s a need for you to have a refurbishment or demolition asbestos survey done. This will ensure that all the areas that’ll be disturbed by the work is properly tested to determine the presence or otherwise of asbestos. If found, the artex will have to be addressed and either removed or protected before any work can take place.

Although they’re pretty much outdated now, artex happens to be a very popular surface coating option just a few decades ago. Several homeowners with artex in recent times would either want to have them removed or cover them up with stuffs such as a wallpaper. So if you’re wondering whether or not it’s possible to wallpaper over artex, then there you have it. It’s possible to wallpaper over artex, however it’s not advisable as wallpaper may eventually crack over time. On the other hand, the artex can also create ridges beneath the wallpaper which allows unpleasant protrusions in the wallpaper. Instead of applying wallpaper over artex, a more permanent solution would be to cover it with drywall or wet plaster or perhaps just have it removed completely.

There are two types of wallpaper, there’s the thin wallpaper application which comes with adhesive on one side as well as a pattern or colour on the other side. With this, all you need do is simply to peel and stick. Then the other type is the sturdier wallpaper that’s more thick and requires a special wallpaper paste. However, it’s important to note that if you choose to wallpaper over your artex, you won’t be able to make use of the thin type of wallpaper, rather you’ll have to incorporate the sturdier  option which makes use of wallpaper paste.

The wallpaper paste is the product you mix with water to produce a paste which you’ll have to apply to your walls before applying the applying the regular wallpaper - one without adhesive on one side. Appling wallpaper to an artex decoration may just give you the updated appearance you so much desire.

If your artex ceiling is looking tired or you just fancy a change, you can try plastering over your artex. You have two options when it comes to plastering over your artex: plasterboard or skimming.

Covering your ceiling with plasterboard is a good option if you suspect the artex may contain asbestos. If done carefully, it doesn’t involve disturbing the artex, reducing the risk of asbestos exposure.

You also have the option to skim over your ceiling. The first steps to this involve removing loose and flaking parts, cutting off stipples and sanding your ceiling down. So, if there’s a chance your artex ceiling may contain asbestos, this isn’t the right solution for you. However, if you’re sure there’s no asbestos in your ceiling, then sanding down and skimming over your ceiling can be a great way to create an attractive result.

It’s worth noting that both putting up plasterboard and skimming plaster can be difficult jobs. Although possible to DIY, you’re likely to get much better results if you hire a professional.