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Artex is a type of interior surface coating, similar to plaster. It’s used to create decorative textured finishes on ceilings and walls, so it takes longer to dry than plaster.

Artex is actually a brand name, but it’s used to refer to similar products made by other manufacturers too. It was particularly popular in the 1970s, but is still used to create attractive wall and ceiling finishes today.

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 However, in today’s world, an artex ceiling is not only considered outdated but also a pain to clean and repair.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.

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.

The fact is several buildings contain artex as well as other textured coating on walls and ceilings which are all likely to contain asbestos. However, artex itself is not the main threat here but the potentially deadly harmful fibres that’s contained in it. In this post, we’re going to look at whether or not artex truly contains the deadly abestos.

The short and simply answer to this question is yes, artex can definitely contain asbestos, however not all artex will contain asbestos. The main reason asbestos was a popular construction material is because it was not only cheap and strong but also because it was very durable and long lasting. It was used in numerous construction materials ( which includes artex ) before it was finally banned in the year 1999. unfortunately during the time when artex was very popular in the 60’s, 70’s as well as 80’s, asbestos was still very much in use during the period. And as a result, a lot of the artex incorporated during that period will contain the deadly asbestos fibres. However, this does not only apply to artex, but also other textured coatings containing asbestos were incorporated in construction until 1999 when asbestos was formerly banned in the UK. These asbestos containing materials are often used on walls as well as ceilings of residential properties.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to know an asbestos containing artex just by looking at it. In order to determine whether or not an artex contains the deadly asbestos fibres, it’ll have to be sampled and tested in a laboratory. What’s more? While several artex contains asbestos, asbestos free artex was available from the 1970s. However, since it’s impossible to determine using the naked eye, all artex installed before the ban will be assumed to contain asbestos.

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.

Plasterboard or drywall is simply gypsum plaster covered from both sides by thick paper layers. It’s known to be a highly versatile product used on both interior walls and ceiling as a result of its numerous advantages. This popular material in residential buildings can be designed to be fire resistant, humidity resistant and noise resistant. They have a low impact on the environment, while also being quite easy to repair and perfect to hide stuffs from plain sight. Most home and property owners in the UK have this material installed in their space as despite the multiple benefits, they’re also quite affordable. However, if you’re thinking about installing a plasterboard on your ceiling, one challenge you’re likely to face is determining the appropriate plasterboard thickness to incorporate as this make or mar your entire project. In this post, we’re going to take a look at the right plasterboard thickness for ceiling so as to help you make an informed decision moving forward. Let’s take a look!

Firstly, let’s consider the size of the plasterboard sheet. The standard plasterboard sheet size is 120 cm in width and within the range of 180 cm to 360 cm in height. These sizes are designed to provide the much-needed support to the standard stud spacing which is 160 cm. Depending on the manufacturer, plasterboard can be in four different widths. Now talking about the thickness, there are two standard thicknesses of plasterboard - 9.5 mm and 12.5 mm. The sizes of plasterboard for ceilings are 9.5 mm or 10 mm. Most individuals tend to assume that the thicker the plasterboard the better, but this is absolutely false. A thicker plasterboard will only stick harder to the ceiling which will make it hard to seal joints if required.

Can You Plaster Over WallPaper?

If you have wallpaper installed on your wall surface and you’re considering plastering the wall, when you put into consideration the stress involved in removing a wallpaper you may want to consider plastering directly over the wallpaper. This is quite understandable as removing a wallpaper can be quite time consuming and tedious, but plastering directly over wallpaper is a mistake that should never be made. Plastering over wallpaper is in no way a viable option due to the fact that it can only turn out disastrous after a couple of weeks or even days in some cases as the plaster will crack and crumble. As a result, you’ll have to firstly scrape off the wallpaper in order to assist the plaster get to be firmly secured to the wall behind.

When you plaster over a wallpaper, this will make the wallpaper wet and it’ll absorb the moisture. And once the plaster does not have moisture, the only result is for it to crack and start to crumble. Hence, plaster and wallpaper is never a good combination.

Asides from cracking and crumbling, anther issue is that the wallpaper will bubble. You can actually key the wallpaper with the help of a knife and it might look secured for some time, however it’ll eventually crumble and you’d have to scrape off the plaster complete to start all over again. The wallpaper will bubble as the plaster can’t be keyed into a wallpaper and the wallpaper will only work as a barrier between the plaster and the wall.

Overall, plaster always needs to slowly dry off as well as a good and proper surface to grip to. No matter the amount of PVA mix you spread on the wallpaper, it will always remain a barrier. So you’d have to remove the wallpaper completely to get a great result.

Also commonly referred to as drywall, plasterboard is an incredibly versatile product which features a sandwich of gypsum plaster between thick paper layers. It’s mainly used on both walls and ceilings due to the wide range of benefits it provides. Not only can plasterboard be made to be humidity resistant, fire resistant as well as noise resistant, but they’re also known to have a low environment impact, easy to repair and can be used to conceal stuff from plain sight. As a result of these benefits couple with the fact that they also happen to be quite affordable, plasterboard has grown to become a ubiquitous phenomenon in modern residential buildings.

When it comes to the installation of plasterboard on ceilings, one of the major sources of concern for several homeowners is the determination of the thickness required to ensure a durable and long-lasting project. If you’re planning to fit plasterboard on your ceiling and wondering the thickness that’ll be appropriate, then you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight on what plasterboard to use for ceilings. Let’s take a look!

First and foremost, the standard plasterboard sheet size is 120 cm in width and within the range of 180 cm to 360 cm in height. These sizes are designed to provide the much-needed support to the standard stud spacing which is 160 cm. Depending on the manufacturer, plasterboard can be in four different widths. Now talking about the thickness, there are two standard thicknesses of plasterboard - 9.5 mm and 12.5 mm. The sizes of plasterboard for ceilings are 9.5 mm or 10 mm. Most individuals tend to assume that the thicker the plasterboard the better, but this is absolutely false. A thicker plasterboard will only stick harder to the ceiling which will make it hard to seal joints if required.