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 However, in today’s world, an artex ceiling is not only considered outdated but also a pain to clean and repair.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

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.

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.

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.

What Is Plaster Made Of?

Plaster is one of the most commonly used materials when it comes to building construction. It’s a crucial component that’s incorporated in coating walls, ceilings as well as partitions and it hardens on drying. Plastering is one of the most ancient building materials which has taken over mud to plaster reed or sapling huts so as to serve as a protection against the elements. Here, we’re going to take a look at the multiple compositions of plaster. These components are very important due to the fact that they form a protective coating on whatever they are used on. They work to protect surfaces such as ceiling and underlying walls from scratches or any form of damage.

Plaster comprises a few materials which includes gypsum, lime or cement and all operates in a similar way. Gypsum is made of calcium sulfate dihydrate and it’s the main component of main forms of plaster, sidewalk chalk, blackboard, drywall and more. Meanwhile, lime plaster is made up of sand, water and lime ( mostly non hydraulic hydrated lime). And lastly, cement which is a mix of suitable plaster, portland cement, sand as well as water.

The plaster is usually produced as a dry powder which is mixed thoroughly with water to create a stiff but also a paste that’s workable immediately before it’s applied to the wall or ceiling.

It’s quite easy to confuse a drywall with a plaster but there are some differences. Not only is plaster a much older style of wall construction than dry wall, but it’s also a lot more expensive than installing a drywall. Plaster walls are also able to provide you with a more durable finish when compared to a drywall and it makes for a better quality finish.

Installing a plasterboard on your ceiling is a cool way to modernize your property. Over the past couple of decades, there has bee an increasing number of trends associated with plastering of both walls and ceilings such as rounded edges and textured plaster. However, in recent times, home and property owners are now looking to install more of sharp edges. If you’re planning to plaster your ceiling, you’d probably want to know just how much this project is going to cost. If yes, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll give you a rough estimate of ceiling plastering costs.

There are a plethora of factors the can influence the price of plastering your ceiling. These pricing components includes the following:

✓ Size. As you would have expected, the larger the job, the more the overall cost. However, the price per square metre will reduce which means that the cost of plastering a small ceiling space will cost more per square metre than the cost of plastering a larger ceiling space per square metre.

✓ Materials. We have a wide range of plasterboard available in the market. If you need a fire retardant, acoustic or other types of specialist plasterboard, you can expect to pay higher than standard plasterboards.

✓ Location. Just like many other home improvement projects, the cost of plastering ceiling varies greatly throughout the UK. Places such as London and the South East have the highest prices due to the high standard of living as well as greater demands.

In general, to plaster a ceiling (small 2 m x 2 m) - overboard and plaster will cost within the range of £200 to about £300. Also, to plaster a ceiling (large 5 m x 6 m) - overboard and plaster will cost within the range of £400 to about £600. The average plasterer’s daily rate (including material) is about £180 to £300 and ceiling plastering cost per square metre ranges between £20 to £40.

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.

Also referred to as drywall, plasterboard is a panel that features an inner layer of gypsum and spread between facer as well as backer paper. It is mostly incorporated in the construction of both interior walls and ceilings. Plasterboard can be made to be humidity resistant, fire resistant as well as noise resistant. Due to these reasons and also the fact that it’s very easy to install and very affordable, plasterboard is a very popular choice when it comes to interior walls and ceilings.

One of the major issues that most homeowners face when fitting plasterboard is the thickness required to make the project a long lasting one. But not to worry, we got you covered! If you’re about to install plasterboard for your ceiling and wondering the thickness that’ll be appropriate, then you’ve come to the right place. In general, 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.

Plasterboards are a great noise insulators which can also reduce disturbances from other activities. As a result, for walls, size of plasterboards that’s considered appropriate for walls is 12.5 mm or 13 mm.