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Artex is a water based decorative surface coating is typically incorporated on both walls and ceilings so as to apply a pattern. During the peak of its popularity in the 1970’s, it was considered the height of fashion when it comes to interior wall designs however its major drawback remains the fact that it usually contains asbestos especially if it was manufactured before the laws governing the use of asbestos was changed in the year 2000. And asbestos, as we know it, can be deadly when disturbed and its fibres are inhaled.

If you have artex installed in your purchased property and you do not know when the artex walls were done, or perhaps you just want to change the aesthetic design of your home into something more modern and to your personal taste, then you may want to remove the existing artex from your property for good. If this is your wish then you’ve come to the right place.

To remove artex from your walls you can choose to do so using the steaming method or through the use of an external product.

Using the steaming method, you should know that it’ll be more labour intensive and time consuming. You need a lot of patience moving your steamer slow and steady because if left on a spot for too long can damage the wall behind the coating. Once the artex has been dampened with the steamer, you can then scrape them off with a handheld scraper.

A faster solution would be to use an external product to remove your artex.  For example, you can use X-Tex which is a water-based coating remover. All you need to do is paint the substance over your artex wall and leave to dry for about 30 to 60 minutes before peeling away the artex.

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.

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.

How Much To Plaster A Room?

Generally, the standard of plastering in older houses leaves a lot to be desired. Having settled for so many years, there is a lot of tendency that anything brittle will break or crumble with the movement. And this is exactly where plasters fall.

Plaster provides a wide range of functions in your home and as a result, has grown to become very popular amongst several homeowners. So if you want to plaster a room, you might just wish to estimate the cost so you can set a budget and start to plan. However, there’s no short and simple answer to this as the cost of plastering is based on a number of factors. These factors include the dimensions of the room, the accessibility of the surface, the condition of the existing plaster as well as the size of the company.

So if you want to paster your room, you can either remove the old plaster or skim a 3mm plaster coat over the existing one. In respect to the two options, the prices will also vary. However, several plastering experts will charge either on the average room size or a daily rate. This is due to the fact that they know approximately the number of area they can cover in a day’s work. You can, however, request a quotation which specifies the costs per square metre in order to allow you compare with other contractors. In reality, several plastering professionals use either small, medium or large sized room as the yard stick for providing a quote.

Generally, for a small sized room, you’ll have to pay about £600 to £700, a medium sized will cost within the range of £650 to £1000, while a large sized room will cost between the range of £1000 to £1500.

Cutting a plasterboard is a relatively simple process requiring only some basic tools. Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge serves as big deterrent for many people who wishes to put it to good use. Plasterboard can actually be sawn using an ordinary timber saw that’s fine-toothed to get a cleaner edge. However, the basic tools you may also need includes a sharp knife (Stanley Knife), pencil, a fine sandpaper, a straight edge and measurement tape as well as a wall board saw. Let’s have a look at the cutting process!

✓ Firstly, you need to put the plasterboard sheet flat on a firm surface.

✓ Use the tape measurement to measure the cut you wish to make.

✓ With the help of a pencil, simply mark out the part you wish to cut on the plasterboard’s front side.

✓ Once marked, place a spirited level over the marked spot on the plasterboard sheet you want to cut.

✓ Cut a shallow mark into the plasterboard sheet using the Stanley Knife to cut along the edge.

✓ The cut should be slow and gradual to ensure you do not wander off the edge of the marked area.

✓ Once the shallow cut has been made, turn the plasterboard sheet on its edge and deliver a quick and sharp push towards the plasterboard’s back and on one side of the cut.

✓ Place the plasterboard sheet backing against a flat surface ensuring the line of the cut is over an edge. Once done, give a quick and sharp push towards the back of the plasterboard sheet and on the part of the board is reaches beyond the edge.

✓ Using a fine sandpaper, remove all forms of paper burrs.

The process of cutting plasterboard requires a lot of practice. If you lack the training and experience, the cutting process is best left to a proficient professional who can guarantee the best results the first time and save you some additional costs due to potential damages.

Can You Plaster Over Artex?

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, you can plaster over Artex. However, you must also note that plastering over Artex may not be the best choice as Artex is porous and as such, you’d have to detach the stripping so as to get a smooth and even coating. In the event whereby your ceilings or walls have Artex on them, you’ll have to smooth the Artex in order to obtain a plaster of solid coat.

✓ Preparing Artex for plastering. First and foremost, you’ll have to detach any bumps before you can plaster over the Artex. Do note that you don’t have to completely remove the Artex, all that’s needed is just enough to get a coat of plaster. Make use of a scraper to get rid of the bumps on various Artex designs like swirl and bark. Once you’re through getting rid of as much bumps as possible, there’s the need to seal the Artex due to the fact that it can absorb the moisture out of the plaster which will cut the time to get a good finish to little or nothing. You can use a PVA and water mix to do the job!

✓ The PVA mix. This is done to seal off the porous Artex in order to stop it from absorbing moisture from your plaster which can make it start to crack and crumble. To do this, simply mix half PVA and half water, then use a brush to paint the mixture over the plastering area. Once done, you can give the plastering surface about two to three coats and wait for the solution to dry off within a hour or two.

Plastering over Artex is not as hard as it seems, but if you lack the confidence to complete the task, simply contact a professional for help.

Artexing a ceiling can be a tricky job, but whether you’re considering hiring a professional or DIY, it’s helpful to know how it’s done.

Artex is available either in a paste or powder form. The paste is ideal if you’re making small repairs or additions to an existing ceiling. But, if you have a whole ceiling to cover, the powder is more cost effective. When you’re ready to get started, you’ll need to mix the powder up with cold water according to the instructions.

It’s possible to artex over plaster, plasterboard or paint. If you have a plasterboard surface, you should tape and fill any joints or cracks before you begin. Plaster and plasterboard both require a coat of sealant or primer first. You can usually artex straight over paint, but any gloss paint should be sanded down, and any dark paints covered with a layer of white.

Artexing can get quite messy, so make sure you empty the room you’re working in as much as possible, lay down sheets and wear protective clothing and glasses. You might want to practice on a piece of board before you start on the ceiling.

Start by using a brush or roller to cover a 500 square cm area with a generous layer of artex. Then use a brush, comb or roller to create your chosen texture. Every time you do a new section of ceiling, try to blend it with the other sections you’ve done. Don’t be tempted to cover the whole ceiling before you start adding texture – the artex will dry too quickly for you to do it all in time.

Artex usually needs 12-24 hours in a well-ventilated space to dry completely.

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.