For some strange reason, before I was born in the 1980s, it was all the rage to Artex your ceilings and walls. Today, less strange is the rise in demand from customers to cover up and smooth over this awful fashion craze. However most Artexing contains asbestos, which is carcinogenic if inhaled. Which is why it is critical for the health and safety of yourself and your family that you have a professional check the Artex before doing anything!
My general rule of thumb is, if you’re unsure whether a substance is carcinogenic or not, best leave it alone or let a professional deal with it. If you are a die hard DIYer and you wish to try and cover up that Artex yourself, here is our simple plasterers guide.
Remember, I am a plasterer not an instructor, so this guide is written in plasterer’s English for people who have a basic understanding of plastering and a reasonable level of confidence. Instructions
1) Wear all necessary Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). Gloves, dust mask and goggles. 2) Apply Scrim tape over any cracks in the ceiling. 3) Add a priming layer of weak PVA (1 part water, 5 parts) and allow to dry. 4) Add a good layer of strong PVA (5 parts glue, 1 water) all over the ceiling. 5) Wait for it to go tacky. 6) Mix a heavier and thicker paste of Multi Finish than you normally would. (You can use and apply Bonding Plaster for the next stage, if you’re not confident with you skills. However Bonding Plaster will take a day to dry out before you can apply stage 11.) 7) Apply over Artex ceiling creating a new and flatter surface, if you find any high spikes of Artex than cut them out with your trowel remembering to have your PPE on. 8) Repeat stages 6 and 7 until ceiling is covered. 9) First Layer complete. 10) Once the plaster has started to set. 11) Mix a new batch of normal Multi finish plaster. 12) Apply over the first layer. 13) Repeat stages 9 and 10 until ceiling is covered. (If you used Bonding Plaster you’ll need to add another layer of multi finish for the best results.) 14) When appropriate, start the wet trowels and fill any gaps or holes with leftover paster. 15) Finish with a plastering polish. 16) Admire and take photos of your work. Or visit www.trusted traders.which.co.uk for a competitive quote.
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