I want smooth walls (Artex/Plastering questions)

lipidicman

Good advice

What does worry me is leaving the artex there and needing to declare it when selling. Also, the artex was probably put on to cover some ropy plastering and in other threads people have said the weight of the skim brought the whole lot down!!!

Mental_Mentor

TO the best of my knowledge - someone out there may argue with me- asbestos is only dangerous if it's disturbed! I would cover it and keep quiet. So shoot me

lipidicman

Yes, dangerous if disturbed. I guess that includes skimming over and then needing to drill a hole in the wall. I would say that you need to inform people when selling your house......

wishingonastar_3

can i point out that "artex" containing asbestos comes under the licensing regulations if you look on the Health and Safety website, and has to be removed by a licensed contractor. (licensed by the HSE). to remove it any other way is illegal.

mercurystar999

I think that they are in the process of re evaluating asbestos. The particles from ceilings as with artex will soon be de regualted i think? They are re classing all and some will not need to be told about?

wishingonastar_3

mercurystar999 wrote:

I think that they are in the process of re evaluating asbestos. The particles from ceilings as with artex will soon be de regualted i think? They are re classing all and some will not need to be told about?

it is under discussion to possibly remove artex from the asbestos licensing laws, but no decision has been made on it yet, and the new "Control of Asbestos at Work" regulations won't come in til either later this year or maybe even next year.

George_Bray

lipidicman wrote:

...I favour removal of the artex and complete replastering. This isnt a smooth over job!

My approach was a combination of the two, I guess. By replastering, I thought I was 'smoothing over'.

I'm shocked to hear my mid-80s build Artex could contain asbestos, though. I had no idea, and just chipped it off the ceiling as much as I could, then turned to coarse sandpaper, resulting in clouds of dust. The result was fairly smooth. I then smoothed over that base with cheap (standard) gypsum plaster, and after a further sanding and some paint, the job was done. I wouldn't waste my money on proprietary over-priced 'specialist' products.

But is it likely a mid-80s house built by one of the largest national building firms would contain asbestos? A Channel 4 web site suggests it was only used up to the 70s. Also, why do they say not to sand it, like I did, assuming it doesn't contain asbestos. If my Artex is asbestos-free, I would use the same approach again, tomorrow.


http://www.channel4.com/4homes/diyandbuilding/ask/tony_lush_artex_removing.html

The above site says:

"Before, removing Artex, please consider the following:

* Warning! Artex applied prior to the mid -1970s may contain ASBESTOS - DO NOT sand it, knock off the high bits or try to remove it, unless the product you are using to remove it states otherwise.
* ...Do not sand Artex either with a power sander or by hand. Always wear a dusk mask and safety glasses when doing this work. Wear gloves. Read the instructions for any material or tool used and follow them carefully."

Regards
George

wishingonastar_3

the official ban on the manufacture of asbestos in Artex came in in 1984 in this country, but there is no guaruntee for how long old supplies were used up.

beccatt

On the strength of the recommendation of polycell smooth over here we bought a tub (£27 for 7 litres) to try and get our artexed bathroom ceiling smooth.
To be honest we were disappointed - we both thought it would have some sort of self-levelling effect or a different consistency to make the finish smooth but it's basically just a big tub of ready mixed filler/polyfill which you could probably get as a mix-it-up-yourself powder for a lot cheaper.
We've done a bit of plastering and filling in other areas of our house and this product didn't improve the finish at all compared to to others - you would need to do some major sanding to get it looking ok. I reckon the only person who could get it looking really smooth would be a skilled plasterer and then they would just use a £5 bag of plaster instead!
I just wanted to share our experiences and warn others that this isn't a particularly great moneysaver - think we're going to give up and save up to get it done professionally instead.

lipidicman

To be honest beccatt none of what you say surprises me!