Artex ... but not??

onedayiwill

Had a plasterer in yesterday to give us a quote on skimming over artex on our living room walls.

Plasterer came in and asked "are you sure it's artex because I don't think so". I asked him what it was if it wasn't, and he said he thought it was something that had been put over paper but didn't elaborate, except to say that we should investigate what it was because it might be that skimming over it might cause more problems if the water from the plaster were absorbed by the paper....

So, we found a crack in the wall covering and picked at it and scraped a little corner (carefully) and lo and behold it turns out that whatever this textured covering is, appears to be on a fabric backing of some kind which at least in the bit that we were looking at can be easily pulled off the wall.

Do we have any decorators here who might be able to enlighten usas to what this is? Would artex ever be put on a fabric backing?

We are a little wary of just ripping it off (even though it looks like it could be, and it would make our life easier and cheaper!) because we were told that old artex might contain asbestos and that we shouldn't try taking it off the wall due to the risk that the dust from doing this might pose ....

For info, the house was built in the 1930's and has only had two previous families occupying it - the rooms which had wallpaper we have only had to strip one layer to get back to the original paintwork.

onedayiwill

Hmmmm. Really? No one has seen stuff like this on their walls before? Oh well...

Yorkshire_Bred

Maybe post a picture up for us to look at? sounds more like a textured paint than Artex - try steaming a small section to see what it comes off like, at least this way there will be no dust.

The paper below maybe what is known as scrim backed lining paper, this is generally used on problem walls and helps prevent cracks re appearing through a finished surface.

onedayiwill

Thanks.

powerRIP - not woodchip, though we have plenty of that as well (mostly on ceilings ...!). Lucky us

Yorkshire Bred: have uploaded some photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoe73/sets/72157622624173113/

Unfortunately don't have steamer to try on it.

wallbash

Have not a clue , but I think you stand a good chance of getting some answers due to the great pictures.
Yes a picture is worth a thousand words .

Chippy_Minton_2

Looks like some sort of woodchip type paper that has been put onto cover a hessian type wall covering.

wallbash

Right now willing to start an argument :rolleyes:
How dangerous is it to remove an artex wallcovering /ceiling .

:eek::eek:

Lets be clear , blue asbestos can be lethal, even the smallest particles of dust :eek:

But artex has never contained Blue asbestos.
How dangerous is white asbestos ???

Asbestos , when left alone , is not dangerous, any one over forty ??
will remember asbestos used in schools . There is masses of asbestos garages and sheds all over the UK.

The normal rule is don't play with it .
And if you have to , get it wet , no dust.

So , i would not sand it but would not be greatly worries about removing it in a wet/damp condition .

Have tried to find out if any one has contracted mesothelioma, from artex .

The only article I found

http://www.mass-ltd.com/news002.htm

Makes interesting reading .

Would like the views ( with evidence ) Of others,

Realise some will just refuse to touch ....... Asbestos !!!

onedayiwill

Sorry Chippy Minton - definitely not wood chip....

There doesn't appear to be any paper between the fabric backing and the textured stuff so I guess the fabric isn't part of the scrim backed lining paper that Yorkshire Bred mentions. What would it be?

How thick is artex on wall normally? (never had it in a house before so don't know). Are there other kinds of textured finishes? I don't think it's a textured paint because the colour doesn't go right through it...

Now I'm particularly interested because no one else seems to have encountered this before... it looks like it would be so easy to pull off with that fabric backing to help - no horrible scraping or anything. It's so tempting ...! But if it's artex I guess it needs a bit more care.

ormus

just looks like hessian wall covering. it was all the rage some yrs ago. expensive!
then painted/papered over at some stage. and then painted over.

rhubarbcottage

Hi,

I think the same as ormus. I remember hessian wall covering being very fashionable in the 1970's (when I was a kid ).

Whereas now we remove everything back to the plaster, people then just wallpapered over wallpaper over wallpaper!

Looks like a previous owner moved with the times and covered the hessian with artex.

Hth.

onedayiwill

Ormus - I can go with the hessian wall covering as the bottom layer....

...but that doesn't explain the texture with the random swirls (or does it??) ... there is definitely a thin layer of a plasteryish substance with lumpy bumpy swirly texture - though not as defined as I would have expected from artex going by the combed ceilings I've previoulsy seen - applied directly on top of the hessian and then two coats of paint (one greenish, the top coat whiteish)...

Why would anyone think it was a good idea to put this stuff all over a previously expensive wall covering .... !! Still, if it makes it easier to remove, who am I to complain ..

So everyone, if it were you would you just rip it off the wall or would you apply more caution?