is this artex?

Huggy_Bear

Can someone tell me whether I've got artex on my ceilings!?
It looks like artex, but it can be scraped smooth (well relatively smooth) very easily just with a scraper. It creates a chalk like dust. Its been coated on very thinly as well. Any ideas?


Many thanks

Debt_Free_Chick

Could it just be stippled plaster? Plaster applied and then an artex effect created with a stiff brush ....

nelly_2

what colour is it? Is it white?

Sounds like artex to me its easier to scrape than plaster

catkins

Be careful Artex used to contain Asbestos until a few years ago. Get it tested before you scrape anymore or you could end up killing yourself. Hope it is not but better safe than sorry.

kisk

Catkins beat me to it about the asbestos issue. The following advice from a council.

"My ceiling has a decorative coating (Artex, Pebblecoat and Wondetex used to contain chrysotile asbestos). How should I remove it?"
If possible, you should paint, cover or plaster over the decorative coating rather than remove it. There are products on the market for covering textured surfaces. Alternatively, if the coating is applied to a plasterboard surface, the whole board may be removed in pieces large enough for convenient handling and disposal. If you do wish to remove the surface finish only, reduce as much as possible the chance of you generating and inhaling any dust by soaking the surface with warm water and scraping off wet. Do not sand the decorative coating or scrape off dry. For best protection while doing any minor DIY work you should wear a disposable dust mask, 'CE' marked to EN 149 with FFP2 particulate filters.

Take care

Huggy_Bear

The house was built in 1997, so I'm I right to assume asbestos wasn't used?

RedOnRed

It sounds more like you've gone some sort of painted on Polytex sort of thing.

chez_2

Huggy_Bear wrote:

The house was built in 1997, so I'm I right to assume asbestos wasn't used?

I'd be interested to know the answer to this - our house was built around the same time.

mikeywills

Asbestos was used in the production of artex cement compounds during the 90' so it is a possibility, but unlikely. To be sure contact the original builders if you know who they were to see if you can find out. Alternatively, pva the ceiling and skim over it.

Huggy_Bear

Oh no!!!!! Disaster has occurred and I don't know what to do next.
Plasterer arrived this morning to skim over ceilings (which have been pva'd), the plaster seemed to go on ok, but then began to just fall of the ceiling!!!!

Not sure why this would happen. Has anyone got any ideas?

moob_2

Huggy_Bear wrote:

The house was built in 1997, so I'm I right to assume asbestos wasn't used?

Asbestos, to the best of my knowledge, was banned for use in building construction back in 1992. So, I wouldn't think it would be Asbestos.

"The Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 (as amended) ban the importation into the United Kingdom, and the supply and new use within Great Britain, of all products containing asbestos."

To answer you latter question, when you're proposing to skim over artex, it is best to take off the top layer of the substance and then PVA it, to create better adhesion of the plaster. The plasterer should know this.