Best way to cover artex?

DRP

We moved in February last year and we’re 4 down, 4 to go.

Skimming worked pretty pretty well. 

Mojisola

Skimming works well as long as the artex is still firmly attached - if it isn't, the weight of the plaster can bring it down.

DRP

Mojisola said:

Skimming works well as long as the artex is still firmly attached - if it isn't, the weight of the plaster can bring it down.

Yeh the plasterer would prefer boarding I think. Skimming is at your own risk. 

wallofbeans

I've had a few quotes now. Last one tomorrow. And more have suggested skimming when coming back with a quote.  I’m happy to go with whatever is the better option - and I certainly don’t want it to fall down! 

FreeBear

I take it this is an older property ?

If you have lath & plaster ceilings, the artex could well be hiding quite a few cracks. In addition, if distemper had been used on the ceiling at some point in the past, the artex will not have a very good bond with the underlying plaster. Skimming may work in the short term, but there is a good chance that cracks will reappear and/or lumps of skim will fall down.

Overboarding will work as long as you can get ~90% of the screws in to the joists - Screwing to the laths is placing too much faith in rusty old nails securing the laths. Taking down the old ceiling entirely is the nuclear option - Very, very messy work, but it gives you the opportunity to put insulation in, move electrics & plumbing if needed.

pmartin86

You really need to find out if you have asbestos or not - you can get some kits from various places and self-test easily enough.

As for the "solution" - depends on several factors - Do you want the "best" job for the long term or the "that will do" job? Assuming asbestos, and over skim is the easiest, any decent plasterer can do this for you. If you plan to live there "forever" and want it perfect (and no asbestos) you can pull the whole thing down, stick now boards up and skim that (while adding/changing any cabling/water pipes etc and adding insulation etc at the same time

Bigphil1474

If it does contain asbestos, then over boarding might not be the best option. You shouldn't be screwing into any asbestos containing materials as the dust it will create is where the danger is, although it will be a relatively low risk. I would recommend having it tested and if it is ACM, then have it skimmed over. If it was a business premises then you'd either need to stick an asbestos warning label on it, or keep an inventory somewhere. Not suggesting you have to do that, but it's worth thinking of the next owner. 
We had our old artex completely removed in the living room and main bedroom - fortunately it was part of an insurance claim due to subsidence as it was an expensive job. We had to have both rooms enclosed with the full 3 stage access tunnel and people walking round suited up like a scene from E.T. The guy who first came to test said you need to test the oldest part of the artex - for ours there was a small section which looked like it was an older layer of artex (as if it had been over artexed over), so he tested that. 

Bendy_House

How old is your property, WoB?

If the ceilings are p'board - and most likely they are - and the artex not riven with cracks, then there's virtually no chance of a further skim bringing it down.

So, I'd just have it skimmed - the plasterer will use PVA or Bluegrit first, and that's their call.

Easy peasy, and results should be spot on.

Entirely up to you whether to have the artex tested, but I'd certainly note down the fact there IS artex there in your house file.

No house file?! No harm in starting one - just a Word doc of accumulated info that could be helpful to the next owner; locations of stopcock, isolating valves, operation of house alarm, that sort of stuff.

wallofbeans

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies. To answer some questions:

• The house is a Victorian terrace, built in approximately 1900.

• There's only this one room with the artex type ceiling and the effect only goes as far as where the built in wardrobes used to be. Which means it was probably put up in the 90s, maybe late 80s. 

• There is one clear crack along the ceiling, going almost all the way across about a third of the way into the room.

• There are some lath and plaster walls for sure, I'm not sure about the ceiling though. 

• I don't want to have to completey replace the ceilings unless I have to. I have no other work needed in or around this room.

• I'm planning on being here for ten years at most I would think. It's not a forever home.

• And I have started a house file. I've been here a year and am still finding odd things that weren't mentioned (probably not ever looked at) by previous owners, and have dealt with quite a lot of stuff already. This will be added. 

Thanks again for all this. I'm glad I asked. I just need to decide what to do now. As I said, most plasterers I've spoken to seem to think skimming is the way to go, but I'm not sure how carefully they've looked - one quote was done after I emailed photos!

Bendy_House

wallofbeans said:

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies. To answer some questions:

• The house is a Victorian terrace, built in approximately 1900.

• There's only this one room with the artex type ceiling and the effect only goes as far as where the built in wardrobes used to be. Which means it was probably put up in the 90s, maybe late 80s. 

• There is one clear crack along the ceiling, going almost all the way across about a third of the way into the room.

• There are some lath and plaster walls for sure, I'm not sure about the ceiling though. 

• I don't want to have to completey replace the ceilings unless I have to. I have no other work needed in or around this room.

• I'm planning on being here for ten years at most I would think. It's not a forever home.

• And I have started a house file. I've been here a year and am still finding odd things that weren't mentioned (probably not ever looked at) by previous owners, and have dealt with quite a lot of stuff already. This will be added. 

Thanks again for all this. I'm glad I asked. I just need to decide what to do now. As I said, most plasterers I've spoken to seem to think skimming is the way to go, but I'm not sure how carefully they've looked - one quote was done after I emailed photos!

I'm afraid i don't really know what to suggest, then :-(

IF the ceiling is still lath, then I'd personally have it fully redone - and I don't mean overboarding, but removing and boarding - but that is MESSY! That's what I would do, but then I'd be DIYing it.

I'd personally be wary of skimming over an old, original, lath ceiling.

Of course, the ceilings could easy have been replaced at some point, so unless you know it's lath, then the decision is more tricky. The 'easy' solution to make is to overboard first.

If you remove a ceiling light, you might be able to tell.