Artexing was a popular form of decorating used in the 1970’s/ 80’s but today, many people prefer to have the artex removed to achieve smooth walls and ceilings.
Although the terminology used is “Artex Removal” it is important not to remove the peaks by physically scraping the artex off the walls as certain types of artex were made with asbestos. This can possibly be harmful to someone’s health if the dust particles are breathed in, therefore, the artex should be left intact and skimmed over with plaster.
Our policy is to send a small sample of the Artex material to a lab to test whether or not it contains any asbestos.
The most important part is the preparation prior to plastering because if the correct bonding agent is not used then the plaster skim could easily crack or blister and, in some cases, peel away from the wall altogether.
For normal porous walls two coats of PVA glue is applied but because of the smooth glossy texture of the Artex, we use a strong sand based pre-plastering bonding agent which is ideal for this type of surface and gives additional key/grip. This will require two coats and must be left to dry completely for at least 24 hours before plastering.
Depending on the thickness of the peaks it is worth pointing out that artexed walls and ceilings will require a lot more plaster material than a standard wall. This can take three coats instead of the normal two to gain the satisfactory finish required.
