Everybody has their own personal views on artex; some people love it some hate it. Whatever your view on artex if you want to remove it then you may have your work cut out. Artex is a wall coating that is hardened and can be sculpted into various patterns and textures. It used to be strengthened by asbestos being added to it which can make it dangerous if not disposed of properly.

There are various ways to remove artex. One option is to remove it with a sander, however this is not advisable as some artex, especially in older houses, can contain asbestos and sanding pushes tiny particles of asbestos into the air which you may then inhale. A safer alternative option is to use a steamer and a scraper and manually remove the artex which is a lot harder than it sounds and could therefore take you a while. Another way to remove artex from your wall is to skim or plaster over it. This can be quite a big job and unless you have plastering experience and for that reason is better left to a professional plasterer like the expert plasterers and screeders that can be found on www.localtraders.com.

If you do want to tackle the DIY plastering job yourself then you will need to follow a few steps. The first is always fill any cracks and remove any loose chips of artex or your plaster may crack and fall off taking you back to square one. Once this is done you will need a good coat of pva glue on the artex, to help the plaster bond to the wall or ceiling. Finally make sure you get at least 2 coats of plaster or more over the artex when skimming to give a good clean smooth coat to your ceiling or wall and once dry you should have a clean smooth surface to paint or paper.

Related Posts

1. Getting Rid of Artex – Plaster Over or Remove It?
2. Disasters Or What?
3. A Simple Guide To Applying Wall Tiles
4. Can my Ceiling or Wall be plastered over after a leak?
5. Decorating Your Home – Preparing To Hang Wallpaper