Call Now
01902 928218
​​Click for Mobile Devices

​Wolverhampton's
Premier Plastering Service
​ Seriously Smooth Plasterers
​(Commercial Premises too)

Artex Removal 

Artex  Even the name sounds ugly. Artex was the brand name for a form of plaster, dense and very hard, applied liberally for several decades. Its found right across the country, in properties from Cornwall to Ayrshire. If your home was built in the 1970's or 1980's there is a good chance it has Artex on its ceilings, and if you are very unlucky, on your walls too. 

It was considered fashionable back then. A break from the boring smooth ceilings of the past. After all, who wanted smooth ceilings, when you could have swirls and peaks ? It was also applied to hide cracked and tired ceilings, rather than having them skimmed.

Nowadays, Artex is considered an aberration. A blight on your home. Most people hate it, and nobody would choose to have it installed. 

Artex removal is a thriving business. But its also a very unpleasant business. Removal is hard work, and potentially dangerous too. Artex contains white asbestos, added to give strength and for fireproofing purposes. It was officially banned, and removed from Artex in 1985, but its still found in Artex ceilings until the late 1990's.

White asbestos is the least dangerous form, as its water soluble and will be flushed from your body over time. But there are still health implications which need to be taken very seriously. Always be cautious when dealing with any form of asbestos, and if in doubt, consult a professional.

Check the HSE website for further information.

If you search on YouTube, you will find hundreds of videos detailing how to remove Artex for yourself. And who can blame people for wanting it gone ? But removing Artex from your ceilings is extremely hard work. Its not something to be taken lightly.

Some videos suggest you can soften and melt it off with wallpaper strippers. We definitely don't recommend trying this, and would always suggest you use a professional, if only because of the health risks. You might think we would recommend using a professional because we want the work, but in truth, we have seen so many disasters after homeowners tried to remove their own Artex, we just want you to avoid the stress and upset. 

For the professional, there are four options available when removing Artex

Plastering
This would seem to be the most obvious way to replace Artex. Just plaster over it. Hide it. Job done.

Sadly, its not that easy.

The Artex surface needs to be prepared first, to accept the plaster. This involves scraping it, to remove the peaks. In doing so, asbestos is likely to be released into the environment. Its a dirty, dusty and unpleasant task. Its also extremely time consuming. Its certainly not the preferred option. 

Bonding the Artex
This is considered the 'old school' method, as its used by plasterers with decades of experience. A bonding agent is used, and spread over the surface of the Artex. It bonds easily and permanently. It is then levelled, to produce a good surface to receive conventional plaster. No scraping is involved, and the asbestos is safely bonded into the agent. 

Its not an easy job. It requires a great deal of skill, and is definitely best left to the professional. 

Remove, Board and Skim
As it says, this involves removing the entire ceiling, and replacing it with plaster boards. These are then plastered to give an entirely new and smooth ceiling. It gives a great result, but is a lot of work, and ceiling removal does cause a lot of mess and disruption. 

Over Boarding
Over boarding is a derivative of the previous method, but instead of removing the Artex ceiling, it is boarded over, using ceiling boards. The boards are then plastered, giving a smooth new ceiling. Your old Artex ceiling is encased under the new ceiling 

This method is our preferred option, in most cases. There is far less mess and disruption than when a ceiling is completely removed. Its quicker and more cost effective. A few inches of head height are lost, but that's not significant unless your ceilings are already very low. 

Hopefully you can see that Artex removal is not for the fainthearted. We certainly don't recommend you try it, unless you really know what you are doing. If in doubt, always consult a professional plasterer. We are happy to discuss the options with you, and advise you on the best route to take.

Plastering Wolverhampton have removed hundreds of Artex ceilings, and we would be more than happy to remove yours too. Over boarding is relatively quick and gives a great result. You'll love your new ceiling.

Give us a call, and lets bring your home into the twenty-first century.

Local Plasterers in Wolverhampton

Call Us Now
01902 928218

Plastering Wolverhampton
​Friendly, Efficient and Skilful

Our Happy Customers

Use a Pro

We inherited a house with Artex ceilings. I fancied removing them myself, but I heard some stories about asbestos so decided I'd use a professional instead. I am very pleased I did. I used Plastering Wolverhampton and I am very happy with the standard of their work.
​
Harry
Wolverhampton

​Artex

I lived with my Artex ceilings for long enough. They had to go. I cannot fault Plastering Wolverhampton. They were really good. The mess was minimal and the job was done well. I was worried about the disruption but they were clean and tidied up after. 


Barry P
Penn

​Call Us Now
01902 928218
​​Click to Call from Mobiles

Artex Testimonial

Plastering Wolverhampton removed my Artex ceilings. They boarded and plastered them. The rooms look so good now and I really cannot recommend them highly enough. It was cheaper than I expected too. I put it off for ages because of the expense. But I wish I had done it ages ago. 
​
Mr Peter Johnson
Wolverhampton

Contact Plastering Wolverhampton Now

Fill in the form for a quick call back