Artex or woodchip?!

[SiH]

Afternoon all
My wife and I have recently moved into a mid 19th century property, and are doing our best to look after it!
What we thought would be a relatively simple task (stripping the landing and stairs, and repainting) has got a bit more tricky when I discovered that the plaster was a thin skim on some sort of textured coating.
However, I'm not sure if it's Artex or woodchip. Obviously if it's the former I need to take a lot more care because of the Asbestos risk.

It seems to come off in sections of 'sheets', and seemed a little sticky when the back was moistened on a test piece, which made me think it was woodchip. However, when I started chipping off a test corner piece by a ceiling, I wasn't so sure.

Reason is the coating is on the ceiling as well - the ceiling looks very much like Artex as the texture 'hangs' with gravity. However, the wall coating seems to run into the ceiling coating, with no discernible ceilings.
Cana nyone tell me what I'm dealing with here?
Cheers in advance!
Si

Photos:

Wall by frame:

Ceiling:

Join I'm talking about:

 

[Richard C]

With the uneven & pointed peaks, it looks more like Artex to me. The older stuff does contain asbestos but it’s very low & not considered hazardous enough to require a licence to remove it. As long as you take sensible precautions like damping down & wear a face mask you will be OK but don’t start sanding the stuff or creating dust. Disposing of it is another matter though & you will need to bag it & take it to your nearest council disposal depot; they will charge you though.

I used to remove it but, TBH, if it’s sound your better off plastering over it; it does require a bit more knowledge & skill but can be completely successful if you know what your doing.

 

[SiH]

Cheers for the speedy reply
The thing that puzzles me is that I thought Artex would be thicker?

Unfortunately the plaster behind it is cracked and blown in places, and I can't afford to lose space by boarding over the top. So my plan is to strip it back and board straight ontot he wall, then get it skimmed.

Regarding the damping down - I'm chiselling it off with the plaster by using a bolster behind the plaster against the bare brick, so it's coming off in big 'flakes'. Am I better off steaming off the textured finish and then going mad with the bolster?

 

[joe-90]

It's a textured paint.

 

[TheDec]

I agree with Joe that is probably either polyripple or polytex, or something very similar.

Dec

 

[SiH]

Now I'm confused!
If it helps, I think the the skim of plaster that was over the top was from about 1990, so the textured finish could realistically be any time before this. Does that tie in with the texture paint theory? And would the paint tie int o be a slightly 'rubbery' coat?

Apologies for all the daft question - I'm not questioning anyone's knowledge, just trying to do this all properly and safely

 

[Richard C]

It's a textured paint.

Yes could be.

If Artex, a steamer will keep it damped down & assist removal & as the plaster is shot anyway, no problem with popping that through too much heat.

A couple of things to be aware of;
If external walls are involved, the render/plaster is classed as a thermal element &, as far as Building Regulations go, removing 25% or more of it back to brick requires you upgrade insulation to current standards. You’re unlikely to get found unless you’re having other building work inspected by LABC but others have been caught out by observant BI’s & you could end up with a nasty & rather more expensive shock.

Additionally, solid external brick walls are unsuitable for dot & dab plasterboard fixing; they can be prone to damp & this will cause the PB to warp & eventually disintegrate. All sorts of nasties will also grow behind & the adhesive dabs will cause cold spots on the internal walls leading to condensation. A more permanent fix requires either a waterproof render & skim or a vapour barrier, insulation, PB & then skim; additional insulation on solid walls is of benefit & should ultimately pay for itself.

If external walls are involved, I would advise you do rather more research on re-finishing external solid brick walls before you go any further.