Chimney breast Artex?

[Fenwick-Reno]

Morning all , I’m after some help , about to start our new house purchase renovation and I have a question about this text on the chimney breast.

This is the only area in the house built 1960 that has this , it’s smooth but solid , to me the look and feel resembles hard cement painted with a gloss.

Certainly isn’t paper so can I simply just knock it off and take it back to brick and then o can plaster?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Wayners]

Find out if it's artex.
Just dig a bit and see if it white artex.
Looks like it to me.
Could be pink plaster but unlikely.

If you are crazy paranoid then shaving foam and dig through that.
Zero dust that way