Dreaded Artex walls

[snico]

My house currently has artexed walls in the hall, landing and stairs. I want to have the walls plastered/skimmed for a more modern look

The artex has been on for a long time, i'd say 20 years or so.

I have searched the internet and found 3 options, plasterboard, remove artex and plaster over existing artex

With plasterboarding, how much space would I lose and is it worth doing. I know it wont be much but my hall stairs and landing are small enough as it is. Then there would be the removal of light switches, alarm keypad etc

I have seen mentioned a product called T Tex that is meant to remove the dreaded stuff, I would give that a go myself and see what conditions my walls are in

What is the opinion of the plasterers on here, what sort of costs are involved in each method. pro cons etc

I was going to have a go at it myself but I will prob leave it to the pros now

 

[joe-90]

I find the easiest way is to chop off all the peeks then use undercoat plaster then skim. You could do the first two yourself no probs. Skimming is a bit harder though.

 

[snico]

I do fancy having a go myself

 

[NickB_99]

The artex has been on for a long time, i'd say 20 years or so.

I have searched the internet and found 3 options, plasterboard, remove artex and plaster over existing artex

Given the age of the artex, may contain asbestos, so would steer away from getting it off and making dust (to be safe).

I have seen mentioned a product called T Tex that is meant to remove the dreaded stuff, I would give that a go myself and see what conditions my walls are in

What is the opinion of the plasterers on here, what sort of costs are involved in each method. pro cons etc

Not a pro-plasterer, but would still prefer real plasters over 'products'.
Not familiar with T Tex, but if it's like a paint stripper, would be lots of work and re-applications to reveal what is underneath - which may not be ideal for what you want (20yr old plaster).
Would prefer to knock off the lumps, tight bonding coat and skim. Results are better.

 

[NickB_99]

Sorry Joe! I'm a slow typer!

If you fancy a go Snico, then go for it.
Perhaps a bit of practice at skimming first tho on some p/board and start with little, less conspicuous walls.
Good luck.

 

[snico]

So is undercoat plaster and tight bonding the same thing?

I will try my hand at anything, I could knock the lumps down and put on the bonding. I will leave the skimming to a pro. It gives me a chance then to have a go at something I have never done before

sorry, the product is called X Tex, seems pretty expensive too

 

[NickB_99]

So is undercoat plaster and tight bonding the same thing?

Yes, Bonding is a type of undercoat plaster. (other common ones are Browning and Hardwall).
The 'tight' refers to applying a thin coat of it. It is quite granular so I find this helps guide me when doing a tight coat.

I will try my hand at anything, I could knock the lumps down and put on the bonding. I will leave the skimming to a pro. It gives me a chance then to have a go at something I have never done before

sorry, the product is called X Tex, seems pretty expensive too

Had a look for T Tex and not surprisingly found nothing!

Yes, your X Tex looks like a glorified paint stripper!
Compared to Bonding and Multi-finish at about £5 for 25kg bag. (One is slightly more expensive - can't remember which!)

If you do yourself, re-read some of the posts on covering artex. There are some detailed ones - prep, process etc.

 

[snico]

ok, I can get a 25kg bag of Thistle Bonding for £4.90 which seems ok

I'll have a go at that myself, i'll call in the pros to skim it for me.

 

[trowelmonkey1]

so long as it's not a deep pattern you needn't scrape anything off, just put a coat of bonding, as tight as poss, you'll have plenty of time to get it flat (use beads too of course) and then get plasterer to skim, no unnecessary mess or worry of asbestos and least impact in terms of loss of space and messing with switch back boxes etc.

 

[NickB_99]

I'll have a go at that myself, i'll call in the pros to skim it for me.

Snico, notice you're local to me.
I did a course in Stockport which taught me some of the basics. I found it a very useful intro. If you've got some spare cash & time (week or wkd)....
If you Google 'plaster diy stockport', I'm sure you can work out where.

I would expect after some training, your results with Bonding will be far better than trying alone.
It will also give you an idea of skimming. Tho I guarantee the chances are your skimming won't hold a candle to seasoned pro!

It will give you an idea of the sort of results you can get though and how much you feel able to tackle yourself.

 

[snico]

Cheers for the info fellas!

At least I have another little project to keep me going

 

[trowelmonkey1]

agree Newbie, a quick crash course in basics could be the difference between an bodged job and something passable, all down to money though as it always is

goodluck snico, let us know how it goes

 

[neds]

Have you tried using a wallpaper stripper on a small area? I did and it came off pretty easily. Used this method rather than bonding plaster.

 

[Richard C]

Seem to have missed this one yesterday You can also remove Artex with a steamer. First pass to remove the paint & if you’re lucky it will peel off in large sheets; second pass softens the Artex to the point where you should be able to scrape it off. It’s a laborious job but sometimes removal is better than plastering over it. Don’t apply too much concentrated heat with steamer or it will blow the plaster underneath & try not to gouge the plaster too much. I use both methods depending on circumstances.

Something to bear in mind if having a go yourself is, personally, I would not be keen on skimming over someone elses DIY efforts at applying a Bonding base coat. I always prefer to do my own prep work as it’s the only way I can guarantee no mistakes are made & the finished plaster will be perfect.

 

[NickB_99]

You can also remove Artex with a steamer. First pass to remove the paint & if you’re lucky it will peel off in large sheets; second pass softens the Artex to the point where you should be able to scrape it off. It’s a laborious job but sometimes removal is better than plastering over it. Don’t apply too much concentrated heat with steamer or it will blow the plaster underneath & try not to gouge the plaster too much. I use both methods depending on circumstances.

Had always thought it was better to go over the top....will keep an open mind for the future. Cheers Richard.