Plasterboarded over Old Artex, but is Wonky. Advice Needed

[Timbo21]

Hi Hope someone like roughcaster can give me some advice here.

I've got a room of about 4x4m, with a bay window taking up most of one wall and window is about 2m in height. They are charging me £460 to skim it. Is this reasonable price?

Also, I asked them to sort Artex ceiling. Initially he said he would take it down and put new one, so I agreed on £260 in addition to above price. However, they have only taken down a small lower section by the window (so the blinds will fit in after new plasterboard). The rest of the ceiling they have plasterboarded over (since old Artex was in poor condition). They have skimmed, but a section by the door is very uneven and lower than the rest of the ceiling, and doesn't look great at all.

Now seeing as £460 includes price for skimming the ceiling, and I am paying £260 in addition for them to re-do the ceiling, shouldn't I expect a pretty straight edge running allong from where wall meets ceiling, as oppose to it dropping down by the door by about 1/2" (This doesn't happen gradually. It just drops about 1.5 feet before it meets next wall). Let's face it, plasterboard costs about £2.60 per sq/m and the area is about 16 sq/m, so where is my £260 going? Screwing plasterboard onto ceiling doesn't take long for a couple of guys, and they have only taken down 80% of the old ceiling.

 

[Richard C]

Hi Hope someone like roughcaster can give me some advice here.

Maybe not your 1st choice but in the absence of RC, hopefully, I might do.

I've got a room of about 4x4m, with a bay window taking up most of one wall and window is about 2m in height. They are charging me £460 to skim it. Is this reasonable price? Also, I asked them to sort Artex ceiling. Initially he said he would take it down and put new one, so I agreed on £260 in addition to above price.

So we have £460 + £260 = £720 to re-board a ceiling & skim the whole room; wow! Who said the Artex was in poor condition & not suitable for basing & re-skimming?

However, they have only taken down a small lower section by the window (so the blinds will fit in after new plasterboard). The rest of the ceiling they have plasterboarded over (since old Artex was in poor condition). They have skimmed, but a section by the door is very uneven and lower than the rest of the ceiling, and doesn't look great at all. Let's face it, plasterboard costs about £2.60 per sq/m and the area is about 16 sq/m, so where is my £260 going? Screwing plasterboard onto ceiling doesn't take long for a couple of guys, and they have only taken down 80% of the old ceiling.

If you were quoted for replacing the whole ceiling, that’s what you should get.

Now seeing as £460 includes price for skimming the ceiling, and I am paying £260 in addition for them to re-do the ceiling, shouldn't I expect a pretty straight edge running allong from where wall meets ceiling, as oppose to it dropping down by the door by about 1/2" (This doesn't happen gradually. It just drops about 1.5 feet before it meets next wall).

Difficult to know or comment on why it’s been done without seeing it but it sounds like a bodge to me.

My thoughts are that you seem to be paying over the odds; I haven’t seen it but you should be getting a “perfect job” for that sort of money. A mate is required for re-boarding the ceiling (although some can do it on their own!) but a “mate” for mixing is a luxury on such a small job & isn’t really justified. Any decent spread would happily tackle such a room in a longish day on his own (4 x 2 hours ish); add in ½ day for skimming the ceiling (or a day including boarding out) & you would be looking at around 2 days work; at very good rates, that’s around £400 + materials + £100 for a mate boarding out.

 

[Timbo21]

Thanks Richard,

Reason for reboarding was because ceiling was bowing in places and not secure (was very very old).

Here are piccies,

They are a building team of about 6 so it's not really getting in a mate. You've got electrician/various, builder, couple of labourer/builder guys, and couple of plasterers in the team who have done nice smooth finish on outside. The others are working on different areas of house.


Also, I am actually paying them cash (am getting receipts etc.). They do come well recommended and checked references

Do you think extra skimming would sort it out

The rest looks okay so far

 

[Richard C]

If you’re having lots of work done, don’t be sucked into “labour already here syndrome”; split it up, keep it separate & cost it as such or you’ll get caught for paying your “builder”/or whoever for the convenience of occupying labour that he wants to keep on site!

It’s so difficult & almost impossible to tell from a photo & I’m unsure what I can see is imperfection. It could be slurry from too much water but it all looks a bit “cloudy & ridgy ” to me; if you run a finger or the back or your hand across it, you should not feel anything at all if it’s a good un. What’s with what look slike a huge gap at the top RH corner of the pic?

You should not be paying for any “extra skimming” to sort out anyone's fu-ck ups!

 

[stevethespreader]

richards right your paying well over the odds almost double,£500 for the whole job sounds about right, your paying almost double that and havent had a very nice job done, that ceiling line looks terrible and is all over the place "wavey uneven" as for the right hand corner is there any plasterboard there at all? have they asked you the classic question? are you having coving? the snots and blobs on the doorframe is untidy and unprofesional, also im not sure but i think i can see ridges where its not flat. It looks like you have more skimming in the house to do yet and i wouldent let the plasterers who done that do the rest of the house if i was you. my advice would be to have a word with the builder, tell him your not happy with the plastering, if he wont change plasterers and sort whats been done out, then you should sack him and get another builder in with a capable spread, dont let them plaster anything else

 

[Timbo21]

Thank you both so much.

The room is not finished, so perhaps hold judgement on the door frame? They are replacing the frame.

So, the plasterboard should go right to the corner?

Richard, not quite sure what you mean. Got quote all seperated out, ie skim, doing ceiling.

Painting for the room they have quoted £450, which doesn't include top coat paint. Only primer and undercoat. Seems well expensive especially since it's cash.

 

[stevethespreader]

Thank you both so much.

The room is not finished, so perhaps hold judgement on the door frame? They are replacing the frame.

So, the plasterboard should go right to the corner?

Richard, not quite sure what you mean. Got quote all seperated out, ie skim, doing ceiling.

Painting for the room they have quoted £450, which doesn't include top coat paint. Only primer and undercoat. Seems well expensive especially since it's cash.

hi timbo yes the plasterboard should go right up to the corner i am actually concerned about the quality of this job and the amount of money they are taking off of you, you say they are painting the room for you and they are using primer and undercoat are we talking about the woodwork here? are they painting the walls? which will need mist coating and then the final coat? also i can see that painting on its own will not yield good results in that room, it looks like theres a good bit of snagging needed (making good) before any painting can take place

 

[NickB_99]

So, the plasterboard should go right to the corner?

Hi Timbo - yes it should. I would expect to see no gap like that.

I agree, that ceiling line looks very wavy.

Not easy to tell from the pic if it is a flat finish.
Your quote for the painting sounds a lot - but I'm not an expert on what's expected (London or otherwise).

Should you not be sure with the finish in its dried state....

However, if they are going to do the painting, a wash coat (diluted white emulsion) should go on dried new plaster first. This is very good at showing up the quality of the finish.

Good luck with it

 

[NickB_99]

Sorry Steve - hadn't seen your reply before hit the button!

 

[stevethespreader]

Sorry Steve - hadn't seen your reply before hit the button!

i think the more replys the better on this one newb b4 the op parts with any more money

 

[1john]

thought I should stick my oar in to perhaps help you in reconsidering your current 'tradesmen'. From looking at your pictures you are undergoing what seems to be an extensive refurbishment, not just a quick tarting up. For the money spent you would like to see a high standard of finish within the property, just looking at the shot of the head of the door I would say that this is unacceptable, you should have clean and certainly straighter lines there, also I tend to board upto the ceiling and suspect everyone else on here does too, main reason being that there is something to skim onto, the second is that it will prevent cracking! Even if you are having coving it will look dreadful following that line, I am sorry to say that the ceiling needs to be redone properly, should the joists be all out of heights then I would reccoment counterbattening them to straighten the ceiling up and make it straight and true.

 

[Timbo21]

Thank you all.

What is the solution? take the whole ceiling down? Is there anyway of making good without this?

 

[stevethespreader]

the only way i can think of is to ping a datum line around the ceiling to get a level line to work to then do a tight float coat with bonding, other than that it has to comedown, and the joist leveled out before reboarding

 

[Timbo21]

Steve,

There is a crack at that section and I have pushed that section and it has give in it

 

[stevethespreader]

Steve,

There is a crack at that section and I have pushed that section and it has give in it

looks like you run out of words there timbo take a pic of the crack and the rest of the ceiling and post it please