skimming over Artex

[Nefertari]

Hi,

I've had a plasterer tell me that the house I've just bought (built 1978) has never had the ceilings painted. He says I must paint them with vinyl silk before he can skim then or the plaster won't stick.

true of false?

many thanks

 

[Robbie uk]

Sort of yes and no. The silk finish has pva in it so its just the same as him giving the ceiling a coat of pva before he plasters, which he could if he wanted.

 

[roughcaster]

If you're going to get an "un-painted" artex ceiling plastered over, you "don't" need to paint it first,, the plasterer's talking nonsense really. If i was going to plaster over an artex ceiling, that had never ever been painted, (and i have done,, often), i would just give it a coat of PVA, then bonding coat/skim it right away while the PVA was still wet/tacky. If someone was unsure of any suction from the artex, then you would PVA the ceiling the day before,, then when you're ready to plaster, say, next day, next week, or whenever,,, just PVA the ceiling, then skim while wet/tacky. Don't waste your paint!!!

 

[Richard C]

To be very much blunter, your "plasterer" is talking bo llocks; Rouchcasters post is spot on & I'd advise you to find yourself another plasterer who knows what TF he’s about, pretty quick.

 

[Nefertari]

Thanks everyone, I thought I smelled a bit of bullshyte.

It did sound a bit odd to me and then when he rang me on Sunday evening really pushing for the work that I thought, ello, ello. He was trying to get me to agree to him coming round this week. I told him i'm not ready yet for plastering, I have to have the light fittings moved and walls down first.

He was on about if I lick my finger and rub it against the ceiling(s) that some powder would come off and that's how he could tell they'd not been painted. but also, in my last house, i had all the rooms skimmed as half the plaster came off when i stripped the woodchip off. To help that plasterer, I PVA'd the ceilings to save him time that day. I'd use that same plasterer again except that I've moved to a different town.