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Artex is familiar to nearly everyone in the UK. Its found in houses across the land. Look up now. Can you seen crazy peaks and swirls, miniature mountain ranges or butterfly patterns ? If you can, its Artex.

If your home was built in the 1960’s or 70’s, and even into the 1980’s, and has its original ceilings, there is a very good chance you have Artex in your home. Its like winning a very unstylish lottery. Congratulations.

So what is Artex ?
It’s a hard form of ceiling covering, invented in 1935, before people knew better. It came to the UK in the 1960’s, and became the latest fashion. Everyone wanted it. The old smooth ceilings of the previous generation were swept away. Nobody wanted them. They were old fashioned. Artex was the future. The white heat of technology. Millions of homes had Artex ceilings by the end of the 1980’s.

Nobody noticed or cared that the trade name Artex was derived from its full name, "Asbestos Reinforced TEXtured coating" Nowadays we know better. Artex contains asbestos. And asbestos is extremely dangerous to health. It contains white asbestos, rather than the most lethal blue form. But white asbestos is still very dangerous and needs to be taken seriously.

Asbestos was added because it is light, strong and has thermal insulation properties. All these properties were ideal for a high-tech ceiling product. Its dangers weren’t fully understood at the time. Asbestos was banned in 1985, and was removed from Artex. But that’s not the end of the tale. Asbestos is still found in ceilings installed as late as 1999, so obviously there were millions of litres of Artex in warehouses that needed to be used.

If you have Artex ceilings, its safest to assume they contain asbestos. But don’t panic. The asbestos in Artex is safe, as long as its not disturbed. The problems come when Artex is damaged, or drilled, or scraped. Then you have the potential for asbestos to be released into your environment. That’s when you need to be extremely careful.

Removing an Artex ceiling is covered by the following:

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

This covers what you need to know when working with asbestos materials.

There is more information available at the Health and Safety Executive website.

 Please see the HSE website for further information.

Is it possible to remove Artex ceilings yourself ? Of course. If you check out YouTube, or use Google, you’ll find hundreds of videos showing you how to remove it. One of the most popular methods is to use a pair of wallpaper strippers. You can apply them to the ceiling and heat the Artex, melting it, and then peeling it off the ceiling. Its tremendously messy, time consuming and very hard work, as are all the Artex removal techniques. But it also has its risks. Melting Artex can release asbestos into your environment. It might not, of course, but do you want to take the risk ?

Melting Artex is covered by the HSE and requires you to notify them. The risks are high enough that you are legally obligated to do so, and its taken very seriously. So we advise you don’t use this technique.

Here is a well written blog post on removing textured ceilings. The last paragraph is perhaps the most important 

Its recommended that only trained professionals remove Artex ceilings. The HSE also advises home owners to only hire trained personal. Despite this, thousands of people will remove Artex ceilings this year. Do they become ill ? Its impossible to say. But its probably safe to assume there are lifelong health implications for many of them.

The team at Plastering Wirral does not recommend you should try to remove an Artex ceiling by yourself. Don’t believe what you read online. Its hard work. Its long work. Its exhausting. And its could have potentially long-term health implications. Please use a professional. Its not worth the risks.

What options do you have, for professional Artex removal ?

Plastering
This would seem to be the most simple approach. Why not just plaster over the Artex ? If you can’t see it, its gone. And you have a new ceiling in its place

It makes sense. But as with all plastering, the key to a success result is the preparation. This is no different. To prepare an Artex ceiling for a skim of plaster, you need to remove all the Artex peaks. Some can be as much as 10mm proud from the ceiling surface, A plaster skim coat is only 2-3mm thick. So the Artex will need to be smoothed. This is done by sanding or scraping. If your Artex contains asbestos, this process WILL release it into your environment. This will definitely expose you and your family, and our workforce to danger.

This method requires the underlying structure of your ceiling to be sound. Artex was often applied to hide cracked, tired ceilings, so its worth checking before you add the extra weight of plastering to it. Ceiling failure is a very real possibility. 

Some plasterers, especially the cheaper ones, will tell you the risks are minimal, and over exaggerated. You can choose who you want to believe, but we do not recommend this method.

Bonding
This is the older, more traditional method. The Artex ceiling is covered with a bonding agent. This bonding agent is spread in thin layers. Each layer needs to dry before the next is added. Bonding layers are extremely sticky, so will easily bond to the Artex. The final layer will need to be smoothed, and then a layer of plaster can be applied. You have a new ceiling

This is a very safe method of covering your ceiling. The Artex is left intact, so there is no chance of releasing asbestos into your home. Its safely bonded into the ceiling. No risks involved

This option requires your ceiling to be strong and in good condition. It’s a highly skilled process. You can try it yourself, but it really needs an experienced professional. The trouble with ceilings is gravity. As you’ll soon realise when trying to apply a sticky bonding agent for the first time. It won’t be pretty. Its not a DIY job.

Remove, Board and Skim
As it implies, this technique means you remove the ceiling completely. Boards are then used to create a new ceiling. These are bonded and then plastered. You have a completely new ceiling and the Artex is removed from your house.

​The downside ? Removing a ceiling is a big job. There will be some mess, which we will obviously clean up. There is also a small chance of asbestos being released into the environment. Although we will take all the precautions necessary to prevent that happening. This is a good option when your ceiling is weak and not suitable for the final option.
 
Over Boarding
Over boarding is simple. We place ceiling boards over the top of your Artex ceiling. These are screwed into your joists, then bonded and plastered. You have a whole new ceiling. Smooth and perfect. The Artex is safely hidden beneath the boards. Its still there but you’ll never see it again. No asbestos released. Perfect

​This is a fairly quick method. There is very little mess, and you get additional sound and heat insulation from a double thickness ceiling. Its our favourite option.

Artex ceiling removal is not for the fainthearted. You are welcome to try it. But we recommend you seek advice from a professional first. Why take the risks ?

​If you have any doubt, always use a professional 
 ​​

Plastering Wirral have removed hundreds of Artex ceilings over the last decade. We are well versed with asbestos safety precautions and are happy to give free advice on the best and safest options for your home.

Give us a call, and we can give you a no obligation quote

Lets get those Artex ceilings consigned to history

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Five Star Reviews

A Great Job

We had the Artex ceilings removed by the plasterers at Plastering Wirral. We decided on overboarding because our Artex was very deep, and we didn't want to risk asbestos release. We tested it and it did contain asbestos. The guys did a great job. Thank you.
​
Steve Joyce
​Birkenhead

Excellent Service

Here is  testimonial for Plastering Wirral. They have done a really excellent job on our Artex. We wanted it removed as quickly and safely as possible​. They did it all in three days. The whole downstairs. Excellent service. No mess and a great result

Bob Lake
West Kirby

Ceilings are Perfect

Very satisfied with the work carried out by Plastering Wirral. I used them to remove the Artex in my bungalow. Surprised at how quickly they finished the job. No mess, and the ceilings are perfect. Should have done it years ago. Thank you for your work

Iain Jones
Bebington

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