Can you plaster over artex isn’t always straightforward. Here we explore when it’s a smart move and when you should avoid it, backed by professional plastering expertise.
Can you plaster over artex is a question that homeowners frequently ask when planning renovations, and the straightforward answer is yes you can, but it’s not always advisable or simple. This seemingly simple question actually requires careful consideration of multiple factors before you commit to a decision that could affect both the appearance and safety of your home.
There are situations where plastering over artex is the right choice for your project and equally there are scenarios where it could lead to problems down the line. Understanding when and how to plaster over artex correctly can save you time, money and potential headaches. If you’re dealing with artex that’s poorly bonded or contains hazardous materials, you could be facing costly mistakes. However, if your artex surface is in good condition and properly prepared, plastering over it can deliver excellent results that completely transform your rooms.
But as with most plastering decisions, it’s rarely that straightforward, so we’re here to provide expert guidance and give you the definitive answers you need to make an informed choice about your plastering project. Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or considering professional help, this comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about plastering over artex surfaces.
Can you plaster over artex? The pros and cons explained
The decision to plaster over artex involves weighing several important factors that will determine the success of your project. On the positive side, plastering over artex is often more cost-effective than complete removal, particularly when dealing with large ceiling areas or multiple rooms. It also creates less mess and disruption to your home compared to the dusty, time-consuming process of scraping away decades-old textured coatings. When done correctly on suitable surfaces, you can achieve a perfectly smooth, contemporary finish that completely conceals the dated artex beneath.
However, the cons are equally significant and shouldn’t be overlooked. The primary concern is the potential presence of asbestos in older artex, which makes disturbance potentially hazardous. Additionally, plastering over artex adds weight to ceilings and walls, which can be problematic if the underlying substrate isn’t sufficiently strong or if the artex itself is poorly adhered. There’s also the risk of plaster failure if preparation isn’t thorough, leading to cracking, delamination or bubbling that will require costly remedial work. The thickness of the artex texture can also create challenges, with deeply stippled or swirled patterns requiring more extensive preparation and potentially multiple coats to achieve a flat surface.
Here we examine the various situations and scenarios where plastering over artex makes practical sense and when alternative approaches might be better suited to your project. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for achieving results that are both aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound.
When is it safe and advisable to plaster over artex?
Determining whether your specific artex surface is suitable for overplastering requires careful assessment of several critical factors. The condition of the existing artex, its age, the substrate it’s applied to, and the thickness of the texture all play important roles in whether you can successfully plaster over it. Yes you can plaster over artex if it is in good condition and does not contain asbestos, but these conditions must be verified before any work begins.
Checking the condition of your artex surface
Before considering plastering over artex, you need to thoroughly assess its current condition. Good condition artex means the coating is firmly adhered to the substrate with no signs of delamination, cracking, flaking or bubbling. Test this by pressing firmly across different areas of the surface – it should feel solid with no movement or hollow sounds that might indicate separation from the wall or ceiling beneath. Pay particular attention to corners, edges and areas around light fittings where problems often first appear.
The underlying surface is equally important. If you’re dealing with artex on plasterboard, check that the boards themselves are secure and haven’t suffered water damage or structural movement. For artex on traditional plaster, ensure the base coat hasn’t blown or become loose. Any structural issues with the substrate must be addressed before plastering over, as covering them will only lead to failure later. Additionally, check for dampness or water damage, as plastering over compromised surfaces will trap moisture and create bigger problems including mould growth and plaster failure.
The critical asbestos question for pre-1999 artex
Perhaps the most important consideration when dealing with artex is the potential presence of asbestos. You must check for asbestos especially in pre-1999 artex and avoid disturbing it if present. Artex manufactured before 1999 commonly contained chrysotile (white asbestos) as a strengthening agent, and while it was gradually phased out during the 1980s, it remained in use in some products until the ban came into effect. This means any artex applied before 2000 should be treated as potentially containing asbestos until proven otherwise.
The safest approach is to arrange professional asbestos testing before undertaking any work. This involves taking a small sample which is analysed in a laboratory – a service that typically costs between £40 and £100 but provides crucial peace of mind. If asbestos is confirmed, you have three main options: leave it undisturbed and plaster over it (if conditions are suitable), have it professionally removed by licensed asbestos contractors, or encapsulate it with boarding. Never attempt DIY removal of asbestos-containing artex – this is illegal without proper licensing and training, and the health risks from asbestos exposure are severe and well-documented.
Artex on solid substrates versus paper backing
A crucial but often overlooked distinction is what surface the artex has been applied to. Artex on solid substrates such as plasterboard, plaster or masonry can generally be plastered over (provided other conditions are met), but there’s one critical exception: never skim over artex if it is applied on paper backing. This situation occasionally occurs where artex has been applied directly to wallpaper or lining paper rather than a solid surface.
Identifying paper-backed artex requires careful inspection. Look at edges around architraves, skirting boards or light switches where you might be able to see layers beneath the artex. If you can peel back any lifting corners and see paper beneath, this is a clear indication that the artex isn’t on a solid substrate. In these cases, the additional weight of plaster will almost certainly cause failure, as paper simply cannot support the combined weight. The only proper solution is complete removal of both the artex and the paper, then preparation of the solid surface beneath before plastering.
Proper preparation: The foundation of success
Success in plastering over artex is fundamentally determined by the quality of your preparation work. Regardless of how skilled the plastering application is, inadequate preparation will inevitably lead to failure. Preparation involves cleaning, scraping or keying the surface to create the mechanical bond necessary for plaster adhesion, and this stage should never be rushed or skipped.
Cleaning and keying the artex surface
The first step in preparation is thorough cleaning to remove any contaminants that would prevent plaster adhesion. Artex surfaces accumulate years of cooking grease, nicotine, dust and general household grime that create a barrier between the old surface and new plaster. Start by washing the entire surface with a solution of sugar soap or a strong degreaser, working in sections and using a sponge or cloth rather than soaking the surface. Pay particular attention to kitchen ceilings where grease accumulation is heaviest.
Once clean and dry, the surface needs keying to provide a mechanical grip for the plaster. This involves creating tiny scratches and roughening the surface without removing the artex itself. For moderately textured artex, you can use a stiff wire brush or scraper to knock off the high points of the texture and create a slightly flatter profile. A paint scraper dragged across the surface in multiple directions creates the scratches that help plaster grip. For very heavy textures, you may need to be more aggressive, using a bolster chisel or scraper to reduce the peaks while being careful not to damage the substrate beneath. The goal is to reduce extreme texture variations and create a surface with good mechanical key without creating dust or completely removing the artex.
Why you should avoid sanding artex
While it might seem logical to sand artex smooth before plastering, this is one preparation method you should absolutely avoid. Avoid sanding due to risk of dust and asbestos – this is perhaps the single most important safety consideration in the entire process. Sanding creates enormous amounts of fine dust that becomes airborne and can be inhaled, and if your artex contains asbestos, this dust poses serious health risks including asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Even with artex confirmed to be asbestos-free, sanding creates problems. The dust is extremely fine and pervasive, spreading throughout your home and settling on furniture, in carpets and in ventilation systems where it can persist for months. It’s also largely ineffective, as the dust clogs sandpaper quickly and the process of smoothing heavily textured artex by sanding would take hours of labour. The safer and more effective alternatives are the scraping and keying methods described above, combined with appropriate bonding products that accommodate texture rather than requiring you to completely eliminate it.
Applying bonding agents and primers
Once your surface is clean and keyed, the next critical step is applying PVA or bonding agent to seal the surface and enhance plaster adhesion. The choice between PVA and specialist bonding products depends on the condition and texture of your artex. For artex in good condition with moderate texture, a quality PVA solution typically provides adequate bonding. Mix PVA with water at a ratio of approximately 1:3 (one part PVA to three parts water) for the first coat, which seals the surface and controls suction.
Apply the PVA solution evenly across the entire surface using a large brush or roller, ensuring complete coverage with no missed patches. Allow this first coat to dry completely (usually 2-4 hours depending on temperature and humidity), then apply a second coat of slightly stronger PVA solution (approximately 1:2 ratio). The plaster should be applied while this second PVA coat is still tacky – not wet but not fully dry. This timing is crucial, as it provides the optimal bonding window. If the PVA dries completely, it creates a sealed surface that plaster cannot grip, so timing your plastering to the PVA application is essential for success.
Dealing with highly textured or thick artex
Not all artex is created equal, and surfaces with particularly heavy or deep texturing present special challenges that standard preparation and bonding methods may not adequately address. Heavily stippled ceilings, deeply swirled patterns or artex that has been applied in thick layers require additional consideration and often specialist products to achieve successful results.
When standard preparation isn’t enough
Thick or highly textured artex may require special bonding products like blue grit or thistle bond for best adhesion. Standard PVA bonding may not provide sufficient grip on surfaces where the texture variations exceed 3-4mm, or where the peaks and troughs create a surface that’s difficult for skim plaster to bridge effectively. In these situations, the mechanical key provided by surface preparation alone isn’t sufficient, and the chemistry of the bonding layer becomes crucial.
Indicators that you need specialist bonding products include artex with sharp, pronounced peaks that stand more than a few millimetres proud of the surface, heavily stippled textures that create a very irregular profile, or artex that has been applied in multiple layers creating significant thickness. If you’ve reduced the texture as much as practical through scraping but still have substantial variation, or if the artex feels particularly hard or dense, specialist bonding products will significantly improve your chances of success and longevity.
Special bonding products and their application
The two most commonly used specialist bonding products for problematic artex are Blue Grit and Thistle Bond-it. Blue Grit is a cement-based bonding agent containing aggregate particles that create an extremely grippy surface for plaster to adhere to. It’s particularly effective on smooth, painted or highly textured surfaces where mechanical key is limited. The product is mixed to a thick slurry consistency and applied with a brush in a cross-hatch pattern, ensuring complete coverage. The grit particles in the mixture remain proud of the surface as it dries, creating thousands of small anchor points for the plaster.
Thistle Bond-it is a gypsum-based bonding agent that works slightly differently, creating a chemical and mechanical bond between the artex and the plaster. It’s applied in a thin, even coat using a brush or roller and should be allowed to dry completely (usually 24 hours) before plastering. Unlike PVA, you plaster onto dry Bond-it rather than tacky. Both products significantly improve adhesion on challenging surfaces, though they’re more expensive than PVA and require more careful application. The investment is worthwhile on difficult artex where standard methods might fail, as the cost of product is minimal compared to the cost of plaster failure and remedial work.
The plastering process: Achieving a smooth finish
With preparation and bonding complete, the actual plastering process requires skill, patience and the right technique to achieve professional results. The process includes multiple thin coats and smoothing for a flat finish rather than attempting to bridge texture variations and create a smooth surface in a single application. This multi-coat approach is fundamental to success when plastering over artex.
Skimming technique and multiple coats
The first coat over prepared artex serves primarily to fill the texture variations and create a flatter profile rather than to achieve the final finish. This coat should be applied with firm pressure to push the plaster into all the recesses of the texture, using cross-hatch trowel strokes to ensure complete coverage without air pockets. The thickness of this coat depends on your texture depth – on heavily textured artex you might need 3-4mm, while moderate texture might only require 2-3mm. Don’t attempt to achieve smoothness on this coat; focus instead on filling voids and reducing the overall profile variation.
Allow the first coat to firm up but not completely dry – it should be hard enough not to drag under the trowel but still have slight give. This timing varies with temperature and humidity but typically takes 30-60 minutes. The second coat is your smoothing coat, applied more thinly (1-2mm) with focus on creating a flat plane and eliminating any remaining imperfections from the first coat. Use long, sweeping trowel strokes with gradually increasing pressure as the plaster firms, and polish the surface with a damp sponge trowel in the final stages to achieve that smooth, professional finish. On particularly challenging surfaces, a third very thin coat might be necessary to perfect the finish.
Managing heavily painted artex surfaces
Artex that has been painted multiple times over the years presents its own challenges, as the paint layers can create a sealed, glossy surface that reduces mechanical key and bonding potential. However, heavily painted artex can be plastered after cleaning and proper preparation that addresses the paint barrier. The key is creating adequate surface roughness and using appropriate bonding products.
For glossy or emulsion-sealed artex, sugar soap cleaning alone isn’t sufficient. After washing, the surface should be abraded to break through the paint seal – this can be done with a wire brush, scraper or Scotchbrite-type abrasive pad rather than sandpaper (avoiding dust creation). The goal is to create scratches through the paint layers without sanding. Once abraded and cleaned of any dust, these surfaces benefit particularly from Blue Grit or Bond-it application rather than PVA, as the specialist bonding products are formulated to grip sealed surfaces more effectively. With proper preparation and bonding, painted artex can be plastered as successfully as unpainted surfaces, though the preparation stage requires additional effort.
When plastering over artex isn’t the best option
Despite the viability of plastering over artex in many situations, there are circumstances where alternative approaches deliver better results or are necessary for safety reasons. Recognising these scenarios before committing to plastering over can save considerable time, expense and frustration.
Scenarios requiring artex removal
- Confirmed asbestos presence: If testing confirms asbestos in your artex and you’re undertaking other works that would disturb it anyway, professional removal might be more sensible than working around it, particularly if the artex is in poor condition or you’re doing comprehensive renovation.
- Poor substrate condition: When the surface beneath the artex has structural issues, blown plaster, significant cracking or water damage, plastering over simply conceals problems that will eventually cause failure. In these cases, removal allows proper repair of the substrate.
- Excessive thickness concerns: On ceilings with very thick artex applications where plastering over would create excessive weight or reduce ceiling height noticeably, removal might be preferable despite the additional work involved.
- Paper-backed artex: As mentioned earlier, this situation absolutely requires removal as the paper cannot support additional weight.
- Loose or delaminating artex: If the artex itself is coming away from the substrate, plastering over it is futile – the failure will continue beneath the new plaster, leading to cracking and eventual collapse of your new surface.
Plasterboarding as an alternative approach
Plasterboarding over artex is also an alternative in some cases, offering a middle ground between plastering directly over and complete removal. This approach involves fixing plasterboard directly over the existing artex ceiling or wall, then skimming the boards to create a smooth finish. The advantages include avoiding any disturbance to potentially asbestos-containing artex, dealing with surfaces in poor condition without removal, and creating a completely new, flat substrate regardless of the texture beneath.
However, boarding over has its own considerations. It reduces ceiling height by approximately 25-30mm (the thickness of the board plus battening if used), which can be problematic in rooms with low ceilings or where maintaining ceiling heights is important. It also requires adjustment of light fittings, coving and ceiling roses, adding complexity and cost. The weight of plasterboard plus fixings must be supported by the ceiling joists or wall studs, so you need to ensure fixings are secure into structural elements rather than just the artex. In some cases, particularly with older properties or ceilings in poor condition, additional support battening is required before boarding, further reducing ceiling height and increasing costs. Despite these drawbacks, boarding over is often the safest and most practical solution when dealing with confirmed asbestos artex or surfaces in poor condition.
Professional vs DIY considerations
The decision whether to tackle plastering over artex as a DIY project or engage professional plasterers depends on several factors including your skill level, the complexity of your specific situation, and the results you’re hoping to achieve. While some confident DIYers successfully plaster over artex, many situations genuinely require professional expertise.
When to call in the experts
Certain scenarios strongly favour professional involvement. Any situation involving potential asbestos requires at minimum professional testing, and if removal is necessary, must be handled by licensed asbestos removal contractors. Plastering over confirmed asbestos artex can be done safely, but professionals have the experience to do so without disturbance and understand the precautions necessary. Similarly, if you’re dealing with large ceiling areas, particularly in open-plan spaces or high ceilings, the physical demands and skill required to achieve consistent, flat finishes make professional plastering a worthwhile investment.
Professional plasterers also bring value when dealing with heavily textured or problematic artex where specialist bonding products and multi-coat techniques are required. The experience to judge preparation adequacy, select appropriate products, and apply plaster with the consistency and technique needed for quality finishes typically takes years to develop. For homeowners planning to sell or rent their property, professional finishes deliver noticeably superior results that affect property presentation and value. Additionally, professionals carry insurance that protects you if problems occur, whereas DIY failures become costly learning experiences.
Cost-benefit analysis of different approaches
Understanding the relative costs of different approaches helps inform your decision. DIY plastering over artex is the least expensive option in terms of direct costs – you’ll spend £50-100 on materials including bonding agents, plaster, and tools if you don’t already have them. However, factor in the value of your time, the learning curve if you haven’t plastered before, and the risk of results that may require professional correction.
Professional plastering over artex typically costs £200-400 for an average bedroom ceiling, or £400-800 for a large lounge ceiling, depending on your location and the complexity of
FAQ
Is it worth removing an Artex ceiling?
Artex can detract from the value of your home. It’s frequently associated with asbestos, which can be hazardous. Removing your artex can help to make your home more attractive to potential buyers.
When did they stop putting asbestos in Artex?
As awareness grew of the potentially severe health risks of asbestos, an asbestos-free version of Artex became available from 1976. The asbestos-containing variant of the product was then discontinued in 1984, followed by the UK passing legislation to ban all forms of asbestos in 1999.
Sources
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b11Gn6IFDG8
[2] https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/ask-a-trade/can-you-plaster-over-artex-ceiling/
[3] https://clairedouglasstyling.co.uk/post/diy-how-to-smooth-a-textured-artex-ceiling