artex removal help, PLEASE?

Question

We moved into a flat 15 months ago and the guy who lived here before thought it would be cool to artex the walls, why i don't know! what is the best, cheapest, easiest way of getting rid of it? please help as it is driving me mad.

Answer 1

Unfortunately there is no easy way to remove Artex. You are in for a very arduous task which is both time consuming and demands a lot of effort. There are Artex removal chemicals but again this is labour intensive.



Why he used this coating on walls is unbelievable! This is usually used on ceilings.



I feel very sorry for you as this may take you to your mental limits trying to remove this coating. It is designed to be very long lasting. At the end of it you may need to re-skim the walls if you damage any of the plaster in your attempts to remove it.

You could try the services of a professional painter and decorator who may be able to assist you, but this will be costly.



I am sorry that I couldn't give you better news.



Regards, Mark. :o(

Answer 2

Artex Remover

Answer 3

I think the cheapest and easiest way to get rid of artex would be to buy something that returns your walls to a smooth flat finish again.

There is a product called polycell smooth over and it is designed to smooth over artex. Don't try to remove the artex, this is a long hard process and depending on how long it has been there could contain asbestos's which is very dangerous. I believe the best way is to use a product like I have suggested as this will be easier and cheaper for you. hope this was useful for you. There is a link below to a forum where advice has been given on this subject!

Answer 4

You need to be carefull if the artex was put on before the mid 80's as there is a reasonable chance that it could contain asbestos fibres. There is nothing to be alarmed about as long as you do not sand it down or drill into it, releasing fibres. I would say your best, least messy option is to have a plasterer coat the whole lot in PVA/ Water or a bonding agent and skim it with new plaster. Attempts to remove artex usualy end in unbelievable amounts of dust and usually damaged plasterboard, requiring a plaster skim coat to make the ceiling look presentable. Best of luck

Answer 5

There is a tool on a long wooden pole that looks almost like a garden weeder. You use it to scrape off Artex, stucco, popcorn texture, etc. Word of warning...it makes a load of dust. But it saves weeks of work if you're using hot water to get the texture off. When you get it all knocked off, use the hot water to wash down the areas and get the rest of the Artex residue off. They you're in good shape.



Otherwise the cheapest solution is to put sheetrock over it and replaster the walls. If you just put plaster over the Artex, you risk it pulling away in clumps with the Artex attached (think of the answers telling you to use hot water...then realize that when you put plaster on the walls it heats up and you're in effect putting wet hot plaster up which will loosen the Artex and make a terrible mess).

Answer 6

Cheapest way is to spend a very long time with a warm wet sponge. or you can sometimes get away with a steam cleaner. Use paint stripper before either so the artex absorbes the water and hopefully comes off. Don't dig on dry artex with a scraper, you'll wreck the plaster underneath.

Answer 7

The answer above me is right, a steam stripper.



Only thing is, they can also pull plaster off if left on for too long. Artex used in the 70's and early 80's contain asbestos so I avoid any kind of Artex job unless I know it was on just recently.

Answer 8

best solution is to plaster over it



my bathroom & toilet were artexet, it took 2 days to take the artex off the toilet walls (the mess was terrible) when i`d finished it needed plastering so i decided to just plaster over the bathroom wall it took one day to plaster &alot less hassle



if you do decide to break the artex off you will need to get it checked for asbestos....if it has been on the walls for over 15 yrs, they used to use asbestos as an adative yrs ago

Answer 9

Whoa!

You are going to be on forever!

Sand the paint off, and re plaster the walls flat again.

You can buy a filler that you can float on yourself, from B&Q, but it will work out loads more expensive!

Answer 10

Buy or hire a stream stripper.It will take off artex.Or you could get a plastererto skim over the artex.Depends how much funds you have

Answer 11

Quicker, cheaper, and more satisfactory to have it plastered over. If you try to remove it you risk damaging the wall enough to need it replastered anyway!

Answer 12

Lowe's has a selection of finish removers. Check there first.

Good luck!

Answer 13

LOTS of hot water and hard work i believe is best.



Good luck..You need it...

Answer 14

HOT WATER TO MELT IT