Artex Ceilings

Artex ceilings 

Why do artex ceilings sometimes fail when plastered directly over?

There's a couple of issues we can come across, most notably de-bonding/de-laminating.

This is where the surface plastered onto comes away from the ceiling itself.

Why does this happen?

First reason might be, that a painted surface has had no mist coat, meaning the paint has formed its own layer on top of the original plaster, instead of soaking into the pores and making a good bond, it will literally sag and peel away in sheets when another layer of new plaster is added.

You may find this more common in a bathroom and places with a high moisture content that has weakened the bond over time.

Another problem we face is distemper or limewash.

Back in the day painters used a lime or chalk based paint to coat ceilings, modern plaster does not adhere well to this.

A good test to find it, if you come across an old painted background and are unsure, is to run your fingertips over the background and if your fingertips come away covered in white chalky dust, it may be lime wash or distemper.

At this point we can coat the background in some stabilising solution then apply our bonding agents as usual and carry on. This still doesn't guarantee that there isn't something lurking underneath this!

We don't always know how many times it's been painted, plastered and artexed over.

Which brings us to dreaded artex! 

Artex ceilings can sometimes be a pain in the bum to plasterers. They can contain asbestos. They may be hiding previous unstable surfaces. If PVA has been used as a bonding agent when applying the artex originally, or has had the artex over mixed, so as to not make the artex have a set so that there is more time to put the product on, this means the artex will be very powdery, and can re-emulsify the original work and cause a failure.

So you see why we have so many problems with ceilings, we've no idea what we're going over! Your ceiling could contain one or all of these problems.

Every ceiling will need a different approach regarding budget and type of ceiling and size, but as a rule of thumb the belt and braces way to deal with it and ensure a safe ceiling is to overboard.

If you're unsure get in touch and I'll do my best to help you out.