Skimming over Artex?

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Nic Mach

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Craic lads, relatively new to the forum and first time post so go easy
Just wondering what the general consensus is regarding skimming over Artex. I have done it plenty in the past without problems. However, recently Ila few spreads have told me not to go near them. Various reasons given such as, "the skim didn't take" "the whole lot came down on me" "if it was skimmed previous to the Artex the ceiling slab and all will come down". Due to this I have refused a job and one thing I hate is refusing work.
Anyway just looking for some response about others experiences good and bad.
Thanks lads, looking forward to give my two cents worth on matters in the future
Kind regards
Nic.
 
Some artexing hasn't been prepped properly and starts coming away from the ceiling when skimming...what mess that can be.
In most cases never had any problems.
 
I always scraped back and bonded but I would always try and over board it now

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Over skimmed artex hundreds of times and had it fail twice. Was horrible feeling but it happens. Everyone will say overboard and of course that's the best way but budgets and coving/cornice won't always allow that.
 
Craic lads, relatively new to the forum and first time post so go easy
Just wondering what the general consensus is regarding skimming over Artex. I have done it plenty in the past without problems. However, recently Ila few spreads have told me not to go near them. Various reasons given such as, "the skim didn't take" "the whole lot came down on me" "if it was skimmed previous to the Artex the ceiling slab and all will come down". Due to this I have refused a job and one thing I hate is refusing work.
Anyway just looking for some response about others experiences good and bad.
Thanks lads, looking forward to give my two cents worth on matters in the future
Kind regards
Nic.
I always overskim when I can.
Always use unifinish but I am in the minority.
I never scrape just bang it straight on nice thick first coat,flatten and leave it to settle for longer than normal overskim then a speedskim flatten to push it all in the artex nice and tight then another coat n flatten as normal.

Welcome along
 
Good old scrape and pva then 2 coats on the later dusty stuff

Good old scrape and pva day before on older glossy stuff

Bonding and skim first coat and skim second coat on thicker stuff (excellent advice that was given to me by forum member @zombie)

Board over distemper artex, you can usually tell when its going to separate when you scrape it, it comes off in flakes back to the original ceiling.

Board over heavy artex


I did used to put a thick coat of skim over all the heavy artex then spounge float and pva and skim next day but after learning the half bonding technique I now do them same day.
 
Over skimmed artex hundreds of times and had it fail twice. Was horrible feeling but it happens. Everyone will say overboard and of course that's the best way but budgets and coving/cornice won't always allow that.
Yup had a few fail but but when they have the customer has been fine and costs covered etc

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Wish I knew about the bonding trick when I was on it full time.... beat tip on this forum

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Yup had a few fail but but when they have the customer has been fine and costs covered etc

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I sorted both out for nothing. I felt I was to blame. Now I explain the risks and the customer usually goes for an over skim with the knowledge if it fails I'll be paid extra to put right
 
Had a quick tot up and reckon I've plastered somewhere between 1000 & 1500 artex ceilings, not had one come down yet, been lucky, but it will happen one day. Normally if you have problems it's during the skimming process, it reacts, bubbles and falls in sheets. Like Pete I unifinish 90% artex now. 2 coats over stipple and broken leather, 3 for comb. Only downside I find with uni is that if there is a reaction it's skim falling on your head rather than bubbling pva.
 
Had a quick tot up and reckon I've plastered somewhere between 1000 & 1500 artex ceilings, not had one come down yet, been lucky, but it will happen one day. Normally if you have problems it's during the skimming process, it reacts, bubbles and falls in sheets. Like Pete I unifinish 90% artex now. 2 coats over stipple and broken leather, 3 for comb. Only downside I find with uni is that if there is a reaction it's skim falling on your head rather than bubbling pva.
I just had a tot up and worked out that's about £10,000 to £15,000 so I said to my Mrs how much money we got in the bank?

Her "there's nothing in there"
Me " where has it all gone then ?"
Her "Not got clue"

Only another 1000 to go and I might be rich.
 
f**k all here too, kids see to that. Lad 12 years old off on school trip to Benfica football club for 5 days. 800 smackers. We went to bolougne, how times have changed.
 
I done the artex course back in the 90's, they stated they stopped using asbestos in the mid 80's allegedly.

1984
If you go on an asbestos awareness course it makes you think. I don't take the risk of scraping with the earlier stuff. Plus you're leaving the dust all over someone's house for them to breath in. Yeah white asbestos isn't as harmful but it's still harmful nonetheless.
 
One of the best tips I picked up off here is to add bonding (coat not compound) to first coat of skim over rated, game changer
 
I sorted both out for nothing. I felt I was to blame. Now I explain the risks and the customer usually goes for an over skim with the knowledge if it fails I'll be paid extra to put right
When I use to quote I use to tell them the cheaper way an the more expensive way and told them if the cheap way failed then it was down to them....

had one fail and it was on a big project where I had others working for me so one of them picked that up and the customer paid him extra and had one where it was a bathroom for a fitter and he paid me day work. ..

Worst thing is walking back in and having to crunch over it... like walking through a bowl of cornflakes

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Our prices are more For overskimming artex than board and skim that soon sways them to board..im done now overskimming shitty artex if there's coving etc Il pass on job..
 
I put bonding plaster over 95% of artex,no matter thickness of pattern.
I make it set within 45-60 mins.
Then if any issues it shows before finish.
The reason i found in past artex reactivates is dependant on how many coats of paint it's had.
I am old school,,proper base coat then finish.don't care about extra time or work. Only a handful of fails in 35 years and they were explained.
 
I did have to overboard this week it was to thick of a finish, this is what I call Ilkeston's finest...

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When it's that thick not even super dooper spread can't skim it, so I just plonked up some boards
 
I put bonding plaster over 95% of artex,no matter thickness of pattern.
I make it set within 45-60 mins.
Then if any issues it shows before finish.
The reason i found in past artex reactivates is dependant on how many coats of paint it's had.
I am old school,,proper base coat then finish.don't care about extra time or work. Only a handful of fails in 35 years and they were explained.
Even if on a little ceiling or ceiling with no coving etc? It takes half hour if that to over board say a little bathroom ceiling etc and about £20 in boards..even on a living room/kitchen ceiling can be boarded in a hour to hour and half and probably £50 cost in boards..lets face it artex ceilings ain't guna be in mansions where ceilings are huge so most ceilings arnt going over in £50 cost on boards and a hours pay between 2 men
 
Even if on a little ceiling or ceiling with no coving etc? It takes half hour if that to over board say a little bathroom ceiling etc and about £20 in boards..even on a living room/kitchen ceiling can be boarded in a hour to hour and half and probably £50 cost in boards..lets face it artex ceilings ain't guna be in mansions where ceilings are huge so most ceilings arnt going over in £50 cost on boards and a hours pay between 2 men
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Even if on a little ceiling or ceiling with no coving etc? It takes half hour if that to over board say a little bathroom ceiling etc and about £20 in boards..even on a living room/kitchen ceiling can be boarded in a hour to hour and half and probably £50 cost in boards..lets face it artex ceilings ain't guna be in mansions where ceilings are huge so most ceilings arnt going over in £50 cost on boards and a hours pay between 2 men
Quite a lot of mansions up here in Glasgow have artex,tried to cover up cracks.to be honest I don't do 1 off small ceilings.
Up here and I hope local guys confirm this,,I would have hardly any work if I quote boarding over ceilings when 3 guys in before me don't regardless of pros and cons.the prices up here seem to be in a different world to south of the border.
 
I just price to bonding agent, bond and then skim. If they don't want it done that way then feck em.
 
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