Skimming over the Artex ceilings

In the second half of the twentieth century an evil bug took hold of period terraces, spreading like wild fire from house to house, street to street. The bug’s name was Artex – an asbestos ridden monster that infected ceilings nationwide, causing eyesores that have lasted a generation. Sadly many homes are still blighted by the symptoms of this lingering disease (see below). In our case it had spread as far as four rooms, varying in appearance from combed rainbows to spiky peaks.

Removal of Artex can be tricky and expensive. Thankfully there is an alternative and painless cure, skimming over them with plaster. It is something I would highly recommend and is not hugely expensive. Ours cost about £120 per room (Jan 2014).

Skimming a ceiling is an awkward and skilled job best left to the professionals, but it is impressive to watch. Think of the scene in The Matrix where Neo is bent backwards dodging bullets, only this time standing on a plank in white overalls with a bucket of plaster and skimming tool. What is more, our plasterer didn’t touch the chocolate biscuits we left for him – a touch of class I thought – as I ate them.

Below are a couple of shots of the finished skimmed ceiling (before and after painting). Finally a local plug: If your house has suffered the Artex bug, if no one else can help, and if you happen to live in the wider Bristol area – maybe you could hire Just Plastered.