I own a property which is let out. The most recent tenants have just left so the property is empty and I’m looking to re-let it. During the pre Christmas cold snap there was a burst in the loft which has resulted in water damage to the upstairs hall ceiling and I’m looking for some advice on how to proceed with it.
There is quiet a lot of severe discoloration and the textured coating has pealed back in places, which is my major issue otherwise I’d be looking for a good clean and a paint over.
The house was built in 1965 and originally sold on a leasehold basis as part of a small infill development. The freehold was acquired before I bought it in 2000. All the ceilings are Artexed, with quiet a fine pattern rather than the classic swirl. I have no idea when it was done but it may have been at the time of construction.
I don’t want to get into major expense or open too many cans of worms especially with the dread asbestos, but do have landlords insurance to fall back on.
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ooooooo Artex. Nasty. Now you have the ideal chance to get rid of it.
Its gonna be tough to repatch artex to the same pattern.
Thankfully
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Fill the gaps and paper with coarse "woodchip" paper. Paint.
Get someone to skim it with plaster. Paint.
I might prefer the second option, but the first would be cheaper.
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Asbestos in artex pre '84
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Take hold of your wallpaper steamer, and steam it off. Then paper and repaint.
Ignore the asbestos warnings, it will be the essentially benign white asbestos if it's there at all. A single exposure will make not one iota's difference to your long-term health. It's unclear whether multiple exposures make any real difference.
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>> Ignore the asbestos warnings, it will be the essentially benign white asbestos
I wouldn't say "essentially benign", I'd say "low risk".
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Skim over it with plaster.
Artex is now naff and whenever my company used to do building repairs for insurance companies invariably the home owner asked for his artex ceiling not to be reinstated but skimmed over. Good for me as it was cheaper.
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Brother-in-law fixed plaster board directly over his and got a plasterer in to skim it.
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Son in Law got rid of all ours by boarding them out and skimming. He just skimmed the lounge, after a coating with PVA, 'cos the plasterboard would have ruined the effect of the cornice.
Nice job....virtually the whole house plastered smooth now and painted.
No more papering....great !
Ted
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But sometimes the PVA 'let's go'.
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Sometimes the plaster lets go as well, Martin. I was lying in bed when the ceiling came down, just missing me....and more importantly just missing the printer ! It was just like Digestive biscuits. didn't taste it though.
Turned out the artex was painted with an oil based paint. Boarded and skimmed after that
Ted
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>> Son in Law got rid of all ours by boarding them out and skimming. He
>> just skimmed the lounge, after a coating with PVA, 'cos the plasterboard would have ruined
>> the effect of the cornice.
Ted
Why was it necessary to board the other ceilings, if skimming (but not boarding) the lounge ceiling was satisfactory?
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>>No more papering....great !
Plaster should always be papered.
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Just had the same problem last year with my grans house a semi, a leaking pipe and part of the ceiling dropped down about 3ft long by 2ft, plasterer replaced it skimmed over and artex swirls for just short of £300.00 which i didn't think was too bad.
I painted it over when dry looks v nice.
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>> >>No more papering....great !
>>
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>> Plaster should always be papered.
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Not ours. Smooth as a Baby's Bum!
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>> >> Plaster should always be papered.
>> >>
>> Not ours. Smooth as a Baby's Bum!
And? Why would you want bare plaster on your walls? It's not 17th century peasant accommodation!
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If fairness Mapmaker - depends on the plaster. The house I now live in was built in 1996 - all the rooms apart from the lounge and the landing/hallway are plaster walled - it's obviously done to a high standard as you'd struggle to find a crack anywhere on the plaster, the finish is good to excellent. Covings hide a multitude of sins !
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>> Whenever my company used to do building repairs for insurance
>> companies invariably the home owner asked for his artex ceiling not to be reinstated but
>> skimmed over. Good for me as it was cheaper.
>>
I'm sure it was cheaper for you. But did you let on to the insurance company? :-)
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>> Get someone to skim it with plaster. Paint.
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Another vote for this option. Did it to our lounge when we moved in last year for aesthetic reasons. Worked a treat.
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...Get someone to skim it with plaster. Paint...
A professionally plastered ceiling, particularly in a large room, really looks the business.
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Either that or papered with lining paper - hides a lot that !
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>> ...Get someone to skim it with plaster. Paint...
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>> A professionally plastered ceiling, particularly in a large room, really looks the business.
Until the first crack appears.....
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Quick hijack - daughter wants styrene tiles removed from kitchen ceiling pronto (new house to her). Are they likely to come off and leave the ceiling paintable (i.e. no gummy remnants)?
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Depends on how they were fixed ! Take one off first for a look.
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>> Are they likely to come off and leave the ceiling paintable (i.e. no gummy
>> remnants)?
They will be polystyrene - styrene (C6H5CH=CH2) is a liquid.
They *should* be glued on "all over" - but if you're lucky, they will be "dabbed" on with four or five dabs of adhesive, or - joy! - glued onto lining paper. Whichever, scrape off as much as you can, and steam off/blowtorch if practical the glue off. A filling knife will be useful, the blade should not be too flexible, though (you could "sharpen" a stripping knife).
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Usual glue used will be solid. Can be taken off dry with a scraper or softened first with a heat gun.
There will be no gummy remnants but will take off any paint under the glue and so additional sanding/scraping/filling may be required
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>> daughter wants styrene tiles removed from kitchen ceiling pronto. Are they likely to come off and leave the ceiling paintable (i.e. no gummy
>> remnants)?
>>
Regardless of any mess they leave, they should come off as they are a fire risk. Especially in a kitchen.
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They float down like burning snowdlakes and stick to your skin...continuing to burn.
Not advisable in any property !
Ted
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Maybe I'll use a flamethrower to get them off then LOL
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IIRC when alight they give off a Cyanide gas. Certainly nasty, but I am not a Chemist.
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>> They float down like burning snowdlakes and stick to your skin...continuing to burn.
That's if they're not secured properly - if they are secured properly, they're less of a hazard (fumes still hazardous - but so are fumes from your burning plastic carpet, plastic-stuffed couch, plastic picture frames, plastic window frames, plastic curtains, plastic electronic equipment, plastic paint on walls and woodwork, etc.).
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How much Crap does a Plastic Politician give off?
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Not enough, but they haven't been to the BSI to be evaluated. Ooh, BS. They give out loads of that.
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Thanks for the helpfull suggestions Ill look for quotes for skimming and painting it
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Damaged Artex Ceiling - Zero
