Artex skimming in Cottenham
Lewis, or the master plasterer we bring in, lays a fresh coat of plaster over the textured ceiling once the room is sheeted and the surface sealed. Light fittings are taken down first. Once dried, the new surface goes straight to our decorators, so one team finishes the room.
A Cambridge customer who was tired of dated Artex had it skimmed by Lewis, and the Artex case study has photos of the result.
Ceiling cracks, old and new
In Cottenham's 420 or so pre-1900 properties, ceilings may still be lath and plaster, which sags or cracks with age. In houses built since 2009, about 600 of them, cracks are more likely at plasterboard joints as the building settles. Each needs a different fix, from filling and taping to a full skim, and Graham will tell you which at his visit.
New coving can go up once a ceiling is skimmed; see our coving installation page.
Cottenham at a glance
- 3 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 6 minutesOSRM routing
- 5%were built 1945 to 1964VOA Council Tax stock
- 22%were built 1965 to 1982VOA Council Tax stock
- 15%of properties were built before 1919VOA Council Tax stock
- 2,725householdsCensus 2021
- 6%date from 1919 to 1939VOA Council Tax stock
How we approach plastering
Graham first works out whether a ceiling is lath and plaster or plasterboard, from the age of the house and how the surface feels. Sound ceilings are sealed and skimmed directly; loose lath sections may need more than a skim, which the plasterer advises on. After drying, we sand, apply a mist coat, fill what it reveals and finish in two coats of emulsion. The full method, products and FAQs are on our plastering page.