Artex and textured ceilings
Artex is usually skimmed over rather than scraped off. Lewis, our plasterer, applies a bonding coat and then a smooth skim across the whole ceiling, giving a flat surface for paint without the mess of removal. Older textured coatings can contain asbestos, so it's sensible to have a sample tested before anyone sands or scrapes one.
Our Artex removal and skimming page shows the steps, and a Cambridge job where Lewis skimmed Artex ceilings shows the result.
Older walls and newer cracks
At the other end of the age range, about 210 Isleham homes predate 1919. Old plaster there can be loose behind wallpaper, and sometimes that only shows once the paper comes off. Patching or a full skim is decided when the wall is bare.
With about 270 homes built since 2009, settlement cracks at ceiling joints are common too. We fill and tape those, and if a crack keeps reopening we'll tell you it may need a builder's eye rather than more filler.
Isleham at a glance
- 21 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 30 minutesOSRM routing
- 12%were built 1945 to 1964VOA Council Tax stock
- 20%were built 1965 to 1982VOA Council Tax stock
- 17%of properties were built before 1919VOA Council Tax stock
- 1,047householdsCensus 2021
- 6%date from 1919 to 1939VOA Council Tax stock
How we approach plastering
Before plastering we clear the room, sheet the floor and protect the walls below the ceiling. After the skim, we wait for the plaster to dry right through, which can take days, then apply a thinned mist coat to seal it and show up any blemishes. Two full coats of emulsion follow, and coving can be fitted before the final coat. The full method, products and FAQs are on our plastering page.