Skimming Artex ceilings in Over
Add the post-war houses of 1945–1964 and over 40% of the village was built in the decades when textured coatings were common. Skimming covers the texture with a new smooth surface, usually with far less upheaval than taking a ceiling down. We protect floors and furniture, take down fittings and prepare the surface so the new plaster bonds.
Lewis or our master plasterer then does the skim. There's a finished example in our Artex skimming case study from a Cambridge home.
Lath and plaster, cracks and fresh plaster
Over's Victorian houses, about 11% of the stock, can have lath and plaster walls that come away once old paper is stripped. Graham decides whether a wall needs a skim or just filling and lining, so you aren't paying for more plastering than the room needs.
Cracks that keep coming back may point to movement or a leak above, and we'll say so rather than fill over them. Water stains get a Zinsser stain block first.
Over at a glance
- 9 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 18 minutesOSRM routing
- 5%were built 1945 to 1964VOA Council Tax stock
- 37%were built 1965 to 1982VOA Council Tax stock
- 11%of properties were built before 1919VOA Council Tax stock
- 1,159householdsCensus 2021
- 4%date from 1919 to 1939VOA Council Tax stock
How we approach plastering
Fresh plaster is left to dry out fully, then lightly sanded with Mirka dust-free sanders. A mist coat of thinned emulsion seals it and shows up any dips, which we fill and spot-sand before two full coats. In Over's 1970s houses this sequence usually follows straight on from an Artex skim. The full method, products and FAQs are on our plastering page.