Skimming Artex in a 1970s house
Lewis, our plasterer, skims textured ceilings with a new smooth coat rather than taking them down, which keeps mess and time to a minimum. Fittings come down, the room is sheeted and the surface prepared so the plaster bonds.
On a whole-house renovation, two of our plasterers skimmed Artex ceilings while decorators worked in other rooms, which kept the programme short. The Artex ceiling case study shows one finished result.
Cracks, coving and older plaster
Hairline cracks are filled and sanded, and deeper ones are opened up and repaired. Where a water stain marks a ceiling, Zinsser stain block stops it bleeding through. The few hundred pre-1919 homes in St Ives may have lath and plaster, which we assess at the visit before deciding between a skim and lining paper. New coving can be hung once the ceilings are done.
St Ives at a glance
- 18 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 24 minutesOSRM routing
- 11%were built 1945 to 1964VOA Council Tax stock
- 40%were built 1965 to 1982VOA Council Tax stock
- 7%of properties were built before 1919VOA Council Tax stock
- 7,522householdsCensus 2021
- 3%date from 1919 to 1939VOA Council Tax stock
How we approach plastering
Fresh plaster is left to dry fully before anything goes on it. We then sand away nibs and trowel marks with a Mirka dust-free sander, apply a thinned mist coat that soaks in and reveals small dips, fill and spot-sand those, and finish with two full coats. Floors and furniture stay covered from the first day. The full method, products and FAQs are on our plastering page.