Decorating after artex...

What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go. Consequently, every wall and ceiling in our house is
covered with the stuff in weird and wonderful patterns and usually a
hideous colour too! As this is an old house and an old artex job there
is the additional risk of asbestos which makes me very wary about
tacking it.

We're not in the position to plaster over not being good enough to do
it ourselves or the money to hire someone. To minimise its awfulness
I want to re-paint in neutral colours.

My question is mostly about prepping the wall to give the best
adhesion.

The wall I'm painting:
- is painted with a deep mid blue silk paint which is pretty glossy
- has low-mid peaks and troughs in the artex
- has been damaged at various points so is spotted with filler

I've sugar soaped so its clean but I am cautious about attempting to
sand it to give it a key because of the potential asbestos and because
I would only be able to sand the 'peaks'.

- Should I sand anyway?
- If I don't sand, is there any other way to provide a good key for
the paint? What about an undercoat of emulsion mixed with pva...? Any
other suggestions...?
- Should I use primer or undercoat as there are lots of filled holes
and I need a better level of adhesion? Which?

I'm sorry if these seem basic questions, I have tried looking for
advice but as always the specifics of each case seems different so
your advice and experience would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Fay

On Feb 27, 3:03*pm, meg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...

What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go. Consequently, every wall and ceiling in our house is
covered with the stuff in weird and wonderful patterns and usually a
hideous colour too! As this is an old house and an old artex job there
is the additional risk of asbestos which makes me very wary about
tacking it.

We're not in the position to plaster over not being good enough to do
it ourselves or the money to hire someone. *To minimise its awfulness
I want to re-paint in neutral *colours.

My question is mostly about prepping the wall to give the best
adhesion.

The wall I'm painting:
- is painted with a deep mid blue silk paint which is pretty glossy
- has low-mid peaks and troughs in the artex
- has been damaged at various points so is spotted with filler

I've sugar soaped so its clean but I am cautious about attempting to
sand it to give it a key because of the potential asbestos and because
I would only be able to sand the 'peaks'.

- Should I sand anyway?
- If I don't sand, is there any other way to provide a good key for
the paint? What about an undercoat of emulsion mixed with pva...? Any
other suggestions...?
- Should I use primer or undercoat as there are lots of filled holes
and I need a better level of adhesion? Which?

I'm sorry if these seem basic questions, I have tried looking for
advice but as always the specifics of each case seems different so
your advice and experience would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Fay

Hi - if the plaster under its failry sound it comes off with a steamer
( needs to be a decent one though - the £20 argos things wont touch
it and a good stiff quality scraper. and just forms clumps - no dust
so you can scrape the bugger off into a bag and get rid. If you dont
want to do that a dilute mix of UPVA ( unibond) makes a decent base
for just about anything to adhere to i've found :-)
If theres layers of paint on it score it with a stanley blade first
to allow the steam into the artex through the paint
Id wear a decent mask anyhoo - but a decent cannister filter mask can
be had for a tenner

In article 0bdd452c-4bbc-47ab-8cb2-
,
says...
Hi - if the plaster under its failry sound it comes off with a steamer
( needs to be a decent one though - the £20 argos things wont touch
it


I've got a £20 Argos one and it takes Artex off a treat - slower than
wallpaper, but just take it steadily and it worked fine for me.

You're right about the dust - the steamer just makes big soggy snots of
the stuff which you can bag.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

On Feb 27, 3:03*pm, meg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...

What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go. Consequently, every wall and ceiling in our house is
covered with the stuff in weird and wonderful patterns and usually a
hideous colour too! As this is an old house and an old artex job there
is the additional risk of asbestos which makes me very wary about
tacking it.

We're not in the position to plaster over not being good enough to do
it ourselves or the money to hire someone. *To minimise its awfulness
I want to re-paint in neutral *colours.

My question is mostly about prepping the wall to give the best
adhesion.

The wall I'm painting:
- is painted with a deep mid blue silk paint which is pretty glossy
- has low-mid peaks and troughs in the artex
- has been damaged at various points so is spotted with filler

I've sugar soaped so its clean but I am cautious about attempting to
sand it to give it a key because of the potential asbestos and because
I would only be able to sand the 'peaks'.

- Should I sand anyway?
- If I don't sand, is there any other way to provide a good key for
the paint? What about an undercoat of emulsion mixed with pva...? Any
other suggestions...?
- Should I use primer or undercoat as there are lots of filled holes
and I need a better level of adhesion? Which?

I'm sorry if these seem basic questions, I have tried looking for
advice but as always the specifics of each case seems different so
your advice and experience would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Fay

Do NOT sand old artex, it contains asbestos. There are costly
polyfilla products designed to cover it over.
Bit here on the topic.

http://www.removing-asbestos.com/asb...with-asbestos-
artex-removal/

On Feb 27, 6:11*pm, harry wrote:
On Feb 27, 3:03*pm, meg_mog wrote:





Decorating after artex...

What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go. Consequently, every wall and ceiling in our house is
covered with the stuff in weird and wonderful patterns and usually a
hideous colour too! As this is an old house and an old artex job there
is the additional risk of asbestos which makes me very wary about
tacking it.


Do NOT sand old artex, it does contain asbestos. There are costly
polyfilla products designed to cover it over.
Bit here on the topic.

http://www.removing-asbestos.com/asb...with-asbestos-
artex-removal/- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

you'll need to cut & paste the link, it hasn't gone in properly

On Sun, 27 Feb 2011 10:15:53 -0800 (PST), harry
gently dipped his quill in the best Quink that money could buy:

On Feb 27, 6:11*pm, harry wrote:
On Feb 27, 3:03*pm, meg_mog wrote:





Decorating after artex...

What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go. Consequently, every wall and ceiling in our house is
covered with the stuff in weird and wonderful patterns and usually a
hideous colour too! As this is an old house and an old artex job there
is the additional risk of asbestos which makes me very wary about
tacking it.


Do NOT sand old artex, it does contain asbestos. There are costly
polyfilla products designed to cover it over.
Bit here on the topic.

http://www.removing-asbestos.com/asb...with-asbestos-
artex-removal/- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

you'll need to cut & paste the link, it hasn't gone in properly

I think it is only because it has wrapped, and this breaks the link

Mike P the 1st

meg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...
What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go.

Chisle back to brickwork, get a platerer in.

JGH

In message
,
jgharston writes
meg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...
What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go.

Chisle back to brickwork, get a platerer in.

Can't do that ...
You'll die of asbestosis before the second swing of the hammer


--
geoff

On Feb 27, 7:48 pm, geoff wrote:
In message
,
jgharston writesmeg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...
What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go.

Chisle back to brickwork, get a platerer in.

Can't do that ...
You'll die of asbestosis before the second swing of the hammer

only if you breathe in...

Jim K

In article ,
Jim K wrote:
On Feb 27, 7:48 pm, geoff wrote:
In message
,
jgharston writesmeg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...
What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go.

Chisle back to brickwork, get a platerer in.

Can't do that ...
You'll die of asbestosis before the second swing of the hammer

only if you breathe in...

ITYM inhale.

Nick
--
Serendipity: http://www.leverton.org/blosxom (last update 29th March 2010)
"The Internet, a sort of ersatz counterfeit of real life"
-- Janet Street-Porter, BBC2, 19th March 1996

On Feb 27, 9:49 pm, Nick Leverton wrote:
In article ,
Jim K wrote:

On Feb 27, 7:48 pm, geoff wrote:
In message
,
jgharston writesmeg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...
What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go.

Chisle back to brickwork, get a platerer in.

Can't do that ...
You'll die of asbestosis before the second swing of the hammer

only if you breathe in...

ITYM inhale.

is there a difference?

Jim K

On Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:04:39 -0800 (PST), Jim K
wrote:

On Feb 27, 9:49 pm, Nick Leverton wrote:
In article ,
Jim K wrote:

On Feb 27, 7:48 pm, geoff wrote:
In message
,
jgharston writesmeg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...
What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go.

Chisle back to brickwork, get a platerer in.

Can't do that ...
You'll die of asbestosis before the second swing of the hammer

only if you breathe in...

ITYM inhale.

is there a difference?

Breathe in has built-in ambiguity
as in...

"Breathe in! Fat person coming through!"
or
"Breathe in all that lovely fresh air!"

Inhale is quite clear. And quite clearly what some politicians would
have you believe they didn't do.

Nick (Not that Nick)

Thanks for the suggestions and I'll remember that breathing isn't the
problem, only inhaling...

With regards to artex removal, I've considered getting rid of it BUT;

-its an old house and the artex covers ancient crumbly plaster and it
would ALL need removing and re-doing and the artex is through out the
WHOLE house including ceilings. Firstly we couldn't remotely afford to
have it done professionally, secondly I have 4 small kids so do not
get the time to do huge projects myself and it would cause massive
disruption. So the removing and/or replacing is a no no for now.

This is why i had decided to paint as a temporary measure. As I
mentioned in my original post, my question is mostly about prepping
the wall to give the best
adhesion.
The wall I'm painting:
- is painted with a deep mid blue silk paint which is pretty glossy
- has low-mid peaks and troughs in the artex
- has been damaged at various points so is spotted with filler
I've sugar soaped so its clean but I am cautious about attempting to
sand it to give it a key because of the potential asbestos and
because
I would only be able to sand the 'peaks'.
- Should I sand anyway?
- If I don't sand, is there any other way to provide a good key for
the paint? What about an undercoat of emulsion mixed with pva...? Any
other suggestions...?
- Should I use primer or undercoat as there are lots of filled holes
and I need a better level of adhesion? Which?

I will if pushed use the expensive polycell stuff as a basecoat but
its all dreadfully pricey which is why if PVA would work I'd
definitely prefer to use that as we have a lot of wall area to cover!

Has anyone else tried doing anything similar.

BTW, does anyone know of reputable asbestos testing kits and where to
get them please?

Thanks

On Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:36:01 -0800 (PST), meg_mog
wrote:

BTW, does anyone know of reputable asbestos testing kits and where to
get them please?

In my (limited) experience 'asbestos testing kits' stand about 1.8m
high, wear white overalls, stare knowingly at some bland, innocuous
wall, mutter, "That'll all have to come out for a start," then submit
a bill for about £20,000.

It was quite a big building, mind.

Nick

On Feb 27, 10:40 pm, Nick Odell
wrote:
On Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:04:39 -0800 (PST), Jim K
wrote:



On Feb 27, 9:49 pm, Nick Leverton wrote:
In article ,
Jim K wrote:

On Feb 27, 7:48 pm, geoff wrote:
In message
,
jgharston writesmeg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...
What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go.

Chisle back to brickwork, get a platerer in.

Can't do that ...
You'll die of asbestosis before the second swing of the hammer

only if you breathe in...

ITYM inhale.

is there a difference?

Breathe in has built-in ambiguity
as in...

"Breathe in! Fat person coming through!"
or
"Breathe in all that lovely fresh air!"

what ambiguity is there?

in both your imaginary scenarios the net result is exactly the same
action!

Jim K

On Feb 28, 3:36*am, meg_mog wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions and I'll remember that breathing isn't the
problem, only inhaling...

With regards to artex removal, I've considered getting rid of it BUT;

-its an old house and the artex covers ancient crumbly plaster and it
would ALL need removing and re-doing and the artex is through out the
WHOLE house including ceilings. Firstly we couldn't remotely afford to
have it done professionally, secondly I have 4 small kids so do not
get the time to do huge projects myself and it would cause massive
disruption. *So the removing and/or replacing is a no no for now.

This is why i had decided to paint as a temporary measure. *As I
mentioned in my original post, my question is mostly about prepping
the wall to give the best
adhesion.
The wall I'm painting:
- is painted with a deep mid blue silk paint which is pretty glossy
- has low-mid peaks and troughs in the artex
- has been damaged at various points so is spotted with filler
I've sugar soaped so its clean but I am cautious about attempting to
sand it to give it a key because of the potential asbestos and
because
I would only be able to sand the 'peaks'.
- Should I sand anyway?
- If I don't sand, is there any other way to provide a good key for
the paint? What about an undercoat of emulsion mixed with pva...? Any
other suggestions...?
- Should I use primer or undercoat as there are lots of filled holes

and I need a better level of adhesion? Which?

I will if pushed use the expensive polycell stuff as a basecoat but
its all dreadfully pricey which is why if PVA would work I'd
definitely prefer to use that as we have a lot of wall area to cover!

Has anyone else tried doing anything similar.

BTW, does anyone know of reputable asbestos testing kits and where to
get them please?

Thanks

Asbestos fibres are detected by looking at a sample under polarised
light with a microscope. So unless you have these............
You can send a sample off to be tested for around £20-£25. I think
there was a service on the link I showed you.

Asbestos fibres are detected by looking at a sample under polarised
light with a microscope. * So unless you have these............
*You can send a sample off to be tested for around £20-£25. I think
there was a service on the link I showed you.

Thanks for the link Harry, it was that page that made me realise that
if I at least *knew* whether it did or didn't have asbestos in it, it
would be a lot more straight forward. Previously I thought you had to
get someone out and that seemed overkill....

Anyways, whilst they have info about the test they don't have info on
who produces reputable testing kits. Since this is quite important I
didn't want to just order a kit of the internet and send it back to
some random lab.bv

On Feb 28, 9:43 am, meg_mog wrote:
Asbestos fibres are detected by looking at a sample under polarised
light with a microscope. So unless you have these............
You can send a sample off to be tested for around £20-£25. I think
there was a service on the link I showed you.

Thanks for the link Harry, it was that page that made me realise that
if I at least *knew* whether it did or didn't have asbestos in it, it
would be a lot more straight forward. Previously I thought you had to
get someone out and that seemed overkill....

Anyways, whilst they have info about the test they don't have info on
who produces reputable testing kits. Since this is quite important I
didn't want to just order a kit of the internet and send it back to
some random lab.bv

from a basic google there is no possible "home test kit" ....
testing requires the use of a microscope and someone who knows what
they are doing - your "kits" will most likely contain plastic bags for
you to put your samples in and a laboratory address to send them to,
along with details of how much extra you should make your cheque out
for.....

How will you gauge "reputable-ness"??

Jim K

Jim,

Like I said, its home testing so far as you take a sample and send it
back:

Since this is quite important I
didn't want to just order a kit of the internet and send it back to
some random lab.

As to establishing good repute I thought I start by asking around, get
a few names and then look up the companies mentioned before
deciding. What I don't want is an internet special (e.g. complete
bunk!).

So has anyone here sent off samples using a home testing kit? How
much did it cost? How long did it take? And which company did you
use?



On Feb 28, 10:05*am, Jim K wrote:
On Feb 28, 9:43 am, meg_mog wrote:

Asbestos fibres are detected by looking at a sample under polarised
light with a microscope. * So unless you have these............
*You can send a sample off to be tested for around £20-£25. I think
there was a service on the link I showed you.


from a basic google there is no possible "home test kit" ....
testing requires the use of a microscope and someone who knows what
they are doing - your "kits" will most likely contain plastic bags for
you to put your samples in and a laboratory address to send them to,
along with details of how much extra you should make your cheque out
for.....

How will you gauge "reputable-ness"??

Jim K

On Feb 28, 10:45 am, meg_mog wrote:
Jim,

Like I said, its home testing so far as you take a sample and send it
back:

?where did you say that?

As to establishing good repute I thought I start by asking around, get
a few names and then look up the companies mentioned before
deciding. What I don't want is an internet special (e.g. complete
bunk!).

Ask your local council Building Control Dept who they know locally who
do asbestos tests - "interview" them re prices, experience, whatever
you are worried about, decide, take it from there.
I don;t believe there is anything tricky about testing - it's a visual
test so you rely on experience/reputation.

As your house is "covered" in it will you be testing every room/wall/
ceiling? time to talk abt volume discounts too then.....

Jim K

On 28/02/2011 03:36, meg_mog wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions and I'll remember that breathing isn't the
problem, only inhaling...

With regards to artex removal, I've considered getting rid of it BUT;

-its an old house and the artex covers ancient crumbly plaster and it
would ALL need removing and re-doing and the artex is through out the
WHOLE house including ceilings. Firstly we couldn't remotely afford to
have it done professionally, secondly I have 4 small kids so do not
get the time to do huge projects myself and it would cause massive
disruption. So the removing and/or replacing is a no no for now.

This is why i had decided to paint as a temporary measure. As I
mentioned in my original post, my question is mostly about prepping
the wall to give the best
adhesion.
The wall I'm painting:
- is painted with a deep mid blue silk paint which is pretty glossy
- has low-mid peaks and troughs in the artex
- has been damaged at various points so is spotted with filler
I've sugar soaped so its clean but I am cautious about attempting to
sand it to give it a key because of the potential asbestos and
because
I would only be able to sand the 'peaks'.
- Should I sand anyway?
- If I don't sand, is there any other way to provide a good key for
the paint? What about an undercoat of emulsion mixed with pva...? Any
other suggestions...?
- Should I use primer or undercoat as there are lots of filled holes
and I need a better level of adhesion? Which?

I will if pushed use the expensive polycell stuff as a basecoat but
its all dreadfully pricey which is why if PVA would work I'd
definitely prefer to use that as we have a lot of wall area to cover!

Has anyone else tried doing anything similar.

BTW, does anyone know of reputable asbestos testing kits and where to
get them please?

Thanks



IME you don't need to worry about a key. For all its faults painted
Artex is actually a very good base for further paint providing you apply
the first coat very sparingly. This creates the bond, and you can then
tosh the rest on in the normal way.
I've done this many times without problems, in most cases without any
prep at all. Those peaks can be seriously sharp IME and the benefits of
preparation are minimal. The first coat binds up the grime anyway.

Jim -
?where did you say that?

I refer you to my previous post. You've even quoted it in your post!
It's all there!

Artex is actually a very good base for further paint providing you apply
the first coat very sparingly. This creates the bond, and you can then
tosh the rest on in the normal way.

Stuart - thanks so much for getting back to the original question.
That's really good to know. I don't have the money or time to waste
getting it wrong and ending up with a flaky job

On Feb 28, 11:32 am, meg_mog wrote:
Jim -
?where did you say that?

I refer you to my previous post. You've even quoted it in your post!
It's all there!

just re read all you posts - you don;t appear to have said it - that's
why I bothered to explain it
never mind

Jim K

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and comments.

Jim: Thank you for explaining what you meant and I'm sorry you still
have failed to find my post where I mention it. I'm sure we've all
misread or missed stuff whilst we've been reading stuff on forum's so
its really no biggie.

Quoted from my post on 28Feb at 9:43, last sentence.

"Since this is quite important I
didn't want to just order a kit of the internet and send it back to
some random lab."

Ask your local council Building Control Dept who they know locally who
do asbestos tests - "interview" them re prices, experience, whatever
you are worried about, decide, take it from there.

I've called them and unbelievable they were completely disinterested.
I think I will try again as in retrospect I can't believe how
unprofessional they actually were. The person I spoke to described
artex as the latest fad panic and that I shouldn't worry about it.

Very bizarre!

On Feb 28, 11:43 am, meg_mog wrote:
Thanks everyone for your suggestions and comments.

Jim: Thank you for explaining what you meant and I'm sorry you still
have failed to find my post where I mention it. I'm sure we've all
misread or missed stuff whilst we've been reading stuff on forum's so
its really no biggie.

Quoted from my post on 28Feb at 9:43, last sentence.

"Since this is quite important I
didn't want to just order a kit of the internet and send it back to
some random lab."

mmm in context at that stage you were still asking for advice on
"reputable testing kits"
(hence my response in the very next post that the testing kit would be
no more than plastic bags and a lab address).

anyhow as long as you've got it now that's OK

Jim K

On Feb 27, 3:03*pm, meg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...

What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go. Consequently, every wall and ceiling in our house is
covered with the stuff in weird and wonderful patterns and usually a
hideous colour too! As this is an old house and an old artex job there
is the additional risk of asbestos which makes me very wary about
tacking it.

We're not in the position to plaster over not being good enough to do
it ourselves or the money to hire someone. *To minimise its awfulness
I want to re-paint in neutral *colours.

My question is mostly about prepping the wall to give the best
adhesion.

The wall I'm painting:
- is painted with a deep mid blue silk paint which is pretty glossy
- has low-mid peaks and troughs in the artex
- has been damaged at various points so is spotted with filler

I've sugar soaped so its clean but I am cautious about attempting to
sand it to give it a key because of the potential asbestos and because
I would only be able to sand the 'peaks'.

- Should I sand anyway?
- If I don't sand, is there any other way to provide a good key for
the paint? What about an undercoat of emulsion mixed with pva...? Any
other suggestions...?
- Should I use primer or undercoat as there are lots of filled holes
and I need a better level of adhesion? Which?

I'm sorry if these seem basic questions, I have tried looking for
advice but as always the specifics of each case seems different so
your advice and experience would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Fay

From reading the thread it sounds like you're making a mountain out of
a molehill. Get your emoulsion paint and paint it, simple as that.
Nothing else needs doing.

No need for undercoats, primers etc. If youre painting onto gloss
you'll find that coats go on very patchy at first, just persist and
they'll end up perfect.

Asbestos testing looks pointless, since
a) youre painting over it, so its harmless
b) if you get the time or money one day you'll get rid of it anyway
c) artex used to contain asbestos, so you know what you've got anyway


NT

On 28/02/2011 11:32, meg_mog wrote:
Jim -
?where did you say that?

I refer you to my previous post. You've even quoted it in your post!
It's all there!

Artex is actually a very good base for further paint providing you apply
the first coat very sparingly. This creates the bond, and you can then
tosh the rest on in the normal way.

Stuart - thanks so much for getting back to the original question.
That's really good to know. I don't have the money or time to waste
getting it wrong and ending up with a flaky job

If the current paint isn't flaking, there's no reason why the new lot
should but, if it isn't adhering for some reason, you should sense it as
you're putting it on. The first coat I would "scrub" on with a 120mm
emulsion brush (don't be tempted to thin the paint), the idea being to
be mean with the paint and aggressive with the scrubbing so that you get
a very thin layer in every nook and cranny, but no coating as such. IME
a thick coat on a sealed surface tends to sag under its own weight,
which makes that initial bond weaker.

Good luck with it. At least a trial run on one wall won't set you back
much in terms of time or money.

meg_mog wrote:
Ask your local council Building Control Dept who they know locally who
do asbestos tests - "interview" them re prices, experience, whatever
you are worried about, decide, take it from there.

I've called them and unbelievable they were completely disinterested.
I think I will try again as in retrospect I can't believe how
unprofessional they actually were. The person I spoke to described
artex as the latest fad panic and that I shouldn't worry about it.

Very bizarre!


Highly accurate actually.

Unlike most places in the public sector, building control has people in
it who have some knowledge and a lot of training in their field.

Tabby wrote:
On Feb 27, 3:03 pm, meg_mog wrote:
Decorating after artex...

What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go. Consequently, every wall and ceiling in our house is
covered with the stuff in weird and wonderful patterns and usually a
hideous colour too! As this is an old house and an old artex job there
is the additional risk of asbestos which makes me very wary about
tacking it.

We're not in the position to plaster over not being good enough to do
it ourselves or the money to hire someone. To minimise its awfulness
I want to re-paint in neutral colours.

My question is mostly about prepping the wall to give the best
adhesion.

The wall I'm painting:
- is painted with a deep mid blue silk paint which is pretty glossy
- has low-mid peaks and troughs in the artex
- has been damaged at various points so is spotted with filler

I've sugar soaped so its clean but I am cautious about attempting to
sand it to give it a key because of the potential asbestos and because
I would only be able to sand the 'peaks'.

- Should I sand anyway?
- If I don't sand, is there any other way to provide a good key for
the paint? What about an undercoat of emulsion mixed with pva...? Any
other suggestions...?
- Should I use primer or undercoat as there are lots of filled holes
and I need a better level of adhesion? Which?

I'm sorry if these seem basic questions, I have tried looking for
advice but as always the specifics of each case seems different so
your advice and experience would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Fay

From reading the thread it sounds like you're making a mountain out of
a molehill. Get your emoulsion paint and paint it, simple as that.
Nothing else needs doing.

No need for undercoats, primers etc. If youre painting onto gloss
you'll find that coats go on very patchy at first, just persist and
they'll end up perfect.

Asbestos testing looks pointless, since
a) youre painting over it, so its harmless
b) if you get the time or money one day you'll get rid of it anyway
c) artex used to contain asbestos, so you know what you've got anyway

Not sure that is even true. used to contain bloody sharp sand anyway.

There are probably only two places where asbestos has really been a
health hazard, one is where its being worked with, in factories and
mines. The other is where its being worn out and the dust is coming off
it. Viz absestos brake linings.

In short its not a hazard unless you inhale a lot of dust over a long
period.





NT

In article
..com, meg_mog writes

What can I say, the previous owners in the 70's decided that artex was
the way to go. Consequently, every wall and ceiling in our house is
covered with the stuff in weird and wonderful patterns

I live in a Victorian flat which similarly must have been covered in the
stuff. Fortunately it has been skimmed over at some time in the past,
but the original Artex swirls are still faintly visible in certain
lights.

I had the heating replaced and couple of rads moved, and those revealed
the original Artex in all its snot-green painted glory. Had to have
those skimmed, then repainted myself.

Fortunately, the ceilings escaped the swirly patterns, they're just
stippled, and look ok.

We're not in the position to plaster over not being good enough to do
it ourselves or the money to hire someone.

I don't think it would cost too much to have a plasterer skim over it,
particularly if you do it on a room-by-room basis as you redecorate.

--
Mike Tomlinson

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember harry saying
something like:

url:http://www.removing-asbestos.com/asb...artex-removal/
you'll need to cut & paste the link, it hasn't gone in properly

Look.

On Feb 28, 8:53*am, harry wrote:
Asbestos fibres are detected by looking at a sample under polarised
light with a microscope. * So unless you have these............

Can there be such poverty?

Mike Tomlinson wrote:
I live in a Victorian flat which similarly must have been covered in the
stuff. *Fortunately it has been skimmed over at some time in the past,

Would that be a workable option? Instead of removing the artex,
plaster
over it to get a nice flat surface.

JGH

jgharston wrote:
Mike Tomlinson wrote:
I live in a Victorian flat which similarly must have been covered in the
stuff. Fortunately it has been skimmed over at some time in the past,

Would that be a workable option? Instead of removing the artex,
plaster
over it to get a nice flat surface.


Very much the way to do if you want to get rid of the texture.
JGH

In article
s.com, jgharston writes

Would that be a workable option? Instead of removing the artex,
plaster
over it to get a nice flat surface.

It works for me (I didn't do it, the previous occupants did). As far as
I'm concerned the results are acceptable.

In certain lights the swirls of the artex are visible if you are looking
for them, but that doesn't bother me.

--
Mike Tomlinson