Artex ceilings were standard in most homes built or renovated before the 1990s, and a lot of our Leicestershire jobs are homeowners wanting rid of that textured, dated look. There are two ways to do it, and which one’s right depends on the ceiling’s condition and, in older properties, whether the artex contains asbestos.
Overboarding means fixing a new layer of plasterboard directly over the existing artex ceiling, then skimming that with a smooth finish. It avoids disturbing the old surface entirely, which matters if the artex predates 1999 and hasn’t been tested, and it’s usually the quicker, less disruptive option.
Full removal strips the artex back to the original ceiling before skimming fresh. It’s messier and takes longer, but it’s sometimes necessary if the ceiling’s sagging or the boards underneath need replacing anyway.
We’ll tell you honestly which route suits your ceiling rather than defaulting to the more expensive one. If there’s any doubt about asbestos content, we recommend testing before either of us touches it. Overboarding starts from £320 per ceiling, with removal quoted separately once we’ve had a look.