Do I need to bond and skim or just skim to smooth over an artex ceiling?

Hi, If your looking to plaster over artex you WILL need to use watered down PVA to seal the surface first. I cannot stress enough GET THE PREP RIGHT. Most people fail with plastering because they simply don't know how to prepare the surface for the application of multi finish. What ive always done is taken a floor scraper (same length as a broom (£10)) scrape the worst of the pattern/stipple off (10-15 mins) Take your PVA read instructions carefully and water it down correctly. I usually put the PVA into a roller tray and apply with a paint roller. Be generous with the PVA as this part is absolutely key. What this does is it seals your surface to prevent the plaster going off at a rate of knots. And trust me it will if you get this bit wrong. Once you've generously applied the PVA let it dry off for half hour or so till it goes tacky to the touch. Multi finish is the best product to use and shall leave the best finish ready to paint within 3 days. Job done P.S that's a pretty in depth answer but should hopefully have helped you abit more than a quick one word answer Aaron

First of all.. any tradesman dealing with an Artex ceiling, should always ask if Asbestos checks have been taken. You can't just go scraping artex ceilings as it's health and safety. Once tradeaman/customer has established that the area is free from Asbestos, then YES you start scraping back high points. Once that's done, you then apply 2 coats of Multi - Finish Plaster. Some areas may be thicker than others, so you have to judge it as a tradesman and use the right viscosity for both coats. To thick and plaster may sag, to thin and the area won't be sufficiently covered. A lot is just about experience. Problem solving. Artex is absolutely fine, you just need to speak to the right people who can help you out. If your a tradesman in whatever area of expertise, you should know your job take pride and perform well. Your only as good as your last job. Hope this has helped. JT PLASTERING AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES.

Hi, there should be no need to use bonding. First you will need to make sure the whole ceiling is completely scraped all over to a minimum depth. Then mix some diluted PVA, paint it on the ceiling then when it's gone tacky you can apply your Multi Finish (Two Coats) I would never see the need to use bonding. If you want to be very thorough and it to take a better key you could substitute PVA for Thistle or Feb-bond (A little more expensive) You paint that on the ceiling with a roller and leave it for normally 24hrs before you can skim onto it with Multi Finish. I hope that answers your question :)

At least someone has mentioned the possibility that asbestos may be present 🙄

You can scrap back the high spots or artex and give it two coats of pva then skim or one the other hand you can just overboard the ceiling and skim

There shouldn’t be any need to bond the ceiling unless the artex is very thick. Other wise I would just give it two coats of pva and skim it. Alternatively I would overboard and skim if the ceiling is very uneven