Removal of artex?

[Nick]

Hello,

I have an olf fireplace in my lounge which has been bricked up and covered in what i believe is artex? It looks just like an artex ceiling, rough white 'peaks' of hard 'plaster'.

I'm concerned that if this is artex, it may contain asbestos.  Short of testing it, any ideas how to remove it safely?

It may of course be old plaster textured by combing or such. I'm also assuming that it could be decades old. I'm told there is a brick fireplace underneath the covering - if not artex any idea what this could be - and how to expose the original brickwork?

Any advice gratefully received

Thanks

[chris pp]

Sounds like plaster crepi, I come across it all the time, just hack it off. You should be able to drive a bolster behind it once you get going but it can stick a bit.

Chris

 

[Debra]

if it is artex it will steam off with a wallpaper steamer - messy but effective.  Not sure how safe that is with the old stuff though.

[chris pp]

Never seen artex in France Debra, but I could be wrong. I have come across a lot of the plaster spiky crepi though, one of those French things that I can never work out whether they really did (do) think it looks good or just a way out for people who can't plaster a smooth finish.

Chris

[Debra]

I'd have said the latter, Chris, except that it's been done on plasterboarded walls in our house so surely that means they must think it looks good?!  (Oh - and it does look like Artex where it's been knocked - does crepi look similar?)

[chris pp]

Crepi is a sort of multi purpose word that covers almost any type of dollop that you put on walls Debra, so if you render block-work it's still called crepi, don't think about it! There are as you probably know various types of plaster in France, but they are all plaster, and yes, I think it is or was until recently fashionable to have this spiky finish, personally I think it looks sh*t, gets very dirty and should be consigned to history.

I apologise to anyone who likes this finish, just my point of view which is of course right.

Chris

 

[Nick]

Thank you for your replies. I'll go easy and remove myself.

[P]

Crepi - should it not be spelt with an 'a' instead of an 'e'

Paul 

[saddie]

I agree with the spelling. Our first house had crepi in the living room and stairs. It was impossible to remove. Even knocking off of the points in the stairwell to avoid getting grazed was a major job. You could try getting some smooth crepi and going over it. Our first house also had the striped flock wallpaper and lambri in other rooms. Full set of French decorating taste.

[powerdesal]

 Full set of French decorating taste.

How does 'stone effect' wall paper on a stone wall grab you!!!!!!!!

plus, tiles on the floor but carpet on the walls and ceiling - bizarre in the extreme.

Its not there now.