The Odd Job Man

With the modern trend for plastered walls painted with neutral and pastel colours coming back into fashion, there are a lot of artexed walls and ceilings, which require plastering over. Artex can be plastered over quite easily with a little bit of plastering skill and DIY know-how. This article will talk you through the important point to consider when plastering over artex.

First of all you will need to make sure that there are no sections of artex that are loose or peeling off. If there is any of the existing artex peeling off or if there are any raised spots of artex you will need to remove these. The best way to remove the problem areas of artex, we have found is to use a floor scraper which is readily available in most DIY stores.

Once all the raised high spots of plaster have been removed and the wall is relatively flat the areas to be plastered can be painted with a coat of PVA adhesive. PVA adhesive can be bought in large plastic containers from DIY shops or builder’s merchants.

When applying the PVA you should first dilute the PVA using a 1 to 1 ratio with water. Mix the PVA and water together well using a suitable mixing tool. Once the PVA bonding solution is mixed properly you can then apply it to the walls or ceilings that you are plastering using a large brush. You can then leave the wall to dry, this usually only takes about an hour depending on the temperature in the room. The important thing is to make sure that you have covered the whole wall or ceiling properly because missed areas will mean that when they are plastered they will dry almost as soon as the plaster is applied to the wall – giving you very little working time. In fact the main reason for gluing the walls in the first place is to prevent the moisture in the finishing plaster from being absorbed straight into the wall.

It is probably best to apply two coats of this PVA bonding solution because this will give a great seal to the wall or ceiling and will maximise your working time. The application of the bonding solution will not only help the plaster stick to the wall better, but it will also slow down moisture absorption from the plaster. This means that the plaster will stick to the wall better and it will give you more time to polish the surface and get a really nice finish.

Now it’s time to mix the finishing plaster. Unless you’re working on a building site it’s a really good idea to put down lots of dust sheets because beginners have a tendency to get plaster everywhere! Try not to get any on your feet because as you move around you will spread excess plaster all over the place.

You should mix the finishing plaster to a consistency resembling thick cream. An electric drill with a suitable paddle attachment will make this job a lot easier and will bring you better results. Once the plaster is mixed you apply the mix to the wall or ceiling using a hand board called a hawk and a decent plasterer’s trowel. Work with only a small amount of plaster on the hawk at any one time and scoop the plaster onto your trowel by pushing the plaster away from yourself. Once you have got the plaster onto the trowel, spread it evenly on the surface using long sweeping strokes. Don’t worry about getting the finish perfect at this point as it can be polished later. The most important thing is to make sure that this coat is reasonable level on the wall and doesn’t have any deep ridges or recesses.

If you need to apply angle beads to external corners you will need to do this now. They can be fixed to the corners using either galvanised nails or just stuck using plaster. Angle beads help you to divide your plastering area into smaller, more manageable areas that can be dealt with independently. They give you a good edge to work to that finishes in line with the surface of the plaster. When the walls are painted they will not be visible.

Once the plaster has dried so that it is firm to the touch (but not solid) you can start smoothing it out. Start smoothing where you started skimming. This process is called ‘trowel ling it up’. You will have to repeat this step over the surface two or three times to get it absolutely smooth. This is often referred to as giving the surface a trowel. In most cases its best to give the plaster 3 trowels for the best results. When the plaster is quite hard, you will want to flick some water onto the surface with a brush, this will give some extra time to work the surface and will allow you to get a ‘glass like’ finish.

You can use a small soft brush to smooth out internal corners and smooth out the joins where the plastered surface joins onto any others.

Make sure to clean your tools thoroughly whilst plastering and after the job is complete. It will save you hours of scraping and will prolong the life of your tools. It will also make you look more professional!

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