Artex Removal and Covering in Woodford Green and East London
Skimming over old Artex is the job we are asked for more than any other. Swirls, stipples and polytex made smooth, and in most cases the ceiling stays where it is.
Cover it or take it down?
If an Artex ceiling is sound, it is usually covered rather than removed: the surface is sealed so the new plaster grips, and it is skimmed flat. That is quicker, cleaner and cheaper than taking a ceiling down. If the ceiling itself is cracked, sagging or coming away, it is better replaced, which is what we did with a kitchen ceiling in October 2025.
Old Artex and asbestos
Artex put up before the 2000s can contain asbestos. So unless we know a ceiling went up after the 1990s, we advise having it tested before any work starts, every time. If the test finds asbestos and you give the go-ahead, there are two ways to do it: the Artex is sealed and plastered over without being disturbed, or a specialist asbestos removal company takes it out first and we then board and skim the ceiling.
What the finished ceiling looks like
Flat, with nothing of the old pattern showing through. One South Woodford customer had an Artexed hall ceiling in a period house skimmed, and wrote that there was no trace of the Artex left, with the level kept even along the coving and around the ceiling rose. Another had seven Artex ceilings in a flat done in two and a half days.
Walls, polytex and polystyrene tiles too
It is not only ceilings. We have plastered over textured walls and ceilings in a newly bought house in Romford, covered a polytex ceiling in Walthamstow that the owner had put up themselves years before, and taken polystyrene tiles off a living room ceiling in Woodford Green before replastering it.
A messy job, kept contained
Artex work means working overhead in a room you probably still live in. Floors, furniture and doorways are sheeted before anything starts, and the room is cleared and swept before we leave. It is the thing customers mention most in our reviews.
What is included
- A free visit to check whether your ceiling can be skimmed or needs replacing
- An asbestos test advised first on any Artex from before the 2000s
- Rooms sheeted and furniture covered before we start
- Artex ceilings and textured walls skimmed flat
- Polytex and similar coatings covered
- Polystyrene ceiling tiles taken down and the ceiling replastered
- Cracked or sagging ceilings replaced, boarded and skimmed
- Coving and ceiling roses kept where they are worth keeping
- Swept and cleared before we leave, with a 12-month guarantee
Some of our work
What customers say
In their own words, from verified reviews. Read more reviews.
“Sean skimmed over this leaving it completely flat and smooth with no trace of the Artex whilst still managing to keep an even level along the coving edging and around the ceiling rose.”
Verified customerSouth Woodford, E18June 2020 
“Fantastic job covering our old Artex ceilings in 2 large bedrooms and the hallway. Ceilings are smooth and the house was left tidy”
Verified customerChingford, E4November 2022 “Sean and Charlie did a flawless job skimming my ceilings, doing 7 in 2.5 days.”
Verified customerBow, E3April 2022
Common questions about artex removal & covering
Can you plaster over Artex?
Usually, yes. If the Artex is firmly stuck and the ceiling is sound, it can be sealed and skimmed flat without being taken down, which is quicker, cleaner and cheaper. If the ceiling is cracked, sagging or loose, replacing it is the better job. We will tell you which yours needs when we see it.
Does Artex contain asbestos?
Artex from before the 2000s can. Unless we know yours went up after the 1990s, we always advise a test before any work starts. If it does contain asbestos and you give the go-ahead, we can seal it and plaster over it without disturbing it, or a specialist asbestos removal company can take it out first and we then board and skim the ceiling.
Is it better to remove Artex or plaster over it?
For a sound ceiling, plastering over is normally the better option: there is far less mess and far less work. Replacing the ceiling makes sense when the ceiling itself has failed. Most of the Artex ceilings in our reviews were skimmed over rather than taken down.
How long does it take to skim an Artex ceiling?
A single ceiling is not a long job, and one customer had seven ceilings in a flat skimmed in two and a half days. Allow at least a week for new plaster to dry before painting, and longer in cold weather.
Can you cover polystyrene tiles or polytex?
Polytex and similar textured coatings can be skimmed over in the same way as Artex. Polystyrene tiles need to come down first, and then the ceiling is replastered. We have done both.
How much does Artex removal cost?
It depends on how many ceilings there are, how big they are, and whether they can be skimmed or need replacing. Skimming over is almost always the cheaper route. The visit is free and the price we give you is fixed.
Need a wall or a ceiling sorting?
Tell us what needs doing and we will come and look, usually within a day or two. The visit and the quote are free, and there is no pressure at the end of it.
- Free quote, usually within a day or two
- A fixed price for the job, not a drifting day rate
- Everything sheeted up and swept before we go
- Fully insured, with a 12-month guarantee
Rather talk it through?
Tell us what needs doing and Sean will come and look. The visit and the quote are free, and the price you are given is the price you pay.
