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Help! I have just extended a room which now effectively has two parts to its ceiling. The existing ceiling is artexed with a swirl design whilst the new part has a plain, smooth plaster finish. I want to artex both ceilings with a basic stipple finish and I want to know if it is (a) possible to artex over existing artex finish (b) how easy is it to do and (c) any tips?

Hi

I'm looking at smoothing out an existing Artex ceiling and here's what I've discovered. A), It's not a DIY job and B) It's quite expensive. If you have coving then it may have to be removed and either left off or refitted as preferred. This is because if the Artex had to go on quite thick, you may end up having a rounded ceiling which could look weird.

Re-plasterboard the ceilings in 15mm board (to help to stop the boards bending with very slight difference in ceiling heights. hire a makita screw gun, buy some 40/50 mm WOOD screws. Buy a shark saw and dig into your old ceiling to determine where you ceiling joists are and make sure your joints are abutting on a joist (run your boards across the joists to criss/cross ie if you run the edge of you board down a joist its wrong and would be weak) screw cerntres (distance apart) 230mm stagger the board ends like brickwork is for stength when boarded, run scrim acroos all the joints and artex with all your fancy pattens ;)

TIP! make sure there aren't ANY joints on the ceiling difference HOW? begin boarding across the ceiling difference (part joining different ceilings) and board away from the difference.

Tools required
tressles or hop up to reach the ceiling height
srew gun
scraper for applying the scrim
surform, (like a fine cheese grater for shaping the ends and side of the boards to suit bendy walls
shark saw/pad saw
stanley knife

materials
15mm board
screws
scrim tape