Q: I have an old wall that is cracking, will it have to be taken down and renewed?
A: Not nessisarily. Many old houses have what is known as limelight plaster and like anything it has a certain life span. Over time limelight plaster will dry out and has a tendancy to crack but as long as the walls are sound (solid and not hollow sounding) the plaster is still good.
If the walls are sound, you have several options open to you. You can have the walls papered with heavy duty lining paper and paint over them, but a more cost effective method is to over-skim the plaster. This will add more years to your walls and ceilings and give you that new clean look without the risk of the paper finally pealing away or seeing the joints in the paper.
Q: I have an artex ceiling and I want a smooth ceiling, does this mean I will have to have it all pulled down and renewed?
A: You can of course take the whole thing down and renew the ceieling, but this may mean that the ceiling artex may have to be tested for asbestos (depending on the age) and an asbestos team brought in to safely dismantle and remove the waiste material. A more cost effective and less messy way to rid yourself of the artex is to get one of our experts to overboard the ceiling and re-plaster it as new.
This in effect seals in the artex without causing the mess of pulling down the old plaster and artex which is also very time consuming. You will get the same results in that you have a newly plastered ceiling (without having to pay for the more expensive artex covering material) without the hassle of the time consumimng removal of the debris.
Q: Is there Asbestos in all Artex?
A: No. Artex is a trade name (along with Wondertex, Suretex, Newtex, Pebblecoat and Marblecoat ) which has come to be used to describe all thick plaster-like paints that were used to create decorative effects, most commonly on ceilings, but often on walls too. Up until 1984 these decorative paints manufacturers used small amounts (only 3-5%) of Chrysotile white asbestos in Artex. Within the buiding trade these are referred to as textured coatings and the non-asbestos versions are still used to this day. As you would expect its use is very much dictated by fashion but it was used extensively up until 1980s.
There are no overwhelming safety reasons to remove Artex asbestos. In fact, the opposite is true. The removal process (through scraping) disturbs the material and causes fibre release. Up until 2006 textured coating could only be removed by licensed contractors but this is no longer true. That said its always best to use a specialist when removing asbestos because they use techniques to prevent fibre release.
If you do want a quote from a licensed removal comany you can use our form on the right otherwise there are specialist products available that soak into the paint and turn it into a mulch that can be easily scraped off. This is not for the faint-hearted as these products contain some pretty unpleasant chemicals. You certainly need to wear adequate protective clothing to ensure that you don't get splashed.
Q: Does my Artex contain asbestos?
If your building is more than 25 years old then there is a good chance that your Artex does contain asbestos. The only only hard and fast way to find out is to get the material analysed by a specialised laboratory If you are worried about whether your Artex contains asbestos you will need to contact an asbestos removal expert.
Q: I have had a plasterer quote me on a job, but I am not sure if it is right?
A: Always (where possible) get at least three quotes and even better, ask for referances and recomendations from other people who have had work done by them.
Cheeper does not nessisarily mean better. Yes cost is always a factor when having work carried out, but some will simply undercut prices in order to get the work and may leave you with a messy finish. Quality is the main factor, you need to know that not only will the work look its best, but that it will also last.
Q: I have been given a quote, but they want all the money up front before starting work. Should I pay?
A: Absolutly not. If it is a small job, e.g. re-plastering one room or a ceiling / wall then no money should change hands until the work is complete and your absolutley happy with the quality and standard of workmanship.
If it is a much larger scale job it is not unusual to have a contract made up for a three part payment with one third being paid at the begining (after all the company may have to get materials and pay his staff), one third to be paid halfway through the work, with the final payment being made only after the work is complete and you are absolutley happy with the finish and standard of work.
Q: I need some plastering / rendering done on my property but I also need other works carried out, do I need to get lots of different companies in on seperate occassions?
A: If you require multiple trades to work on your property at the same time, they will need to work with each other in order to have the work carried out more cost effectively. You can of course shop around, but you will need them to communicate with each other in order to ensure they work together and not come in to carry out work in a haphazzard fashion. Many trades know and can recommend other trades (especially here at Torbay Plasterworks) and they can arrange for other trades to work alongside them in an efficient capacity.
Yes still get at least three quotes from various companies but if you can get tradespeople that already know each other and have already worked alongside each other this can make the job run smoother and be more cost effective in the long run.
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