How to Apply Artex – The Art of Artexing (in 3 easy steps)
Artexing may be slightly unfashionable these days, with the trend seemingly reverting back to smooth flat ceilings. But something still needs to be done about all the spikey ceilings and crazy artexed patterns we have inherited from our more “out there” predecessors of the 70s and 80s.
We can of course re-board a new ceiling, or skim over the artex with plaster, but these are jobs that would require most people to call in a professional. And following that, possibly an overdraft. No, the cheapest solution to a problem like this would be, believe or not, to re-artex over the old artex with a more favourable pattern.
Artexing is something that the discerning DIY enthusiast can take on themselves.
It requires very little outlay on materials, and a couple of hours of trial and error to learn.
Before you start, ensure you have checked all the items from this list:
Materials: 1 bag of artex and 1 container of Unibond type sealer
Tools: 1 extra long-pile roller sleeve (9inch), 1 roller handle (9inch), 1 roller pole, 1 inch paint brush, 1 texturing tool, 1 artex bucket (about a metre in depth), 1 powerful drill with mixing attachment.
Now that you have all the equipment and materials you need, we can begin..
Step 1. Preparation
First you need to prepare your ceiling. Scrape off any jagged bits of old artex, and scrape back any loose or flaking paint from the ceiling. Any cracks need to be taped with “fibre” tape, and filled over with an easy to rub down filler (e.g. easi-fill). This stops them opening up again in your new artex.
Step 2. Sealing the ceiling
Now the ceiling needs to be sealed with a Uni-bond type substance (I find Uni-bond works quite well), to ensure that the new artex adheres to the ceiling. This can be achieved by either using a brush or a roller. Be warned using a roller can be quite messy.
Step 3. Artexing your ceiling
Mixing: Once the above steps have been completed, take your bucket, and fill with water to around a foot in depth. Then, commandeer your drill with, mixing tool attached, and start mixing. Pour the artex into the water whilst mixing is taking place, and when the mixture is consistent with a Mr Whippy ice cream it needs to be left for 10mins and mixed again. This will ensure there are no lumps in the texture.
Now that you have your mixed artex, you can take your roller and give it good dunk into the mixture. If the mixture is dripping off the roller, when you pull it back out, then it is not thick enough and needs to be thickened.
Alternatively if the roller comes out with hardly anything on it, then the mixture is too thick and needs to be watered down. With the mixture the right consistency you can roll it directly onto the ceiling in a straight line about a metre in length. Repeat this several times until you have an area of around 3 square meters covered evenly.
Creating your pattern
Now for the good part.creating your pattern. There are 3 common tools for this job. A stipple pad, a broken leather pad, and a swirl comb. For this example I would suggest using broken leather, as it is a timeless pattern and hides most indiscretions on the previous surface.
There is no real method to creating a broken leather pattern, you just need to be brave and jump straight in. Dab it, slide it, pad it, prod it, it really is up to you, as long as the pattern is consistent throughout the ceiling. You can always have a play and see what different patterns look like as once you’ve found the pattern you like, you can roll back over your test patches and start texturing your ceiling for real.
When Artexing into corners make sure you roll right into the corner, and take the pattern into the corner as well. After this take a small brush, and cut a straight line along the corner to tidy it up. Then take a wet sponge, and clean off any excess that is on the wall.
Continue with this process until you have completed the whole of your ceiling, not forgetting to brush around any light fittings. After you have completed this process you can take a well earned rest, sit back and admire your handy work. When the ceiling is completely dry, you can think about painting it. But one thing at a time please.
Now that you’ve learnt how easy it is artex your own ceiling, you can set about bragging to your friends. They may even ask you to do theirs!!
