Artex removal and overboarding in Swindon: the costly mistake to avoid
Scraping or sanding pre-2000 Artex before testing it can turn a £230 skim into a specialist asbestos job. The safe options, their costs, and the law on testing.
Updated 8 September 2026
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The costly mistake is disturbing Artex before testing it: sanding or scraping a coating that contains asbestos spreads fibres and turns a one-day, £230 skim-over into specialist removal priced in the thousands. Artex applied before 2000 can contain asbestos, so a lab test comes first. Nothing here replaces a UKAS-accredited asbestos survey — if a sample tests positive, stop and use a licensed contractor. If the coating is sound, the cheapest fix is usually to skim over it; boarding over or full removal are the alternatives, each with different costs and dust. And leaving sound Artex alone is often the right call — these options matter only once the ceiling has to be disturbed.
Test before you disturb it
A small sample can be sent to a UKAS-accredited laboratory for a few tens of pounds, and a result usually comes back within a few days. If asbestos is present, the coating is handled by a specialist asbestos contractor working to HSE rules — licensable or notifiable non-licensed work depending on the scope — and sanding is out of the question. The Health and Safety Executive publishes guidance on what homeowners may and may not do themselves. Testing first is cheaper than discovering asbestos halfway through a job that has already spread dust. Treat any pre-2000 Artex as suspect until a laboratory says otherwise. The Health and Safety Executive is blunt about the stakes: "Asbestos is the greatest cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain", with around 5,000 people dying every year from asbestos-related diseases — which is why the test is never optional on a pre-2000 coating.
The test, step by step
Book the test before quoting the job: a sampling kit or an accredited surveyor takes a small plug from an edge, the lab analyses it, and the written result names the coating. Keep the report with the house papers — plasterers, electricians and future buyers all rely on it. If the result is positive, the report also tells the specialist contractor what they are dealing with, which is what keeps their quote honest.
Option 1: Skim over it
If the Artex is firmly bonded and sound, a plasterer can apply a bonding agent and skim straight over it. This is the cheapest route: a single ceiling is about a day of labour at the £230 Swindon rate, and it produces no asbestos dust because the surface is left intact. The pattern disappears under the new flat finish, though the ceiling height drops by a couple of millimetres. It is the most popular option for sound ceilings because it is quick, clean and inexpensive.
Option 2: Board over it
Where the ceiling is uneven or cracked, plasterboarding over the Artex hides the texture and gives a clean surface to skim. It adds the cost of boards and loses slightly more height than skimming alone, but it is still far less disruptive than removal. Boarding also works when the existing ceiling has settled and needs a new flat base, and it can hide minor cracks without the dust of taking the old ceiling down.
Option 3: Remove it
Full removal is the most disruptive option and, if the Artex contains asbestos, must be handled by specialists, which makes it the most expensive route. It is the only way to eliminate the material entirely, so it is usually reserved for ceilings that are already failing or where the texture cannot be covered. Removal should never be rushed, and the room has to be sealed while it is done to stop dust travelling through the house.
Costs compared
Skimming over sound Artex is the cheapest, at roughly one day of labour per ceiling. Boarding adds the cost of plasterboard and a little more time. Specialist asbestos removal is priced case by case and is the most expensive by a wide margin because it involves sealing the area, trained labour and licensed waste disposal. Getting the test done first tells you which of these three you actually need, so you are not paying for specialist removal when a skim would have been enough.
| Route | Typical labour | Dust risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skim over | About 1 day per ceiling | None | Sound, well-bonded coatings |
| Board over | 1–2 days plus boards | None | Cracked or uneven ceilings |
| Specialist removal | Case by case | Controlled by the specialist | Failing or asbestos-positive coatings |
Fire safety: the lining rules a new ceiling must respect
Ceiling and wall linings are covered by the Building Regulations' Approved Document B (fire safety). For dwellings, Table 4.1 of Volume 1 sets the minimum reaction-to-fire classes: linings in rooms and circulation spaces within a flat or house must generally be at least Class C-s3,d2, with Class D-s3,d2 accepted in small rooms of up to 4 m² and in garages of up to 40 m² that are part of a dwellinghouse, and the stricter Class B-s3,d2 required in common circulation spaces such as flat-block stairways. Paragraph 4.4 also allows parts of the walls in a room to be no worse than D-s3,d2, provided the lower-performing area stays under half the room's floor area and 20 m². Boarding over Artex installs a new lining, so the board used must carry a manufacturer-declared class that meets the requirement for the room — declarations, not the generic material name, are what the rules turn on. Either way, overboarding does not weaken the ceiling's fire performance when the specified board is used as designed.
Which option is right for you
For most sound Artex ceilings, skimming over is the sensible default: it is quick, cheap and safe. Board over it if the surface is cracked or uneven. Reserve removal for ceilings that are failing or where asbestos is already known to be present and you want it gone. A plasterer can advise after seeing the ceiling, but the plastering process always starts with testing, before any scraping, sanding or boarding begins.
The mistake, avoided
The costly mistake this guide opened with — disturbing Artex before testing it — is now the easiest thing on the list to avoid: the test comes first, everything else waits for the result. With that settled, the remaining decision is only between skim, board or remove, and for a sound ceiling the answer is usually skim. Test first, spend second — that ordering is also the logic behind knowing what plastering should cost.
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Artex removal and overboarding in Swindon: the costly mistake to avoid: quick questions
How do I know if my Artex contains asbestos?
You cannot tell by looking. If the Artex was applied before 2000, assume it may contain asbestos and have a sample tested before any sanding or scraping. Post-2000 Artex is generally asbestos-free, but the only certain answer is a laboratory test.
Can I skim over Artex myself?
Skimming is skilled work best left to a plasterer, but it is safe to skim over Artex provided the coating is not sanded or scraped first. Test first so you know what you are dealing with before anyone works on the surface.
How much does Artex removal cost?
Skimming over sound Artex is the cheapest option at about one day of labour per ceiling. Boarding adds materials. Specialist asbestos removal is the most expensive and is quoted case by case. See Artex services in Swindon for local help.
Is it safe to live in the house while Artex is dealt with?
If the Artex is being skimmed over or boarded over, yes, the surface stays intact and there is no asbestos dust. If it contains asbestos and is being removed by specialists, the room is sealed off and you should follow their advice on staying elsewhere while the work is done.
What does the asbestos test involve?
A small sample of the coating is taken, usually from an inconspicuous corner, sealed and sent to a UKAS-accredited laboratory. Results come back within days, and the report states whether asbestos is present and in what form.