Hi Ive got a couple of questions for you guys but first ill explain the scenario....

Ive been asked to skim a bedroom wall with a window, this wall was originally artexed but a hole in the roof has caused water to get in and has caused the artex to fall off on one side of the wall.

The plaster has blown in a few places which is not a problem ( the only problem im going to have is skimming behind the fitted wardrobe, its a bit of a squeeze!)

Anyway i need to remove the rest of the artex because its going to look a mess trying to skim over it. The artex has been tested and it has white asbestos in it .....

So here are my questions, Ive heard there are products you can use to remove artex by painting it on then scraping it off, can anyone recommend a particular product,???

Secondly as water got into the wall do i need to damp proof the wall before i skim? if so what with and do i do it before PVAing etc??

Thanks for the help guys

if youve had it tested, and it contains asbestos, then it needs removing by an asbestos removal company, a licensed asbestos removal company...

if you hadnt had it tested, you could have taken it off with a steamer, it would have turned soft, scraped off easily, none of the fibres would have got into the atmosphere (not there there would have been enough to kill a field mouse anyway, considering the low level of asbestos in the stuff in the first place) and then you could have cracked on...

but seeing as its been tested, contains asbestos, then legally, youre not supposed to go anywhere near it...

no, you dont need to damp proof the wall...

what are you 'proofing' it against? the water trapped in the substrate making its way out into the room?

let the wall 'breathe' maaaan....

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http://www.peterborough-plasterer.co.uk/

heres a good tip for you though...
make a solution of 50% water, 50% vinegar and add a drop or two of washing up liquid...
paint that on the wall before you skim....

what that will do is neutralise most or at least some of the salts that will have dissolved in the water that got into the substrate, and stop the evaporation (drying out) process drawing them through the substrate into the room where they (it) will manifest itself on your newly plastered wall as a white fluff which will have the householder in a blind panic!!!!

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http://www.peterborough-plasterer.co.uk/

Cheers mate, would you do that before applying the PVA then (i guess you would have to wouldnt you?) i was told and read on the net that steaming can be a slow and labourious process and the quickest and hassle free way was to paint on this product that you can get and just scrape off when soft?

I need to ask her more about this asbestos issue, she said the bloke who got it tested said tell whoever removes this to wear a mask

just let your salt neutralising solution dry then just pva as normal and crack on...
wear a mask by all means, good drills...

google 'silicosis' while your worrying about asbestosis...

how much is there to come off? trust me, 10 seconds with a steamer will have it like porridge..

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http://www.peterborough-plasterer.co.uk/

Cheers mate might give the old wallpaper steamer a go then!!

Can I ask another question if you don't mind, what's the best way to scrape back the plaster to the skim beads around the window is it pretty simple ? How far back do you go? Or would it be easier to just fit new ones on top ?

Cheers again

I would fit new beads.

You can also use Nitromorse to remove artexing, but its a pretty grim job

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nitromorse will get expensive aswell wnt it?
steam it off easiest way IMO

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a28.pdf

This guide is what you need to do to remove it. It does not require a licence.

Takes alot longer to steam off. If you buy a £10 tub of nitro, paint it on. Leave 10mins then it will just fall off with no effort from a scraper.

If you have the time (and own a steamer) steam it, if not, get some nitro.

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fair play ive never used nitromorse to take of artex to be honest never thought of useing it,ive only ever used a steamer