Painting Over Artex Ceilings in London Properties: The Complete Guide

Artex Ceilings in London Properties: What You Need to Know Before Picking Up a Brush

Walk into almost any London home built or renovated between the 1950s and the late 1980s and you will likely find it: the swirled, stippled, or combed texture of an Artex ceiling. For a generation of homeowners, Artex was modern, practical, and fashionable. For a generation of decorators, it has become one of the most frequently asked-about challenges on any painting project.

Whether you have inherited Artex in a Victorian Belgravia flat conversion, a 1970s Chelsea maisonette, or a Kensington terrace that was "done up" under previous owners, the questions are always the same: Is it safe? Should I skim over it? Can I just paint over it? And how do I get a decent finish?

This guide answers all of those questions in full.

The Asbestos Question: What Every London Homeowner Must Understand

This is where every Artex conversation must start. Artex products manufactured and applied before around 1985 may contain chrysotile (white asbestos) fibres, typically at concentrations of around 3 to 5 percent by weight. This was a common additive used to strengthen the texture compound and extend its working time.

The presence of asbestos does not automatically make an Artex ceiling dangerous. Asbestos-containing materials are only hazardous when fibres are released into the air — a state known as being "friable." Artex that is in good condition, firmly bonded to the ceiling, and left undisturbed is considered low risk.

However, the moment you begin to mechanically disturb Artex — scraping, sanding, drilling, or water-soaking to remove it — you risk releasing fibres. This is where serious health risks arise, and it is also where legal obligations kick in. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, any work likely to disturb asbestos-containing materials must be properly managed, and higher-risk work must be carried out by licensed contractors.

How to Test Your Artex for Asbestos

Before any work proceeds on a pre-1985 ceiling, testing is strongly recommended. The process is straightforward:

Option 1: Professional sampling. A qualified asbestos surveyor visits the property, takes a small physical sample of the Artex, and sends it to an accredited laboratory for analysis. Results typically come back within two to five working days. Costs range from around £100 to £250 for a single-room survey in London.

Option 2: DIY sampling kit. Several accredited laboratories offer postal sampling kits for around £30 to £50. You dampen a small area, cut or scrape a pea-sized sample while wearing appropriate PPE (disposable gloves, an FFP3 dust mask, and safety glasses), seal it in the provided container, and post it to the lab. This approach is suitable only if you understand the risks and follow the safety guidance precisely.

What to do if asbestos is found. If the test returns positive, you have two main options: leave the ceiling entirely undisturbed and paint over it as-is (the low-risk approach, covered below), or instruct a licensed asbestos removal contractor to remove it safely. Do not attempt to scrape, sand, or remove asbestos-containing Artex yourself.

For properties in conservation areas or with listed building status — common across Belgravia, Chelsea, and Kensington — be aware that significant ceiling alterations may require consent regardless of the asbestos question.

Three Approaches to Artex: Scrape, Skim, or Paint Over

Once you know the asbestos status of your ceiling, you can make an informed decision about your approach.

Option 1: Scrape It Off (Only Viable for Post-1985 Artex)

If your property was built or renovated after 1985, or if testing has confirmed no asbestos content, scraping is a viable option. Artex can be softened with warm water or a proprietary Artex remover gel, then carefully scraped off with a broad flexible scraper. This is laborious, messy, and requires considerable patience, but it produces a clean surface for subsequent plastering or direct painting.

The critical rule: never dry-sand Artex. Even non-asbestos Artex dust is unpleasant and potentially harmful. Always wet the surface before any mechanical removal.

After scraping, the ceiling will almost certainly require at least a skim coat of finishing plaster to produce a smooth, paintable surface. Budget for a plasterer's time in addition to the decorator's.

Option 2: Skim Over It (The Clean-Finish Solution)

For many London properties — particularly higher-end period homes in Belgravia and Chelsea where smooth ceilings are an aesthetic expectation — skimming over the Artex with a thin coat of finishing plaster is the gold standard solution. This approach works regardless of asbestos status, because no fibres are disturbed: the plaster goes on top, encapsulating the Artex completely.

The caveats are important. Artex must be clean, dry, and in good condition. Any loose or flaking areas must be secured or removed. The ceiling typically needs priming with a bonding agent (such as PVA or a proprietary bonding primer) before the plaster is applied. A skilled plasterer can achieve a result that is effectively indistinguishable from a new ceiling.

Skim plastering adds cost — typically £150 to £350 per room in London, depending on size and condition — but for properties where ceiling quality matters, it is usually money well spent before interior painting begins.

Option 3: Paint Over It (The Practical Option)

For Artex that is in sound condition, has no current issues, and where a smooth finish is not the primary concern, painting directly over the texture is a perfectly legitimate and widely used approach. Many London homeowners choose this route every year, and with the right preparation and materials, it produces excellent results.

The aim is to apply paint in a way that fills the peaks and valleys of the texture, producing an even colour coverage without a patchy or "highlighted" appearance.

How to Paint Artex Successfully

Preparation

Check the ceiling carefully for any hairline cracks, which should be filled with a flexible filler before painting. If previous paint is flaking or chalky, apply a coat of stabilising solution first. Any water stains from leaks must be sealed with a stain-blocking primer — standard emulsion will not prevent them bleeding through.

If the ceiling has been previously painted many times and the peaks of the texture have built up a thick coat, you can lightly dampen the peaks and press gently to slightly flatten the highest points before painting. This is not always necessary but can help if the texture is particularly pronounced.

Brush vs Roller for Artex

A standard short-pile roller will leave the valleys of the texture underpainted. For Artex, use a thick-pile roller — 18mm to 20mm pile — which is deep enough to get paint into the recesses. Work in sections, applying generously and then back-rolling to even out the coverage.

A large brush (50mm or wider) is useful for the initial stippling-in stage if the texture is very deep. Work the paint into the peaks and valleys, then follow with the roller to achieve an even finish.

Two coats are almost always necessary. The first coat will reveal any areas of incomplete coverage, which can be addressed in the second application.

Specialist Artex Paints

Several manufacturers produce paints specifically formulated for textured surfaces:

Polycell Artex Smooth is the most widely known product in this category. It is a thick, paste-like coating applied by roller that partially fills the texture while painting, progressively smoothing the surface with each coat. It will not achieve a plaster-flat result, but it significantly reduces the sharpness of stippled or swirled patterns.

Dulux Trade Texture Paint offers similar benefits in a trade formulation.

Toupret Fibacryl is a flexible, paintable filler that can be applied by roller and used specifically to reduce pronounced texture. It is widely used by professional decorators as a pre-paint preparation step.

For standard Artex where reducing the texture is not a priority, any good-quality trade emulsion applied with a thick-pile roller will give satisfactory results.

When to Bring in a Plasterer First

There are certain situations where painting over or even skimming Artex without first addressing structural issues is a mistake:

Bulging or bowing ceilings. If sections of the ceiling are noticeably lower than the surrounding area, the plasterboard beneath may be failing. No amount of paint will fix this — the ceiling needs structural attention before anything else.

Active damp or staining. If a water stain is still wet, or if mould is present, the source of moisture must be identified and resolved before any decoration takes place.

Deep cracks or settlement. Cracks that follow the joints of the plasterboard beneath, or that have opened up significantly, may indicate building movement that should be investigated.

Crumbling or powdery Artex. If the texture is breaking down and coming away from the ceiling, it needs to be removed and the ceiling either re-boarded or re-plastered. Painting over a failing substrate will not hold.

In these cases, we coordinate directly with plastering contractors before any painting work begins. Getting the substrate right is far more important than any amount of paint.

Colour Choices for Artex Ceilings

If the decision is to paint over rather than remove or skim, colour choice matters. Artex texture is highlighted by raking light — any light source at a low angle to the ceiling will cast small shadows that make the texture more visible. This is most pronounced in:

• Rooms with low-hanging pendant lights
• Spaces with floor-level uplighting
• Any room where daylight enters at a shallow angle

The practical implication: avoid very pale, slightly off-white shades that might catch raking light and make the texture more prominent. A pure brilliant white, or a slightly warmer white with good hiding power, tends to perform better than subtle off-whites. If the room is moving toward a neutral or coloured ceiling, a mid-tone will absorb raking shadows far better than a near-white.

For ceiling painting advice specific to your London property, we are always happy to assess the ceiling condition and recommend the appropriate approach.

Summary: The London Artex Decision Tree

Pre-1985 ceiling, asbestos status unknown: Test before any work. Do not scrape or sand.

Asbestos confirmed present: Paint over as-is, or instruct licensed removal contractor. No mechanical disturbance.

Asbestos confirmed absent, smooth finish required: Skim plaster over or scrape and replaster.

Asbestos confirmed absent, smooth finish not critical: Thick-pile roller with trade emulsion, two coats minimum.

Artex in poor structural condition: Call a plasterer before calling a painter.

Artex ceilings are a fact of life in London's housing stock, and dealing with them properly is simply part of what professional decorating in this city requires. Whether you are redecorating a Belgravia flat or freshening up a Chelsea mews house, the approach above will give you the best possible result safely and efficiently.