Advice please

[PaulE]

Just about to embark on fitting a new kitchen and would like some of your collective advise please.

The house is a modern one with artex over plasterboard ceilings and green chipboad floor. I hate artex especialy in the kitchen and want to go for a smooth plastered finish, I also want to add downlighters.

So the question is how best to do this? Should I a: take down the ceiling put all the wiring in for the downlighters, put up new pb and get skimmed or b: make holes and channels in the existing ceiling for downlighters and wiring and pb over the top + skim or c: make holes and channels in existing ceiling and get that skimmed over. (or any other options). If it helps the kitchen is roughly 4.5 x 2.5m.

I know the first option is best but not sure if I fancy trying to get big sheets of plasterboad up with little help. Working from above would be an option if I had traditional floor boards but I do not fancy cutting a hole from above as the pipes are right up against the floor (found that one out the hard way :-( ).

So what would you do? Many thanks in advance.

[Nightjar]

For Artex, the only course of action is to burn the house down, claim on the insurance and get everything done to your specifications by professionals. ;-)

Colin Bignell

[John Rumm]

I would be inclined to hack about what you have to get the wires in, then patch any holes[1] you don't want. Knock off any high points on the artex with the edge of a trowel, before applying a coat of dilute PVA immediately prior to skimming (as so called "glue and set").

[1] Offcuts of plasterboard and some jointing / scrim tape + bonding plaster

[GB]

When was the house built?

When did they stop putting asbestos in artex?

[John Rumm]

1984 IIRC

[Bill]

=

Wouldn't that have been white asbestos (=talc), though?

[harry]

There are special finishes expressly to cover up Artex. One of the Poly**** thingys. Some sort of sticky "plaster". Don't try to sand it off, it may contain asbestos.

[PaulE]

Its 1997 so should be no asbestos.

I probably did not make it clear the issue is getting the downlighters and associated wiring into an existing ceiling.

Thanks

Paul

[stuart noble]

IME the best thing, and the most readily available, is.....Artex. Lovely smooth finish, and no pva required

[David.WE.Roberts]

Are you planning to do the plastering yourself? If so, how good/experienced are you? A first try by a novice plasterer may be worse than artex ;-)

Depending on how high your ceilings are, I would be tempted to hack away at the existing ceiling to install your new wiring then put another layer of plasterboard up with neat holes for the lighting.

Then skim, or pay for a plasterer.

Which looks like option (b).

One thing - if the kitchen has been in long term use with all the cooking smoke settling on the ceiling, skimming over the artex may be difficult without a lot of cleaning. Also, some plasterers don't like skimming artex and won't guarantee the results.

Cheers

Dave R

[John Rumm]

In artex, yes. (although talc != asbestos - different mineral)

[John Rumm]

Fitting the lights etc is easy enough, the only difficult bit is when you need to get wires across the joists. There are ways of doing this:

However in this case its made easy since you know the surface will be skimmed once done, hence you can cut extra holes etc as required to make access to joists etc easy. If you use a large holesaw (5" say) you can take plug out wherever you want, then replace the plug on a short batten.

[mike]

If you want to upgrade the ceiling anyway, I'd make whatever holes you need using a plasterboard saw, a stubby auger in a drill to get through the joists, maybe get yourself a set of electrician's nylon rods to make the cable threading easy (something like

), patch the holes with plasterboard offcuts / reinforcing tape, and then, if you're not confident of your skimming ability, get a good recommended plasterer who should do a ceiling that size in no time.

You'll end up with the new finish on the ceiling that you want without the hassle of taking the old one down or cutting holes in the upstairs floor.

[paule]

I think that is the way to go. The ceiling has possibly not been painted since new and will have a thin coat of grease on it.

Thanks

Paul

[Judith]

Apply a warm iron to paper you have thrown away and then retrieved from the waste paper basket as you are starting to shit yourself and need to seek advice, before you make an image of it,

I thought you were going to just ignore it. You were very confident that it was not a problem when you posted their first communication to you.

I hope no-one phones them up using the full details you have provided and tells them to f*ck-off and you will see them in court.

[Graham.]

Perhaps he wants all the regulars to chip in a couple of quid.

[mac]

Yes the parking scoundrels - a crime againt humanity at least - or maybe a war crime (that'll mean no action will ever be taken). Throw in a couple on nazi quotes and the word fascist. The UK must now be leading the race "to really be Air Force 1 Mr. Orwell". Overpopulation = the real cause of the problem.

[Judith]

Wow - you are just so rich. I am just so envious - and I bet everyone else here is as well.

Can you show us a bank statement so we can really appreciate your significant wealth? It is very hard to take in.

[Tim+]

Advice? Okay, try posting to an appropriate newsgroup.

Tim