Removing ceiling artex?

I want to remove stippled ceiling Artex in my living room.
I'm going to have the Artex tested for asbestos first and probably leave it if it tests positive.
A few questions:
1) I have coving around the room. Is it possible to remove the artex without damaging the coving? Also once the artex is gone, can the ceiling be skimmed in such a way that it would look okay with the existing coving? (I'm goinh to have a plasterer fix the ceiling after I've taken down the Artex).
2) I've read about Xtex and watched some YouTube videos: http://www.ecosolutions.co.uk/homestrip-xtex/ It seems possibly to be not as good as it sounds but is probably less messy than knocking off hard stipples by hand. Has anyone used it or anything similar?
3) Would I need to remove everything from the room - chairs, table and so on - before removing the Artex or would plastic sheeting be okay?
I'm thinking though that if I just do the living room, it will look odd because every other room has artex celinings (the buggers put it everywhere).

Gareth Davies wrote:
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Remove coving, overboard the ceiling and reapply coving (the foam-cored paper-wrapped coving looks just as good as plaster coving and is much easier to install - nothing like the old polystyrene coving)
<http://www.screwfix.com/p/supercove/73243

On 04/02/2017 21:39, Gareth Davies wrote:
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Our house had Artex ceilings throughout - and still has them in a number of rooms.
We've extended a time or two, and the new rooms have plain ceilings. There are one or two rooms which used to have Artex ceilings and now don't. We didn't remove the Artex - we simply had them prepared with PVA and then re-skimmed. That was nearly 15 years ago, and they've been fine. If you do that, it will be a lot less mess, no problems with asbestos, and less danger of damaging the coving. You should be able to skim up to the coving - particularly if it has a small shoulder on it.

On 04/02/2017 21:39, Gareth Davies wrote:
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A much simpler solution is to do what plasterers call a "glue and set", i.e. PVA the artex and then skim over it while the PVA is still tacky.
Does both jobs in one hit with far less mess and no need to mess about with the artex.

On 04/02/2017 21:39, Gareth Davies wrote:
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Our plasterer used brought a very large and heavy scraper and used it hack the artex "bits" that were sticking out, leaving all the rest of it. He then skimmed over to the coving. I think it looks perfectly acceptable, and cost no more than simply skimming the ceiling.

Gareth Davies wrote:
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    I always plane it off. Bit dusty!

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I watched that video as I have several plasterboard ceilings in the cottage with a similar appearing finish.
This was erected in 1994 so well post Asbestos. I think skimming sounds a quicker solution.

On 05/02/2017 18:52, Tim Lamb wrote:
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Is it fuck.
Try the year 2000.

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Oh! I think asbestos was banned from use in cement fibre roofing around the mid 80's.

On 06/02/2017 10:03, Tim Lamb wrote:
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I know for certain that for industrial buildings built before 2000, you must exercise due diligence in identifying asbestos and making anyone working on the fabric of the building aware where relevant.
I know boilers post 1984 were asbestos free. There seem to be different dates for different aspects of buildings.

On 07/02/2017 00:27, Fredxxx wrote:
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Assume nothing if it before 2000.