Before attempting the above, we suggest you first mix up an eggcup full of skim to the right consistency. Place this on an off cut of some kind that you have prepared with some PVA. Spread it out and mark the time it takes to go firm but not hard. This is the point at which skim can be made smooth and the trowel marks will disappear. If your wall contains horsehair plaster, it’s likely very old so the wall could crumble easily. Be careful because this will likely result in a messier cleanup. Remove the Remaining Plaster The aim is to move any high spots into any low spots. Holding your trowel with the edge touching the wall at 45 degrees, apply some slight pressure as you push it over the surface. Not too hard as you don’t want to pull the plaster off the wall.

In the vast majority of cases, the boards will be nailed. Usually they are only screwed if the wall is solid, and it needs drilling and plugs adding. Sweep Up Smaller Pieces: After you’ve removed the larger pieces, sweep up the smaller pieces of debris. A stiff-bristle broom is particularly effective for this. Be careful to collect any nails or other sharp objects. With everything now free of the dreaded artex you can now redecorate. In most cases this will be painting but wallpaper is also an option. The purpose of scoring the plaster is to create control lines or breaks in the plaster, which will help when you begin to chisel it off. By scoring the plaster into squares, it will break along these lines, reducing the risk of large, unmanageable pieces falling at once and making the process safer and cleaner. Choosing a Utility Knife Also, leaving the plate in one place too long and overheating the artex can cause it to liquefy and run everywhere, creating even more of a mess.As we have mentioned above, it is always a good idea to practice before you attempt the real things. This can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Before using a wallpaper steamer it needs to be prepared and this means filling it with clean water up to the max fill line on the tank and then screwing the lid on fully. The lath can also be quite sharp, especially if it splinters as you’re removing it. This is another reason why it’s important to wear sturdy gloves during this process. Clean As You Go

Each tool would be used in a separate place, and this technique is usually good right at the start to get the board moving. Removing skirting boards fixed with screws Work on a fairly small area at a time, say, around 1m square. Once applied to the surface leave for 20 minutes or so for the X-Tex to get to work and then test using a scraper. If it’s ready, when you push the scraper gently in, it will go through the artex. If it’s not, leave for another 15 minutes and test again. This will give you an idea of how long it takes to work. Once mixed you can start laying it on the wall. This is done using a hand held board called a hawk and plasterers trowel. No more than two trowel fulls should be placed on the hawk at any one time. One of the benefits of using pasterboard is that instead of plastering you can tape and fill all the joints and screw heads, seal it and then paint it, avoiding the need and cost of plastering. This means its not as common to find skirting screwed too stud walls. Although it certainly does happen. Conclusion

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Long-Sleeved Shirt and Long Trousers: These will help protect your skin from sharp debris and dust. Again, before you do this, please, please ensure that the artex you are working on does not contain any asbestos! Before you do however, as plasterboard is as porous as bare plaster, it will need to be sealed. To do this you can use a plasterboard sealer or you can give it 2 coats of watered down PVA or SBR (mixed at 75% PVA/SBR to 25% water).

Work in sections, applying the plaster as you go and taking off any real hard lines and lumps between sections as you lay them on, but don’t worry about getting it totally smooth at this point as it’s the second coat that will be smoothed.When you've traced all the known cables, scan your detection tool horizontally along all the walls, just to make sure you've not missed any.