Textured ceilings in Chichester's 20th-century homes
Textured ceiling coatings were at their most popular in the middle and later decades of the 20th century, and Chichester has plenty of homes from that time. The East Broyle Estate to the north-west, where the Chichester Society notes the roads are named after English cathedral cities, was developed in the 1960s and early 70s with detached and semi-detached three-bedroom houses. In Summersdale, Edwardian houses were joined by others built in the 1930s and by later infill. Homes of those decades are where swirls, stipples and combed patterns are most likely to survive on ceilings, and sometimes on hall and stair walls.
Before anything is disturbed: asbestos
Textured coatings applied before 2000 can contain asbestos. It is a risk only when the material is disturbed, by sanding, scraping, drilling or breaking it up, and there is no way to identify it by eye. If your ceiling is older than that and you do not know what it is, have a sample analysed by an asbestos surveyor before any work that would disturb it, including fitting new downlights. Plastering over a coating that is sound does not remove it; it seals it under new plaster. Arrange the test before booking the plastering.
How a textured ceiling is plastered flat
- Inspection: is the ceiling firm, or does it bounce, sag or sound hollow? Ceilings that have moved need new boards rather than a skim.
- Protection: floors, furniture and fittings covered, and light fittings taken down by an electrician if needed.
- Sealing: a bonding coat brushed or rolled onto the pattern so the new plaster grips. No sanding.
- Filling: the first coat goes on thick enough to fill the deepest troughs.
- Finishing: the second coat is trowelled to a smooth, closed surface. Both coats use British Gypsum products.
- Drying: the ceiling is left to dry evenly before a thinned first coat of emulsion.
When the ceiling underneath has failed
In older houses, including the Edwardian villas of Summersdale and the Georgian streets inside the walls, a textured coat may have been applied over lath and plaster that had already started to crack. If that ceiling has sagged or come away from the joists, skimming over the pattern would only add weight to a weak surface. The lasting fix is new plasterboard, either over the old ceiling or in its place, then a skim. Our page on plastering and skimming in Chichester explains how failed surfaces are put right. In a listed building, check with Chichester District Council before boarding over or taking down an original ceiling.
Finishing the room properly
Once the ceiling is flat, it is the right moment for the things a pattern never suited: neat downlights, and a cove or cornice in proportion with the room. A tall Edwardian room can carry a deeper profile than a post-war semi, and our page on coving and cornice in Chichester covers the choices.
Send Pro Finish Plastering a few photos of the ceiling, or call 07824 165672, for a free, no-obligation quote. Read more about Artex ceilings plastered flat, or see our Chichester page for everything we cover in the city.
