Much of Shoreham-by-Sea was built or rebuilt in the decades when textured ceiling coatings were at their most popular. On Shoreham Beach, most of the old seaside settlement was cleared during the Second World War and replaced afterwards with modern houses. In and around the town centre, the 1960s and 1970s brought blocks of flats and larger developments, and north of the railway, roads such as Upper Shoreham Road filled out with bungalows and two-storey houses. When one of those homes changes hands, the stippled hallway or swirled lounge ceiling is often near the top of the list of things to change.
A coating from before 2000 needs testing first
Textured coatings applied before 2000 can contain asbestos, and there is no way to tell by eye. Undisturbed, it poses little risk; the risk comes when it is sanded, scraped, drilled or broken. If your ceiling may be that old, have a sample analysed by an asbestos surveyor before any job that would break into the surface, and keep the result. Skimming over a sound coating seals it in place without disturbing it, but the coating is still there underneath, which is worth knowing for any future work such as fitting new downlights. Pro Finish Plastering does not test for or remove asbestos.
Ceilings in flats
Many Shoreham flats sit in purpose-built blocks or above shops on the High Street and East Street, where ceilings are concrete or plasterboard and access is up a shared staircase. Plastering over a textured finish there is planned around neighbours: materials carried up in manageable loads, the stairwell protected, and the noisiest work kept to sensible hours. A concrete soffit with a textured coat takes a bonding treatment like any other background, then two coats of British Gypsum plaster fill and flatten the pattern. In a block, check with the freeholder or managing agent first, because the lease may say what you can change and how.
Bungalows and beach houses
Bungalows tend to have generous ceilings that run from room to room, and the work is set out so each ceiling is finished in one continuous session rather than joined part way across. Cold ceiling corners next to outside walls sometimes carry faint mould spots from condensation; those are cleaned and treated before any plastering, and better ventilation helps stop them returning. If a ceiling has cracked badly, sagged or come loose from its fixings, plastering over it will not last, and new plasterboard is the answer; see plasterboarding and dry lining in Shoreham.
From pattern to paint
Once the surface is confirmed sound, the room is sheeted and a bonding coat is brushed or rolled onto the texture. The first coat fills between the ridges and brings the ceiling to a single plane, the second is trowelled to a smooth, closed finish, and walls with a pattern are treated the same way with beads on the corners. When it is dry, a diluted mist coat goes on before your emulsion. For a fuller picture of skimming in the town, see plastering and skimming in Shoreham.
More on the method is on our Artex ceilings and walls plastered flat page, and our other services are listed for Shoreham-by-Sea. Call 07824 165672 with a photo for free, no-obligation advice.
