Many homes which have been built over the last 20 years have ceilings which have been covered with Artex. I can understand that a new build needs to settle and cracks can appear which makes Artex a fantastic solution for minimising how visible they are. However the pattern which covers your ceilings can range from small linear dots right up to big meringue style peaks and swirls. In my view, neither of these are really very acceptable, so what are the alternatives? In the main, there are two:

1)    Scrape where necessary and plasterboard over the ceiling then skim with plaster

2)    Scrape and remove as much Artex as possible and then re-plaster the ceiling directly

As you might appreciate both of these jobs are somewhat disruptive and messy and really it can depend on the level and depth of the Artex which can determine which solution is recommended. The clear negative with regard to option one is that a lot of work may need to be done in order to create a flat enough surface on which to attach the plasterboard in order to ensure a smooth finish when skimming.  Also the overall height of the ceiling will be reduced by up to 1-2cm by the time the job is complete. If you live in a small cottage this may be a significant consideration. For most properties the loss of this height is negligible.

With regard to option 2, the scraping and removal phase may take quite a long time to complete and when plastering it is absolutely critical to ensure that it is both smooth and level across the ceiling space; a much harder task without the benefit of plasterboard I’m sure.

I think my advice, in general, would be to head for option 1 in terms of potential timeframes and overall disruption to your home.