Overboarding vs skimming over Artex: which is right for your ceiling?

Updated 6 November 2026 · By the Artex Removal team

Short answer: Skimming is right for most Artex ceilings that are sound and reasonably flat. Overboarding, where new plasterboard is screwed through the old ceiling into the joists and then skimmed, is better for very deep patterns, cracked or uneven ceilings, and old lath and plaster that is losing its grip. It costs more, but it encapsulates the coating completely and gives a fresh, flat surface.

Overboarding vs skimming over Artex: which is right for your ceiling?

What overboarding involves

Overboarding means fixing new plasterboard sheets directly over the existing ceiling, screwing through into the joists above, then taping the joints and applying a finishing skim. The Artex stays where it is, sealed between the old ceiling and the new board, so it is a form of encapsulation. The ceiling drops by the thickness of the board, usually 9.5 or 12.5 mm, plus the skim.

Because the new board is fixed independently into the joists, it does not rely on the old ceiling for strength. That is the key advantage over skimming: a skim can only be as good as the surface it is applied to, while overboarding effectively gives you a new ceiling with the old one left behind it.

Side-by-side comparison

	Skim over	Overboard and skim
Best for	Sound ceilings with shallow to medium texture	Deep texture, cracks, uneven or failing ceilings
Typical cost, bedroom ceiling	£300 to £550	£500 to £900
Typical time, one room	About 1 day	1 to 2 days
Disturbance to coating	Minimal if peaks are left or tested	Screw holes only, coating otherwise sealed
Fixes underlying cracks	Only minor ones	Yes, as the new board is fixed independently
Ceiling height	Unchanged	Drops by around 10 to 15 mm

Signs your ceiling needs overboarding

Very deep swirls or peaks that would need heavy scraping back
Cracks that keep coming back, or boards that move when pushed
Lath and plaster that sounds hollow or sags between joists
Large areas of old patching and uneven levels
Coating that has tested positive and you want to avoid scraping it at all

Things to check first

Building regulations generally do not require approval for overboarding a domestic ceiling like-for-like, but fire performance matters in some places. Ceilings below a habitable loft room, between a garage and a house, or between flats may need to meet specific fire resistance, so check whether the existing ceiling forms part of a fire separation and use suitable fire-rated board if it does.

Find the joists so the new board is screwed into solid timber, not just the old ceiling
Check for pipes and cables in the ceiling void before screwing
Plan for light fittings, pull cords and smoke alarms that will need extending
Check coving, door frames and window heads still line up after the drop
Consider fire-rated board where the ceiling separates a garage or flat

If the coating has tested positive, screwing through it is normally treated as minor non-licensed work, but it should still be done with dust controls, such as damping or using a shadow vacuum on the drill.

When neither is enough

If a lath and plaster ceiling is badly sagging or the plaster has lost its key to the laths, it may need taking down and replacing rather than overboarding. That is a larger job, and if the ceiling has an asbestos coating it needs planning carefully because the whole ceiling is being disturbed. Get the coating tested and the ceiling assessed before deciding.

Making the choice

For most homes, a good skim is all that is needed and is the cheapest way to a smooth ceiling. Overboarding is worth paying for when the ceiling itself is the problem, not just the texture. A plasterer who has seen the ceiling can tell you quickly which route suits it, and a test result will tell you how much care the preparation needs.

It is worth asking for both options to be priced if the ceiling is borderline. The difference is often smaller than people expect once the extra scraping and fill coats for a deep pattern are counted, and an overboarded ceiling is less likely to crack in future.

How overboarding is done

Overboarding is quick in experienced hands but needs care at each stage, because the quality of the fixing decides how well the ceiling performs for years afterwards.

Joist positions are marked on the ceiling and walls so every screw hits timber
Light fittings and smoke alarms are disconnected by an electrician and cables are drawn through
Boards are lifted on a board lifter or props and fixed with drywall screws at regular centres along each joist
Joints are staggered so that board ends do not line up across the ceiling
Joints and edges are taped with scrim
The whole ceiling is skimmed with two coats of finishing plaster
Fittings are reconnected once the plaster is dry

Plasterboard is heavy, and a full sheet overhead is a two-person job at the very least. Board lifters, which hold the sheet against the ceiling while it is screwed, make the job safer and help get the boards tight to the joists.