We are in the process of purchasing a property that has Polystyrene tiles on all the bedroom Ceilings,we have been advised by the surveyor to remove them as they are a fire Hazard I have two questions, 1.Has anyone on here removed them and if so how ? 2. If we were to leave them on and anything was to happen heaven forbid would House insurance be void ?.
Many thanks in Advance.
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We removed ours with a wallpaper scraper and they came off easily, in one room they were hardly attached an we got them offmin no time.We did find though that the skim comes of in places with them so be prepared to have to have them re skimmed or papered.
It really depends what has been used to stick them on and how much was used.
Worse case could mean some plaster coming away when you scrape the tiles off.
If you see a video of what happens when they catch fire you will remove them. Just imagine being in a room and molten metal dropping on your skin!
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
My daughter and partner had them on the ceiling of their living room when they moved into their house last year.
The very first job was to remove them and within an hour of getting their keys my brother and future son in law were up on ladders scraping them off. they came off easily but they did have to have the ceiling re-plastered.
The thought of them spending even one night there with those on the ceiling worried me so much.
I think you'd have to check with your insurer as to whether you'd be covered or not, they are not actually illegal to use although in a rented property they would likely fail fire regulations.
Daughter and SIL removed theres with a wall paper scraper. But like other posters ceilings had to replastered. Polystyrene ceiling tiles are the ceiling eqvilent of wood chip wall paper or worse artex. Horrible
When I was a kid - and before the dangers were known - they were very popular. In fact, my dad put them in the kitchen (and mum used to use an open chip pan).
Doesn't bear thinking about now. When we came to remove them, they just popped off (but having said that, my dad never was any good at diy so probably didn't fix them on well in the first place).
Many years ago we used them in more than one room and in time as fashion changed we removed them using a wallpaper scraper.
They should be removed - you may get away with some polyfilla to patch any ceiling damage. If they were put up with wallpaper paste they may come away very easily.
I would not leave them on - it's not worth the risk.
Thank you for the replies so far, we are hoping that they will only be stuck on with wallpaper paste but knowing our luck they will be stuck on with super glue and be Buggers to get off, we will have to see.....
------------- Exercise every day and Die Healthy....
Beware re-plastering ceilings. We had that done, the thin skim fell off soon afterwards, covering everything in dust. This a week before guests were due to use that bedroom. I'm now a staunch believer in heavy duty lining paper over a patched surface, it covers a multitude of sins.
A plasterer who knows what he/she is doing would brush on some properly diluted Pva adhesive as a bonding agent prior to plastering on top off old plaster as would be the case for the OP.
If this is not done the old dry plaster will suck out all the moisture from the new plaster and it does not set properly. It could literally fall down if you slam a door to hard.
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
I took some off our spare room and used something called "Smooth Over" wich was applied like plaster but a lot easier, and none went on the floor. It's similar to plaster but doesnt drip and you use the applicator that's supplied. It doesn't flake off after time, either.
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some days you are the tree.