Written on: 10/05/2013 by jenniferac
Well Im a mere female who was faced with a wall that looked like the person who took the paper off was very vary angry, then had just painted over it, it almost looked like textured wall paper, which is why i needed help, had i of read these reviews before buying this product i would have bothered, but i had..... first off it doesnt go on easy like the product video so only do about 12" sq at time I found it alot easier having a bowl of water next to me to dip the scrapy tool thing in before... (read more)
Written on: 12/01/2013 by sarahhol
Do not waste time, effort or money on this awful product. Polycell should be ashamed for producing such rubbish that does not do what it says. I followed the instructions closely. The product would not 'stick' to the roller, about half the tub fell onto the floor, it does not give a smooth finish and basically i am now left with no option but to pay for a plasterer. i will be heading back to homebase to give my feedback as retailers should not stock it if it is not fit for purpose. (read more)
Written on: 03/12/2012
After reading the reviews on here i was a bit worried of buyinhg this but for £25 at wilkos i thought what the hell. the tool kit is a waste of money,dont buy it but the smoothover it's self is well worth the cash. I ended up putting it on the artex wall and smoothing it over with a 100mm wallpaper scraper. spread it on like butter,it gets a little messy falling on to the floor,that was the only good thing in the end about part of the tool kit (smooth over tool),you can hold it under the... (read more)
Written on: 18/11/2012
I cannot believe that Polycell produce this awful product that does nothing like it claims to do. I have just wasted £40:00 on it, 30 for the product and 10 for the roller and plastic spreader that are required for use with the smooth over. I don't know why they couldn't include the tools with the product but even then it would still be a big rip off! I am bitterly disappointed and wish I had saved my money towards botox treatment to smooth my wrinkles instead! (read more)
Written on: 02/09/2012
If the Wickes product is similar to Polycell (maybe even made by the same company?)then its no surprise it is just as useless. I think the product has been misnamed - its a floor covering rather than for ceilings and walls since most ends up on the floor. It doesn't stick to sandpapered/soap sugared surfaces and certainly doesn't leave a smooth surface ready for painting. I tried plastering skills to get it to stick and smooth off - utterly hopeless. Definitely a no-buy. The only thing good... (read more)
Written on: 08/08/2012
Really wish I read these reviews before I brought the stuff!!! I was shocked how bad the application of it and the end result, terrible avoid it. (read more)
Written on: 04/12/2011 by nphillip (1 review written)
Coming from Polycell I had high hopes for this product; however, it let me down badly, even after a second coat. I followed the instructions and covered an area on my bedroom wall of 1m squared. The result was terrible and the plaster just wouldn't cover properly, leaving a lot of uneven holes even after a second coat. Worse! My wife wouldn't stop laughing! I've tried filling in the holes and will now sand it but don't think it will make much difference. Yuk! (read more)
Written on: 19/03/2012
I have used it for years with brilliant results
must be your technique. This stuff is brilliant
you do not need to get on smooth, because after it dries very light sandning renders the job perfect!!!
Written on: 23/04/2012
I agree with your review. This product is expensive and it has let me down completely. Applied to a plaster ceiling and walls, this stuff will just come off in strips when you attempt to roller it a 2nd time. It appears to have zero adhesive properties and can be removed far more easily than wallpaper, which is frankly pathetic. Even worse is that the less it leaves behing is worse than what you started with. Frustrated is not the word really....
Written on: 24/11/2011 by milene_alves
After reading some reviews I decided to give it a try and bough it to put on my popcorn ceiling of my 1960's house. It's not easy. Very tiring indeed. It took me about 5 days to do the whole job in my 20 square meter living room. I didn't apply a second coat as I already had paid £90 for 3 pots of 5 liters each pot. When I finished my first coat there were spots all around the living room, the ceiling looked awful. But then I realized that this product is water based, so after it was all... (read more)
Written on: 30/09/2011
If this is anything like Polycell's Smoothover Damaged Walls, it is absolute rubbish. Luckily B&Q refunded my money on that product! On a more serious note, on Polycell's webpage: www.polycell.co.uk/guides/cover_textured_ceiling.jsp 'How to cover up a textured ceiling' it give dangerous information in Step 2 about 'scraping off high peaks' from the ceiling. As mentioned previously in these reviews, most textured ceilings pre-1990 contain lethal asbestos. A company like Polycell should... (read more)
Written on: 02/05/2011
product seems like an expensive repackaging of a watery ready mixed polycell multipurpose filler. The "toolkit" is not helpful - I finished off with a metal smoothing tool - after the second coat on less than 2 sq metres of ceiling - I think it will look OK once I have sanded it down - BUT - I have needed 2.5 litres - fortunately I picked a small patch of ceiling on stairs to trial it. I feel it is miss advertised and miss sold. (read more)
Written on: 27/04/2011
I purchased Polycell smooth over for ceilings and the Polycell tool set to smooth over a stippled ceiling. I followed the instructions carefully and watched the video. I have to say that this product is worse than useless and definitely NOT for a DIY job. I only hope that i can get a refund on the unopened container. I have now to get a professional plasterer in to sort out the mess. I think that I have bought my last Polycell product. If I had known how difficult this product was to use... (read more)
Written on: 25/04/2011
The reviews on here make this product seem like it is a complete waste of money and I was slightly terrified of using Smoothover afterward I has read them!
It's not perfect (a plasterer would have been better) but for the money you spend it's actually not too bad. I expected it to be a lot worse!!
As long as you are fairly intelligent and are not expecting this to be as easy as painting I don't think you will be disappointed.
The first coat is a little bit rough but the second coat makes...
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Written on: 29/05/2011
Do you work for Polycell PR? Your comment "as long as you are fairly intelligent" is patronising and insulting. I don't think anyone would expect this to be as easy as painting. Polycell Smoothover is an expensive rip-off, which left my walls in a complete mess, and certainly in a worse condition than they were to start with. My advice - definitely don't buy this product.
Written on: 26/05/2012
I'm fairly intelligent (lol).
Just finished my small bathroom ceiling that was stippled. Tried a metre square area to start with and it was awful, the stipples were too high so therefore this particular area took four coats of the stuff before it was anything like. On realising my initial mistake I scraped the top off of the remaining stipples with a paint scraper and that gave me much better results. Two coats on that bit, three coats on the first bit, sanded at that and then a final coat all over, sanded again - PERFECT!
DON'T use the plastic flattening tool on stipples because the stipples tear little chunks off the tool and then you end up in a terrible mess. Fortunately for me I've got a large ceramic tile cement spreader with a flat edge which turned out to be ideal for the job. Maybe worthwhile investing in a proper plasterers spreading tool or whatever they're called?
Has been hard work but worth it in the end although I wouldn't want to attempt a larger ceiling than the one I've done - 2m x 2m.
Written on: 20/04/2011
I just used Smooth Over over my "popcorn" textured walls, I had scraped back the texture a lot given it was greater than the 2mm the product reccomends, and this did an EXCELLENT job of filling any gaps and giving mye a perfect smooth surface to paint.
One thing I will say was it did take a bit of "getting the hang of it" - I did have to do a 2nd coat over the bit of the first wall I did.
My tips: Stir WELL, Dont submerge the roller fully just roll it in the tub to pickup optimal ammount....
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Written on: 22/04/2011
Having just applied the Polycell smooth over for textured ceilings I can confidently apply one star.
Whilst the product my be OK application by the Polycell roller is not feasible. We are told no need to work off any excess from the roller, it will "smartly" pick up the right amount of product. It doesn't. You wait until it decides it has enough by dropping excess in the can, you then move it to the ceiling and it deposits the remainder on the floor. I have wasted a 1/3rd of the can. If you...
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Written on: 18/04/2011
This stuff is great if you are willing to invest time and a lot of elbow grease to smooth over your textured ceilings - it saves A LOT of money and sanding over the entire ceiling at the end to get rid of the slightly coarse finish improves everything no end. Tip: never do more than 1 sqm at a time (as advised on the tub), go VERY lightly with the smoothing tool and sand EVERYTHING down at the end. Result: a smooth ceiling at a fraction of the cost of a plasterer. (read more)
Written on: 18/04/2011
Although this is not a review it's relevant to textured coatings. A lot of textured coatings actually contain Chrysotile(white asbestos). Although it is quite safe when undamaged it is very dangerous when disturbed(sanded etc). Asbestos has a latency period of 20-40 years and can cause serious diseases such as asbestosis, cancer and mesothelioma, the latter being terminal.
This post isn't here to scare, more to make people aware of the dangers of pre 1990's textured coatings.
Happy DIYing...
(read more)
Written on: 09/04/2011
Smoothover is a truly DREADFUL product - avoid it. Like others on this site, I wish I had read these reviews before purchase and never bought it. My 1970s cracked and textured ceiling actually looked a lot better than it currently does with this product applied to it. The Smartroller & smoother do not allow the product to be applied evenly and be prepared to have it drip all over you and everything else beneath it. You'd think a well-known brand like Polycell would have tested Smoothover... (read more)
Written on: 02/04/2011 by swaining (1 review written)
Terrible terrible product! As mentioned by others it is very messy, time consuming and the final result is very poor.
Aweful!
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Written on: 06/03/2011
i also wish i'd read all the review first. i bought 3 tubs of this POO, and what a waste of time and money. i dont even think i can get a refund on the 2 unopened tubs as i bought them when on offer in B&Q last week as a 3 for 2. i even bought the tool kit to apply and that too is a waste of money, the roller just splashes everywhere leaving a total mess and lots of cleaning afterwards and the plastic smoother isnt much better. i definately would not recommend this product and polycell... (read more)
Written on: 28/02/2011
My experince of this product seems to agree with the others.I was hoping to smoothover an artexed drop ceiling which is not too raised.The roller did not roll it just pushed lumps around.The smoother dragged like hell and tended to pull the stuff away so I guess it was'nt properly adhering on the first application.I'm sorely tempted to add a jug of water to get the nice creamy consistency mentioned on the container.I wish I had read all these reviews ,this is a 35 quid lesson I won't... (read more)
Written on: 01/03/2011
This stuff is rubbish. I only wanted to cover where removing sticky back boarder had taken off the paint in places, the it dries rough, so has to all be sanded not just the tram lines,and the smoother tool drags off the paste, even after wetting the tool, wish I'd never started now!
I would DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMEND IT!
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Written on: 18/02/2011
Some years ago I used smooth over and was planning to use it again for our cloakroom.
What are these people like.
I found it easy to use although I did need to do two coats.
The walls painted now 5 years are still as perfect as when i finished. Give it a go i say. I am going to again. Brilliant product that solved a major problem for me.
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Written on: 14/02/2011
How I wish that I'd read these reviews first. What thoroughly demoralising experience. As per the other reviewers comments, I found this stuff did not do what it said on the tin. Huge blobs dropping off whilst attempting to apply and the stuff that did stay on was patchy at best. Phoned Polycell/Dulux Customer service whom would not offer a refund, just a 'goodwill gesture' of a voucher for a 2.5 ltr can of paint. They suggested that I send a sample for their own quality control people to... (read more)
Written on: 28/01/2011
what an absolute load of rubbish and infinate waste of time.makes so much mess applying it on the walls,the plastic 'smart smoother'left bits of plastic in the filler as it smoothed. took 4hrs to sand smooth even then its not perfect.washed walls down with a sugar soap solution only to find to my dismay that the so called finished product washes off, after allowing over 24hrs drying time. now back to square one only worse as it is an abomination! off to buy a bag of one coat plaster and a... (read more)
Written on: 11/12/2010
I have been decorating for myself and paid jobs for some 30 years using all manner of products, NEVER have I wasted money on such rubbish as this, it doesnt stay on the roller it slops everywhere and the finish is remeniscant of concrete. The video on the site is quite clearly doctored to make it look clean & simple to use all quite irrelevant as the so called how to cover textured walls does NOT show textured walls NOR are they using the textured wall product!!! Its coverage over texturing... (read more)
Written on: 02/12/2010
Utter rubbish. Wouldn't use again if you paid me! Bought 2 tubs of the stuff. Had so much problem with mess that I put 2nd tub to one side for a couple of weeks - I just couldn't face trying again. When I came to use it, it had actually gone mouldy!! It hadn't even been opened!! This stuff has got to be the biggest load of old POO I've ever had the misfortune to buy! AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS (read more)
Written on: 15/11/2010
Quite the most awful DIY product I have ever tried to use. The demonstration says that tou will just have to lightly sand some tramlines, what a joke! I am just about to scrape it of the wall and If the wife wants to try it she can but as far as I'm concerned, where is the plasterer? Utter waste of money. Unfortunately I you didn't get the option to give it zero stars otherwise I would have done. (read more)
Written on: 30/10/2010
Rubbish stuff, took ages made a right mess. I ended up calling in a plasterer,he did the job 10x faster, might have cost a little more but money well spent. (read more)
Written on: 27/10/2010
Awful product. Took ages and ages to stir into a state that could be used, then very messy trying ot get it on to the walls and left a bigger mess than started with.
Cost a lot and will take a lot of work to put right.
Avoid it.
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Written on: 26/10/2010
This product does not do what it says on the tin. It does not cover artex. The ceiling looks worse than when we started and we are now looking to have it skimmed professionally and replace a ruined carpet! DO NOT BUY. (read more)
Written on: 13/10/2010
In my opinion, this stuff is over priced rubbish. The roller and smoother are a waste of time, and It is`nt very easy to apply. I am not impressed with the results on my ceiling and certainly will not waste my time and money purchasing any more. (read more)
Written on: 10/10/2010
I agree this product is misold as an easy to use solution for covering textered walls. The product is expensive and application tools are useless. The material does not adhere to the roller. In the end the only way of satisfactorily applying the material was by using a plaster's trowel. Don't waste your money on this. (read more)
Written on: 11/10/2010
polycell smoothover -complete rubbish, spent 75 pounds for 3 tubs of ceiling smoother and also bought the special application kit went up easy enough but the finish was very rustic (not smooth) even with a proper plasterers trowel!. it then cost over 200 pounds to have a plasterer come and do a proper job and his opinion was he wouldn't touch the stuff with a mucky stick. (read more)
Written on: 05/10/2010
Polycell smoothover for damaged walls does exactly that - damages your walls. A truly dreadful product. A complete waste of money. Like other reviewers, I found the tools provided completely useless - a bit like the "adviser" on the end of the helpline who seems to have no decorating experience just a list of possible solutions. The roller scatters the product on every surface but the one to be treated. I even tried to use the product with a simple filler knife but it still slides off... (read more)
Written on: 13/09/2010
instead of saving time and money this product actually added days onto my decorating schedule and I ended up spending a lot more than if I had just got a plasterer! the tools you have to buy separately were ineffective and I got some nasty cuts on my thumb from the sharp-edged 'ergonomic grooves' in the handle of the smoother. I also found it only covered half the area it claimed to. (read more)
Written on: 27/08/2010
I wish I had read these reviews first, this product is a complete waste of money, it does not do what it say on the tin. It is a real mess to use and my ceiling ended up worse than when I started. I know my way around a tool box and would not have had a problem had this been a half decent product. It is a real shame because Polycel do other great products. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!! (read more)
Written on: 19/08/2010
Absolute rubbish, and expensive rubbish at that. I followed the instructions exactly. The first time I put the roller on the wall half of the stuff fell off (about a £'s worth at its current cost!. When the roller does go round it spits the stuff back into your face. The smoothing tool might work on perfectly flat surfaces but even the slightest bulge and it gouges out more than it smooths, ironic for a product like this. After about 4 hours and half a tub, I have 1 and a half walls that are... (read more)
Written on: 11/08/2010
I really can't understand why people have such a problem with this - I found it so easy and quick to use! Previous owners had covered the hall and stairwell with ribbed artex so deep you could hide pencils in it. After numerous quotes - all roughly about £1000 - I decided to try bit by bit myself.
Admittedly it has cost about £100 but I've now got a super smooth hall and I didn't even have to sand much. I'm so proud that I saved a fortune and it looks like a professional has done it!
I just...
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Written on: 06/08/2010
Living in a very old house which had lath & plaster ceilings with artex over the top I
wanted to create the original smooth finish of a plastered ceiling.I tried plaster but it just fell off,and on contacting the help dept of Polycell,I was recommended to use
smoothover.It filled in the stippling effect a treat and then I used Polyskim to
finish off with just a fine sanding afterwards and was rewarded with the appearance
of a professional job.It takes time but the final effect is...
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Written on: 24/07/2010 by CHUBBY44 (1 review written)
What a load of rubbish dont even try this product £30 a tub £7 for the tools £45 for a sander £20 for sanding discs.Ive never heard so much rubbish in my life.im a joiner and i tryed this product WISH I HADNT BOTHERED, i took the tools back and the remaining tub (yes i bought two)got my money back then bought 20kg of finish plaster for £10 and reskimmed the whole ceiling and no sanding. they should be reported to the trade discription's.if you have limited diy get a plasterer to reskimm the... (read more)
Written on: 22/07/2010
Awful, awful, awful. Wish I'd read the reviews here first.
And it's not even cheap.
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Written on: 12/07/2010
I read some of the other reviews before buying this product so was expecting very little, but I had such a pock marked wall to deal with that I couldn't think what else to try. But I thought it worked a dream. I can hardly believe how well it has smoothed over the pitted surface. And it was fine to use, once I'd worked with it a few minutes. I don't know how other people were managing to get great dollops of it falling off (unless theywere doing a ceiling maybe? I can imagine that would be... (read more)
Written on: 09/07/2010
I found this product really quite difficult to use. I followed their instructions on loading their roller, and had dollops of the product all over the floor and my hands and arms. Even with more careful loading of the roller (dumping some of the excess), the roller would jam as it went across the ceiling, causing the product to fall off the back of the roller.
I stopped after covering 1 m^2 - disappointed in the smoothed over finish, and the mess it creates. I plan to skim the ceiling with...
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Written on: 07/07/2010 by Renovator (1 review written)
Smoothover is good stuff but you have to read the instructions and don't try to do more than 1 square mtr at a time or it will dry and begin to drag and pull off. I found the spreader vey easy to use but a light touch is needed. Don't expect to get billiard table smoothness straight away - it takes several coats with sanding between and a bit of patience like any DIY job. Five minute make-overs only exist on daytime TV. Don't be put off by all these poor reviews unless you are the sort of... (read more)
Written on: 02/07/2010
I think everyone is missing the point here. The instructions tell you EXACTLY how to use it. Don't use the same approach as plastering. It's far simpler. Basically apply using the recommended roller and spreader but dont be too fussy. Dont worry about imperfections or tramlines, just spread it over the damaged wall. Let it dry thoroughly (approx 24hrs), then sand with a electric sander (preferably with Vacuum adaptor to catch the dust!). Use medium paper first, then finish with a quick going... (read more)
Written on: 27/07/2011
I have to say that the instructions say do not use a mechanical sander but if they think I am going to sand the entire ceiling by hand they are mad or I am for buying the product in the first place.
Written on: 01/07/2010
This product is total rubbish.
It is like rolling polyfilla onto a wall then trying to smooth it out with an artex squeegee.
I stopped using it after the first square metre on a wall because the finish was worse than the wall I was trying to improve.
I feel ripped off
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Written on: 28/06/2010
I used nearly 3 tubs of this stuff on 2 artexed walls,stuff kept falling off the roller,coverage was poor and i regret starting it,would have been cheaper to get a plasterer to skimthe walls.DONT BUY THIS STUFF ITS A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY (read more)
Written on: 29/05/2010 by mossop2002 (2 reviews written)
Absolutely rubbish. It certainly does not do the job. (read more)
Written on: 23/05/2010
I wish I had read these reviews before I bought this product. It is expensive and I found it very difficult to use. A lot of the product fell off the roller on to the floor and radiator beneath. Also, it is almost impossible to get a smooth finish without any lines from the edge of the spreader or holes or bumps in the surface. The wall was no nearer to be ready to be painted after I had applied this product then it was before I started. (read more)
Written on: 19/05/2010
total rubbish has to buy two tubs and ceiling looks worse than before. Quick tip for the roller press really hard at first then roll little and take pressure off at end otherwise you end up with past all over the place.
messy , rubbish, expensive and a waste of time.
Avoid aviod and avoid!
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As rated by real users
"Excellent service" Read More
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"Worse paint I've ever used" Read More
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"Hard work but worth it" Read More
Ageing_Matelot's Response to sarahhol's Review
Written on: 05/04/2013
Agree. This is a terrible - and expensive - waste of time and effort