Another Artex thread...

[RaaRaa1924]

Want to get the artex tested in our house. Has anyone ever done this that can tell me the cost and process?

Also thinking of getting it skimmed over. Is this safe? Could the new layer of plaster pull the artex down? If it did have asbestos surely this would not be good?

We had the whole house tested before we bought (1960s house). Can't remember the cost. One of the options was to plaster over the artex but we didn't want any left in the house (our water tank, artex, old lino plus lining of cupboard door where boiler was all contained artex). We had it all taken out.

My house is covered in the horrible stuff. Apparently you're not supposed to cover it up in case whoever lives there after you doesn't know it's there and disturbs it.

Or at least that was the councils reason when I enquired.

We had a house tested prior to some renovation work. Local company - they came round and took about 12 samples from places they throught might potentially contain asbestos, e.g. boarding next to boiler, pvc tiles, artex ceilings, etc. Only 2 came back positive - the outside toilet cistern (yes really) and the garage roof (which we knew about anyway). Cost was about £120, but he undercharged me I think as his grandson went to school with my dd. Was a relief to know the artex did not contain asbestos.

Ixos- Where are you based? I'm in the Midlands and may need something similar doing. I'm worried about being ripped off by a company playing on my fears about our artex!

We had testing guys in prior to moving into our house as well. Our www.toppstiles.co.uk/tprod46584/section1156/silvabirch-alpine-shimmer.htmlceiling looked like artex but thank God whoever built it was a cheapskate and used something that looks like artex and is in fact foam like stuff with plastic cover imitating artex. Might yours be like that?

Sorry, don't know where the link came from.

I work in the asbestos surveying industry, you could actually sample it yourself quite safely and send it to a lab for analysis. Artex contained quite a small percentage of chrysotile, it is not considered high risk. If you would like advice on sampling yourself and lab addresses then feel free to pm me.

we tested ourselves - you can get a kit on-line. I think it cost about £30 or so - my DH did it. Was very little asbestos in it and not the most dangerous kind. We had ours skimmed over.