homebuyers report -might have asbestos (?)

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We are buying a semi detached 1975 house we got the homebuyers report today and it mentions the following
"Ceilings are generally flat and even with no significant defects recorded during our inspection. Given the age of the textured finish to ceilings, this could contain a small amount of asbestos although this can only be confirmed by testing. They pose little hazard to health if well maintained. Care must be exercised if they are to be worked or replaced. "

Do you think we should pay for further testing ? not sure what to think of this the whole report is filles with words might and not checked !

We had the same in our survey - 1930s house with various renovations over the years. We had tests done on various things. The textured ceilings did not contain asbestos. But the vinyl type floors (under the carpet in the bathroom) did. The ceiling in the loft built in the 70s also did contain it. So did the apex in our garage roof. As we were doing a fair bit of renos we got it removed professionally.

Thank you for reply and sharing.

Do you mind me asking how much it was to remove it professionally?

When it was mentioned in the survey, was you concerned?

We commissioned an asbestos report before we bought our 1960s house and yes, it was in the artex. We had it all removed as the thought of something so potentially dangerous in our house didn't bode well with us.

They say it's not dangerous unless damaged at the moment but who knows what they will find in the future. Not worth the chance IMO.

Thank you MacReally, really helpful.

I enquery about the removal cost

We had this with our current house. We tested, which confirmed asbestos. It really isn't a problem, unless you are planning on removing ceilings. The asbestos specialist really put our mind at rest. Our house needed total renovation, so rather than remove the ceilings, we skimmed them. Don't let it out you off!

This came up as a standard line in the survey when we sold and bought. Our buyers asked us to do a survey - we said no. We weren't about to possibly disturb asbestos which hadn't been an issue for us, incur costs and create a problem and then have buyers potentially pull out. They went ahead without.

In our current house we went ahead regardless of the mention of asbestos, we've recently had to test because of building work we were doing, it cost a few hundred quid and left a few holes in the wall.

Asbestos related diseases often take years/decades to come to the fore. Why take any chances?

I had this with a house I bought a while ago. If it's artex, as pigletjohn says, you just plaster over it - it's a skim job and doesn't take long. It will be sealed in and you won't have to worry at all!

Asbestos related diseases often take years/decades to come to the fore. Why take any chances?

But as pointed out earlier in the thread, it's been over 40 years since asbestos was last used in textured ceilings. If it presented a big health risk then we would likely know by now.

NotDavidTennant - forty year old asbestos then. Mmmm.

WHAT IS MESOTHELIOMA?

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops in the lining that covers the outer surface of some of the body's organs. It's usually linked to asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma mainly affects the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), although it can also affect the lining of the tummy (peritoneal mesothelioma), heart or testicles.

More than 2,600 people are diagnosed with the condition each year in the UK. Most cases are diagnosed in people aged 60-80 and men are affected more commonly than women.

Unfortunately it's rarely possible to cure mesothelioma, although treatment can help control the symptoms.

The symptoms of mesothelioma tend to develop gradually over time. They typically don't appear until several decades after exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos, a group of minerals made of microscopic fibres that used to be widely used in construction.

These tiny fibres can easily get in the lungs, where they get stuck, damaging the lungs over time. It usually takes a while for this to cause any obvious problems, with mesothelioma typically developing more than 20 years after exposure to asbestos.

The use of asbestos was completely banned in 1999, so the risk of exposure is much lower nowadays. However, materials containing asbestos are still found in many older buildings.

Source: NHS Choice

I'm no expert, but from my own work I know there are several kinds of asbestos. When it's bound, it's a lot less dangerous than when it's fibrous and free. I have removed sheets of highly bound asbestos roofing from my property myself (wearing appropriate clothing, heavy duty masks and using appropriate means of disposal) but there is NO way I would dream of doing any DIY around the unbound stuff.

I think the very small amount of chrysotile stuff that's in Artex is one of the safer forms and is also pretty bound, so only becomes dangerous if you start doing something mad like trying to sand the ceiling. Undisturbed, it's fine. Once you put it under another layer of plaster, you won't have any contact with it at all. Millions upon millions of homes have ceilings that have been overskimmed in this way - I think about half have it somewhere??

It's also worth noting that there's loads of asbestos in the environment so we're all exposed to very low levels pretty constantly.

There are several sorts of asbestos. Artex is not considered a significant risk. I'm very much in favour of following the HSE advice. Generally you can leave it alone, or have it skimmed with plaster, but if you want it removed or interfered with, look up the current advice.
www.hse.gov.uk/search/search-results.htm?q=artex#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=artex&gsc.page=1

see also:

"Great asbestos scam faces a revenue loss of £½bn a year

A major battle is going on behind the scenes over a proposed change in the law that could end a commercial racket costing Britain's homeowners, including local authorities, more than £500 million a year.

Ten days ago the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) recommended that it should no longer be a legal requirement to call in a licensed asbestos contractor to handle Artex or other "textured coatings" which contain minute amounts of white asbestos, and which are present in some eight million homes.

This followed tests by its Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) which showed that the quantities of white asbestos chemically bonded in Artex used on walls and ceilings are so insignificant that they pose no measurable risk to health.

The requirement that Artex must be handled by licensed contractors was only included in the 2002 Control of Asbestos at Work regulations at the urging of the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (Arca), which admits that this work has since provided them with around a third of their £1.6 billion annual turn-over."

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1525683/Christopher-Bookers-notebook.html

I can't remember the cost of removal exactly until I get on my computer. I think it was probably about £2k all up to remove bathroom ceiling, bathroom and toilet floor and apex to the garage. It was all a low risk type of asbestos but we removed as we were going to disturb it anyway and we have young children. I will try and check my invoices later.

Actually found prices - £275 for survey and £1350 for removal. We live in Greater London

If it was me, due to the mess, I think the time to have it removed and/or the ceilings replastered would be just after buying a house, and before filling it with furniture and belongings.

Not always easy, I know.

Thank you for everyone's replies. i really appreciate this.
My head tells me its fine as we are probably surround by it but my hearts says just in case.. you are all right.

I think i will ask for the survey to make sure it is the harmless type and take it from there.

Venys, can you let me know the company you used please

We had asbestos in the artex in one bedroom ceiling. Of course that was the lathe and plaster ceiling that was falling in, so we needed a complete removal. It cost about 800 pounds (Essex).

If it's intact and you don't disturb it, then it's not an issue. Our porch roof is asbestos concrete and all the asbestos survey said was to inspect it visually regularly to make sure it doesn't get damaged. Otherwise, it's not an issue.

It was Sandy at Key Asbestos www.keyasbestos.co.uk. Genuinely a nice guy and can work to your timetable if need be. But don't worry if he gets a little busy, he will come back to you.