Anyone else found out they have asbestos (artex) after living in their house for years?

[Noeuf]

Quite irritated really - no mention or even general statement in the comprehensive survey we had when we moved in 15 years ago. Found out this year the stippled ceilings contain white asbestos. Obviously we’ve done things like change fittings etc over the years with no idea. Refuse to panic but i can’t believe the survey didn’t even hint at it.

I didnt know that was even a possibility. How old are the ceilings and how do you find out if you have it?

My survey basically said given the age of the properly it might have asbestos in the artex but they don't actually check. I think it's a common issue.

I think Artex asbestos is not the deadly kind. We probably have it in our house and a builder merrily chipped it away before someone mentioned it might have asbestos in, so I panicked and started researching and couldn’t find evidence that Artex is as bad as the sort you get in tiles, insulation etc.

Do the ceilings definitely contain asbestos? Not the end of the world if they do.

Yes, we learned this recently. We've had solar panels put up, and while connecting it all, the cables needed to come through the garage ceiling. The contractors didn't want to drill through this ceiling as it looked like it might be asbestos. Fair enough, not a surprise really, so we got an asbestos company round to check. And it was the asbestos company who told us our artex might also have asbestos in it, so they check that too, and yup, it does. My DH has drilled various holes through it to install spotlights!

Apparently it's the 'less dangerous' kind of asbestos, but we had absolutely no idea that it's so commonly in artex ceilings.

Practically every house which was standing in the 70s/80s will have artex somewhere. I don’t think it’s usually mentioned because it’s so common and there’s no problems with it.

Apologies for crappy photo. Someone locally mentioned it when they moved in so I merrily paid for a test thinking we’d be fine (!) and it does. Glad others aren’t posting scare stories tbh, I did have a momentary wobble.
I didn’t know it was possible either, just assumed it was something you’d get told about or was separate not mixed in to something.

This is very interesting, thank you all for posting, I did have someone in the trade say it wasn’t an issue really but obviously lots of companies around promoting the need to remove it etc.

You might find this reassuring, I did.

www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-chat/thread/possible-asbestos-in-home-has-been-disturbed-not-realised?page=1

Ah thank you so much. Thank goodness this hasn’t turned into a dire warnings thread.

All the houses on my estate (council housing) had it for atleast 40years couple of years ago the houses got a revamp and special asbesto team came in to remove it all. I really wouldn't worry unless your disturbing the asbestos that's when it becomes dangerous.

Asbestos was only banned in 1999, so any house built before then probably has some form of asbestos in it somewhere.

We’ve definitely disturbed it - like a PP putting spot lights in, hatches, renovations etc. That’s who I’m pissed off really, the survey was a proper one and no mention at all even in the generic statements

I think they don’t mention it because of the nature of it. Blue asbestos is the really deadly one, followed by brown. If you have either of those, you have to get them removed by professionals which is expensive (or leave it in situ obviously if it’s not damaged). The white asbestos in Artex doesn’t have the same degree of risk and is very common so they don’t routinely mention it.

Interesting to hear this, seems a really measured response on here. I think the word asbestos aided so much stress and worry though.

op you (& the rest of us) have probably got asbestos near our hot water tanks or emersions tanks but also in the boards under the gutters outside & heaven knows what's under our ceilings!
If you live in the west country in an old house you probably have radon...

Urgh I don’t want to start poking around trying to find it! Still think it should have been flagged.

Do you drink alcohol? If so it’s just as much a deadly carcinogen as most asbestos, helps put it in to perspective!

We had an enormous amount of artex in our house when we moved in this year. We had every single area tested (cost £250 for about 30 areas plus the garage).
We have some asbestos in 3 different ceilings. The man who came round was really reassuring. He said that you can use shaving foam when drilling because it will capture all the dust! There is also a removing liquid called ex tex or similar, which makes it turn into a gel to scrape off.

We had a survey done recently and the surveyor said white asbestos was still being used up to 1999.

We've just moved into a 1970s house. Each ceiling has artex on it. I'm working on the assumption that they all likely have aspestos but I was under the impression that the danger is within the removal process when it gets disturbed. So my perception is that as we redecorate, we'll ask someone qualified to remove the artex and skim the ceilings rather than attempt any form of DIY on it

Yes I wish I’d known this in advance / we did lots of work … although I’ve drink more wine than fitted lights etc