Asbestos? - Freaking out

[DR91]

I’ve been living in a rented house for almost 3 years, it’s an old house built around 1910 and when we moved in was just basic, everything basically painted white, some re-plastered some just painted over existing paint / wallpaper.

I’ve recently found out about Artex, we have this on our bathroom ceiling and I think all up our stairs and landing walls and ceiling. Since living here the landlord drilled in an extractor fan in the bathroom, drilled a new light fitting and the paint looks to be peeling in places. There’s also chips and dints in the hall walls. And we’ve drilled into the walls to fix furniture.

I’m terrified I’ve unknowingly exposed my family including my toddler to asbestos for the last 3 years. My landlord I think is in the building trade so I would presume this is something he would’ve checked before drilling but can I be sure of this or should I have it checked out? I feel like finding out after 3 years will just worry me for the rest of my life.

Could anyone advise? I don’t know if I’ve just read too much into it but I’m really freaking out right now.

Minimal risk. It really is so minute for that level of exposure.

The exposure is hypothetical as you've no way of knowing if the artex had asbestos added in the first place. Asbestos was banned in the mid 1980'. If the artex was put up in the last 40 years you'll be ok anyway.

The people who are most at risk are those who worked regularly with asbestos sheets. Or who demolished asbestos sheets without breathing equipment.

Calm down. The risk is minimal.

We’ve got artex in our house… it’s only a problem if it’s disturbed. There may have been a teensy, minute amount released during drilling but not enough to cause any harm.

I'm fairly certain my house is full of the crap as well and I've also had the same worries as you.
Asbestos wasn't banned until the late 90s and it's thought to have still been used into the 2000s.
Like others have said, the risk is minimal. You can actually do a test just to know for certain if it helps.

@EezyOozy @inloveandmarried a loft hatch was cut into an artex ceiling just before we moved into the house. Had test done on ceiling - came back neg - but these don't appear to be 100% accurate... as the artex was disturbed by cutting a loft hatch does this mean any dodgy fibres would still be being released? Also, how long would they have been in the air for?

You can buy test kits online and test the remaining artex yourself. I have no idea why people say there is minimal risk when your landlord has drilled through and disturbed it! Left alone- fine. Drilled through- not fine at all!!!

How did the landlord decontaminate your home afterwards of debris and dust from the drilling? Yes, repeated exposures are more of an issue, but personally, I'd be very concerned about your landlord's knowledge about it.

Not a landlord. We were buying house, surveyor said there was no access to loft so we got the owners to make access so he could inspect - didn’t know about the ceilings being Artex or any risk etc. survey mentioned possibility of Artex ceilings of that age containing asbestos. Subsequently had test done by specialist company, negative. Suddenly occurred to me yesterday, the hatch had been cut in, sealed with wooden frame etc, would fibres still be being released years later? Prob not I guess?

Not all artex had asbestos in it. Get it tested if you're worried. But if it's painted, it ought to be fine. Just don't sand it.

Hello, just jumping in late in the thread as I have also just discovered the possibility of asbestos presence in Artex. We rent a house with Artex on all ceilings. Landlord put in extractors in the bathrooms and the electrician cut through the Artex ceiling. Now there is obviously a gaping hole fitted with the extractor. It never occurred to me nor brought to my attention that there was potential for asbestos in the Artex - only when I did my own research (as we are
biuing our own home) did I find out that it is highly probable the Artex contains asbestos since this house was built in the early 70s.
i am beside myself now, and I am really angry with the agents and landlord for allowing this to happen, with no discussion whatsoever about asbestos. We’ve possibly been exposed for 4 months now and I have 3 young children.
I have done so much research I don’t know what to believe anymore. I can only hope that there is no asbestos in the artex or that the exposure is minimal!

Have you tested it? I think worth doing for peace of mind. We had a full asbestos survey done on our 1920s house, and actually it was only found in three locations - the kitchen tiles and bitumen, an electrical unit wire, and the garage. You can take a sample yourself if it's just the after you're worried about

Also, paint over the gaping hole if possible with a little pva and paint. Pva is what the asbestos company used to encapsulate