Artex Walls and Putting Pictures Up

Kylo84

Hi,

So we're moving into our new home soon and thinking about how we're going to make it homely. One of the annoying things is quite a lot of the walls have what I believe are artex swirls on them. Being a worrier I'm naturally concerned with asbestos in the artex and releasing it by hammering nails in. Am I at risk?

Thanks

FreeBear

Hammering in a nail would release a miniscule amount of asbestos assuming the Artex contains it. Drilling the wall and using wall plugs & screws would be better if you are hanging anything with a bit of weight - Again, the amount of possible asbestos released would be extremely tiny. You stand a better chance of being hit by a meteorite than contracting any asbestos related disease from drilling a couple of small holes.

Asbestos in wall/ceiling coatings was phased out in the 1970s and the manufacturers in Europe had pretty much stopped using asbestos by 1985.

Risteard

FreeBear wrote: »

Hammering in a nail would release a miniscule amount of asbestos assuming the Artex contains it.

Given that it only takes a single fibre to kill you that really is appalling advice.

FreeBear

Risteard wrote: »

Given that it only takes a single fibre to kill you that really is appalling advice.

Complete and utter Rowlocks.


Asbestos is a potential trigger for a number of health conditions. As with all things, it is down to exposure and actual risk. One fibre will NOT kill.

Ruski

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asbestosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Prolonged exposure seems to be the key here.... Just sayin'

Russ

DominicH

We all have plenty of asbestos fibres in our lungs already, so if one of them will kill you we're ****ed.

Risteard

DominicH wrote: »

We all have plenty of asbestos fibres in our lungs already, so if one of them will kill you we're ****ed.

It's true that it is naturally occuring, but it also remains true that a single fibre can kill. Just because you have survived despite possible exposure in the past does not alter this fact. Anyone encouraging willful disregard when disturbing Asbestos should be gaoled.

DominicH

The risk from inhaling a small number of asbestos fibres must be akin to that of being hit by a meteorite. Except that there have actually been reports of death by meteorite, whereas the number of known or suspected casualties due to drilling a hole in a piece of Artex currently stands at zero. Probably more danger from hurting yourself with the drill.

It's difficult to see how the mechanism could work, anyway. Some Artex did have a bit of white asbestos in it, back in the day. But it was mixed in with plaster and water, which bound together and set hard. Even the dust that does get released on drilling is likely to be particles of this mixture, rather than the microscopic asbestos fibres themselves. They were the things that got lodged in people's lungs.

I'd wear a mask, but I'd do that for any type of dust in significant quantities. Inhaling solid material is a bad idea in general.

Kylo84

Thank you guys, I'm thinking of just using hooks and strong glue anyway or was even thinking of putting a small strip of tape on where I'll be putting in a nail. I've always been a worrier so would rather be over cautious.

jblessing

Artex on walls... yeuk. I would be thinking about skimming!

Annie1960

I had the artex on my ceilings tested when I moved in. It turned out not to contain asbestos, but at least now I'm sure of that.

Google asbestos testing labs - there are some in Essex and you can send samples by post.

I had my samples taken by a professional who said even if there was asbestos it was low risk. He did not use a mask of any special clothing, so you could take samples yourself.