buying house with artex ceiling - asbestos scare

owenjt

I had a level 3 survey in the 1930s house I'm buying and it mentioned possible asbestos-containing materials in the textured walls and ceilings. We're now arranging a separate asbestos survey to determine whether there is asbestos or not as we want to strip the walls and ceilings.

Get an asbestos survey then you'll know for sure and can decide what to do.

Davesnave

owenjt said:

I had a level 3 survey in the 1930s house I'm buying and it mentioned possible asbestos-containing materials in the textured walls and ceilings. We're now arranging a separate asbestos survey to determine whether there is asbestos or not as we want to strip the walls and ceilings.

Get an asbestos survey then you'll know for sure and can decide what to do.

What will you do if the survey says there's asbestos in it all? Renegotiate? Walk Away? Buy a vacuum with a special filter and DIY? Skim?

Annemos

For interest, mine looked like this when it was ripped off for an insurance claim! 

owenjt

Davesnave said:

What will you do if the survey says there's asbestos in it all? Renegotiate? Walk Away? Buy a vacuum with a special filter and DIY? Skim?

Probably pay someone to get rid of it.

deejaybee

babyblade41 said:

deejaybee said:

Fair enough - i know that my plasterer dosnt like doing the scraping ,  he always ask me if i am going to do it, so i bring out the dodgy knee excuse or similar :-)

Change your plasterer, ours either skims or over boards 

Change him ?   No way, always turns up when he says he will, and always does a brilliant job.

[Deleted User]

There is a lot of hype over asbestos. If you leave it there you have no need to worry. Even if you get it removed it can be done safely in most circumstances.

Also there are different types of Asbestos. White asbestos for example (which is what is mostly used in the home) will dissolve in your lungs eventually, assuming exposure is mild. It is preferable to have a property that does not contain it, but many do and it would not stop me buying a place as long as it is safely installed and in a limited area. You wan't to worry about it more at the work place. Many commercial buildings have it and some can be "devil may care" about how they deal with it. As are some builders.

Thrugelmir

owenjt said:

I had a level 3 survey in the 1930s house I'm buying and it mentioned possible asbestos-containing materials in the textured walls and ceilings. We're now arranging a separate asbestos survey to determine whether there is asbestos or not as we want to strip the walls and ceilings.

Get an asbestos survey then you'll know for sure and can decide what to do.

Buyer a newer house and avoid the issue entirely. Over 50% of the UK's housing stock is more than 50 years old. 

michael1234

My understanding is brief exposure here and there is unlikely to have any significant effect. Maybe like smoking a cigarette once a year at Christmas.

But its the plasterer I feel sorry for. If its artex with stiples pointing down, they ideally need scraping off. I've done it myself once in my own house and I have other things to worry about than asbestos exposure. Plasterers who are doing this on a regular basis are probably at a lot more risk.

GDB2222

Annemos said:

For interest, mine looked like this when it was ripped off for an insurance claim! 

There’s loads of fibreglass loft insulation there, but I don’t see any asbestos. Can you explain, please?

Annemos

This was after the artex ceiling was removed. It had asbestos in it.

I only attached the photo so people would know what was involved if they did not overboard or skim an artex ceiling. 

Sorry for any confusion.