Buying an untouched 60s house - ASBESTOS?

Thurlow40

Hi all,
I’d like to buy a house that was built in the very late 60’s or early 70’s.  I understand that due to the time it was built and that it’s been largely untouched since that it’s likely to contain Asbestos. The house will need complete modernisation but I planned to save up and tackle it room by room as I live in it with my son.
What’s the best way to know what I’m letting myself in for? I don’t have a large budget so keen to make an informed decision.  I understand Artex ceilings (if left alone) can be skimmed over so not too concerned there, but could it be lurking everywhere? 

I guess a homebuyers report will help but am I best getting a full Asbestos survey too or is that OTT?  Or maybe the homebuyers report will suggest it as a next step?

The street the house is on is full of modernised houses that I guess all went through a similar process at some point, I’m keen to not move in and live in fear of pulling up old carpets or drilling holes etc if there is far more to consider than the Aretx. Does anyone have any words of wisdom or advice please?  I’m keen to not lose a house I love if I’m overthinking things but equally I understand the consequences of breathing in these fibres.
Thank you 

user1977

In theory asbestos could be in any building more than about 30 years old, so how paranoid do you want to get?

Any reason why this house is particularly likely to contain asbestos?

Thurlow40

No, none at all. It just popped into my head and now I’ve gone off on a tangent.  I think I’m just concerned as I’ll be making lots of mess and disruption whilst renovating and I think I’m correct that Asbestos was a material of choice during the time the house was built. 

user1977

Well, it's never a good idea to be breathing in too much dust, no matter what might be in it. But it's hardly something to get worried about at this stage. The house won't be built out of asbestos...even if it's in the Artex it was only ever about 1% asbestos or something.

HobgoblinBT

Our 1960s house has asbestos in the artex and as you have suggested we have had the downstairs skimmed over to make it smooth following a rehire that we elected to go through the ceilings rather than the floorboards (laminate floor upstairs).  There is also asbestos in the floor tiles and bitumen damp course, uncovered by us after a small flood.  Our insurance company paid for a specialist company to treat  it by lifting the Farley floor tiles and then sealing it with watered down pva before it was levelled and new vinyl laid.  Then the water tank in the loft was asbestos.  

It is fine to live with asbestos as you don’t disturb it.  If you want to do anything you can seal it with watered down pva, or plaste in the case of ceilings.  In the case of the water tank in the loft you can leave it, although our plumber replaced ours with a new plastic tank and broke the old asbestos one up with a coal hammer as it was too big for the loft hatch!  It probably should have been left alone in the loft.

GDB2222

We have a house built in 1971/2, and as Hobgoblin says there are the ubiquitous Marley tiles everywhere. The Artex. And, we have a giant house sized storage heater that’s much more of a concern than the other two. I’m pretty sure that the garage ceiling is asbestos sheets, and the soffit boards are a suspicious grey material. We don’t go out of our way to cause any bits to break off. 

We have had the house in the family since it was built, and nobody in the family has had an asbestos related illness.  

I quite like Artex, and if you leave it a bit longer it will come back in fashion as an ‘original feature'. 

Section62

user1977 said:

Well, it's never a good idea to be breathing in too much dust, no matter what might be in it. But it's hardly something to get worried about at this stage. The house won't be built out of asbestos...even if it's in the Artex it was only ever about 1% asbestos or something.

The problem with 'Artex' is not all Artexes are the same.  The trade product could be up to about 4% asbestos, the DIY version a bit under 2%.  However, in some cases asbestos could be added as loose fibre so the actual percentage can be anything from zero up to the %age where the stuff wouldn't stick to the ceiling.

In any event, even if it was only 1% it doesn't mean it is 'safe'.  In theory it only takes one fibre, although the probability of disease increases with higher exposure levels.

On an un-modernised 60's/70's property I'd be more concerned about finding AIB somewhere though.  And also the outside chance of finding loose asbestos fibre as loft insulation.

Thurlow40

Thanks everyone.
What would you do?
I’m thinking maybe see what the homebuyers reports says and go from there?
My trouble is, I wouldn’t know Asbestos if it poked me in the eye! I’d hate to pull up some Asbestos ridden floor tiles and potentially have it floating around in the air for the foreseeable, completely unaware!

My best hope is that, if it’s there I’m told from the outset and I know where to leave well alone and/or get the professionals in.

Thurlow40

HobgoblinBT said:

Our 1960s house has asbestos in the artex and as you have suggested we have had the downstairs skimmed over to make it smooth following a rehire that we elected to go through the ceilings rather than the floorboards (laminate floor upstairs).  There is also asbestos in the floor tiles and bitumen damp course, uncovered by us after a small flood.  Our insurance company paid for a specialist company to treat  it by lifting the Farley floor tiles and then sealing it with watered down pva before it was levelled and new vinyl laid.  Then the water tank in the loft was asbestos.  

It is fine to live with asbestos as you don’t disturb it.  If you want to do anything you can seal it with watered down pva, or plaste in the case of ceilings.  In the case of the water tank in the loft you can leave it, although our plumber replaced ours with a new plastic tank and broke the old asbestos one up with a coal hammer as it was too big for the loft hatch!  It probably should have been left alone in the loft.

Thank you very much.  This house would need a rewire too before ceilings are smoothed over.
My worry is that I disturb some without knowing and then it’s airbourne and floating around the house for goodness knows how long… did you worry about that after discovering the floor tiles or smashing the water tank or maybe I’m really overthinking all of this! 

Section62

Thurlow40 said:

My trouble is, I wouldn’t know Asbestos if it poked me in the eye! I’d hate to pull up some Asbestos ridden floor tiles and potentially have it floating around in the air for the foreseeable, completely unaware!

It is unlikely to float around in the air for the foreseeable.

The primary risk is filling the air with fibres while working, and breathing in a quantity of fibres.  The quantity varies according to the type of material and the duration of the work.  Once work is complete the fibres will largely either blow away (if outside) or settle on the ground.  There are a few rare exceptions such as where a draught is able to pick up loose fibre in a loft and (say) blow it through holes into the rooms below on a continuous basis, but you'd be very unlucky to be in that position.

A standard survey will likely just contain advice that asbestos might be present and to consider emplying a specialist asbestos surveyor.  To do the job properly involves some destructive testing (e.g. scraping a sample of artex off the ceiling) which a vendor is probably unlikely to agree to before completion.  If so, getting an asbestos survey after completion would let you know what you need to be careful with.

Voyager2002

When in a similar position I telephoned my local council's Environmental Health department. I spoke with an asbestos expert who was surprisingly reassuring.