Just an update. The first image is the bathroom where the ceiling is damaged. It looks like some wallpaper type, but at first I thought it is just artex, I don't know what it is. Then looks like plasterboard above. The second picture is what all the other ceilings in the house are like. I'm not sure if it's the same stuff as in the bathroom. https://imgur.com/a/qzTL2ZT
Asbestos in home?
- Thread starter bobbi895
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Soldato
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Asbestos is not dangerous unless it is broken down in to fibres. In most cases the asbestos is solid and buried under other sealants (paint, etc). It only becomes dangerous if you start sawing in to it or sanding it. Even for disposal, it's not particularly dangerous unless you handle it all the time and as long as you make certain that everything is cleaned up.
Honestly, asbestos removal companies are just making a lot of money when in 99% of cases the asbestos is just best left alone.
From the tens of dozens of photos that I've obsessed over online - that artex skim could well contain asbestos.
Albeit the surface edges are open, they look intact / formed and not crumbling.
Test the artex and then encapsulate those edges and see about a repair.
Like I said previously - there is a cancer research forum thread related to artex and the data suggests you would need to scrape and sand over 200k artex celings without a mask to just reach the max lifetime safe limit....
Risk from white artex is very very low (think of other cancer causing things like alcohol, burnt toast, car fumes - we don't obsessively worry about these)
My asbestos surveyor said the asbestos threat is negligible in the home and the recent concerns of homeowners is really excessive but fueled by abatement firms.
The very real risk is in the industrial/commercial / medical world where the worst types are in everything pre 2000s
Hope this can again put your mid at ease.
The only thing you can do is test.
Do you think based on the first image that it is not artex? It looks like some kind of wallpaper in an artex pattern
I thought white asbestos was essentially the same risk as talcum powder.
Thanks @Purples that was the most useful information I have ever read about asbestos, speaking as someone who became absolutely paranoid about it due to ocd. (Proper ocd not just keeping your desk tidy)
Thanks @Purples that was the most useful information I have ever read about asbestos, speaking as someone who became absolutely paranoid about it due to ocd. (Proper ocd not just keeping your desk tidy)
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Just some interesting facts:
Of the 33,600 schools in the UK 75% have asbestos in them and every school in the UK has to produce a full risk assessment that they then have to issue to every contractor working within the buildings by what is called the asbestos duty holder, usually the person responsible for maintenance.
Yet no-one appears to be concerned.
www.hse.gov.uk
Of the 33,600 schools in the UK 75% have asbestos in them and every school in the UK has to produce a full risk assessment that they then have to issue to every contractor working within the buildings by what is called the asbestos duty holder, usually the person responsible for maintenance.
Yet no-one appears to be concerned.
Managing asbestos in schools - Frequently asked questions
Talcum powder can contain some asbestos, which can lead to lung issues.
However, IIRC the main issue with Talcum powder use was linked with ovarian cancer.
Soldato
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Believe it or not, they are often found in the same place. Talcum is mined. Where they find Talc they find White Asbestos close by.
And no, it's not as dangerous as it's made out to be. People are a bit paranoid about it. I certainly wouldn't pay a lot to have it removed, but would remove it if it can be done cheaply.
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I contacted estate agents today and they told me the house was bought in 1996 and he hasn't had any work done on the ceilings re Artex. So I don't know how long the ceiling has been like this. I can't imagine since 1900-1929 as they are in decent condition. It says that there's been only 1 sale on the property which is the landlord when he bought it in 1996. He said he doesn't know about asbestos, but says he didn't think there was any for a reason he didn't explain why.
Estate agents are as trustworthy as Putin. Don't waste your time with them.
Get a survey or buy some test kits yourself (taking proper precautions when testing).
It's easier said than done. It's expensive and it's me also doing it on a house that i do not own. But yes it seems like the only way that will ease my mind and anxiety.
Deleted User 298457
Deleted User 298457
If it isn't damaged I don't know why you'd care.
I get really anxious about this kind of stuff, especially when it's health related. What do you mean by "damaged" does a small hole where it has been drilled upwards to see a wire through count as "damaged" Because the only ceiling in the house that is actually damaged is in the bathroom, but I think that might be textured wallpaper. The rest of the house is Artex i'm sure.
Deleted User 298457
Deleted User 298457
Is this the guy with the smart cars alt or something?
I don't really know what more anyone can say - only a test will give you an answer.
You can find a million excuses not to take a sample - if you are really worried, take control, take a sample and send it for testing. Its an extremely minimal DIY procedure that won't be noticed.
You can find a million excuses not to take a sample - if you are really worried, take control, take a sample and send it for testing. Its an extremely minimal DIY procedure that won't be noticed.
Yes I was not worried about having to do DIY to my ceiling to test it I was concerned about the tiny hole that is already there which I used to rewire something
Last January 2023:
Hundreds of NHS buildings across London and Scotland still contain asbestos, the Trades Union Congress has warned.
The substance, was present in at least 451 NHS premises in London and 695 in Scotland, research for the TUC found. Two-thirds of these buildings, which included hospitals, health centres, GP surgeries and blood donor clinics, were open to the public, it added.
Hundreds of NHS buildings across London and Scotland still contain asbestos, the Trades Union Congress has warned.
The substance, was present in at least 451 NHS premises in London and 695 in Scotland, research for the TUC found. Two-thirds of these buildings, which included hospitals, health centres, GP surgeries and blood donor clinics, were open to the public, it added.