textured walls and asbestos

[Ccx]

Hi all,

Should I be concerned about the below (been worried most of the weekend)?

My porch has textured walls and I have noticed the other day that a small section of the paint was slightly flaking, so I got a wet wipe out and gently wiped the wall and a small amount of the paint flaked off (no dust from what I could tell, just a few paint flakes onto the tiled floor)

I have since read about textured walls potentially containing asbestos (artex). Should I be alarmed by this situation?

Was it just the paint which flaked off and not the actual artex? (I don't know much about this stuff and how it looks when initially applied)

its a 1960's house and I think the porch was built in the late 1980's

Thanks

 

[Maccapacca]

Asbestos containing products have been sold up to iirc 2000 with some old stock products sitting on shelves.

You can't tell if it's asbestos by looking at it you'll have to get it tested.

 

[Ccx]

Thanks for info but let's say it is asbestos, how much risk do you think it is from a small amount of paint flaking off it from being wiped down with a wet wipe?

 

[thezappa]

Small risk.
If you started hacking away at it without a mask I would question your sanity and your prospects of a long healthy life.

You could fill it with polyfila and paint it or skim the whole wall and paint.

 

[Ccx]

Thanks and yes no hacking will be happening without a mask.

Just gutted I touched it already and put my self at risk even though it was only a tiny amount!

 

[Jimbeam3678]

Have a google about it to put it into context. Artex will be probably be mixed with 1or 2 % asbestos.

 

[Ccx]

Thanks Jim. Seems that considering it was just paint flaking off it and no dust, seems pretty negligible.

 

[fastwunz]

Thanks Jim. Seems that considering it was just paint flaking off it and no dust, seems pretty negligible.

Yes I think you would be fine - Tens of thousands of people have artex in their houses and they aren’t all dropping like flies.

Really don’t worry - however I would personally commission an asbestos survey on the house so that you know where the asbestos is for the future. Especially with a house of this age.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

I would expect your soffits are asbestos as well in a house that age, depending who built it.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

I would expect your soffits are asbestos as well in a house that age, depending who built it.

Might sound like I'm splitting hairs but the soffits won't be asbestos, they may well have a percentage of it mixed in. Its unlikely it will be be the asbestos that everyone pictures when the word gets mentioned.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Might sound like I'm splitting hairs but the soffits won't be asbestos, they may well have a percentage of it mixed in. Its unlikely it will be be the asbestos that everyone pictures when the word gets mentioned.

You may well be correct. The soffits on my old 1950s Corporation Of London built (ex-Met housing) semi tested positive for asbestos when Crystal Windows went to remove them. Not sure of what percentage is considered hazardous, but they had to get specialists in full HAZMAT PPE in to remove and dispose of them.

 

[Hyburnate]

Just get a survey carried out. Sounds like it could potentially be wood chip wallpaper?

 

[Ccx]

Thanks for the info all.
Regarding the softfits they have already been replaced.

Anyway in relation to the textured wall and due to future plans of upgrading our porch door, I decided to get a sample of the material/s tested as some repair would be needed to the wall anyway.
It turns out the white part was really thin and was backed by what looks like a dark brown plaster.

Anyway the test came back as negative so happy days.

 

[Lord-Jaffa]

Thanks for info but let's say it is asbestos, how much risk do you think it is from a small amount of paint flaking off it from being wiped down with a wet wipe?

Basically no risk at all unless you sand it down, Artex content is something like 2-3% and non homogenous, if its even present at all.

Might sound like I'm splitting hairs but the soffits won't be asbestos, they may well have a percentage of it mixed in. Its unlikely it will be be the asbestos that everyone pictures when the word gets mentioned.

Really just sounds as if you don't have any idea what you're talking about. Soffits can absolutely be made of asbestos, Cement or Insulating board (ie the asbestos that everyone pictures when the word gets mentioned). Especially if built in the 1960s.