artex asbestos testing advice

[Stevem]

+ 1 for Ex-Tex. The home we are renovating now (70's self build) had loads of artex - the 3x4m utility had all four walls and the ceiling completely covered , and the 5x5m bar/games room heavily 'bark' textured up to chair dado height. Didn't get it tested, assumed straight off it needed to be wet and bagged. Tried the steam stripper, really hard work. Found Ex-Tex and got the lot off. Took many cans and a lot of patience/time, but very easy with long handled scrapers and the radio up loud. Our local council tip accepted it double bagged in labelled asbestos bags, happy days!
Coincidentally, I've used some Ex-Tex this morning to strip off some horrid magnolia gloss paint (the paint -Wickes own brand- is horrid, not the colour) so I've visited UK workshop whilst it's drying

 

[novocaine]

Please give your mother my sympathies Mike. it took my father at a considerable younger age and it's ****. (censorship here doesn't do what I want to say justice)

 

[thetyreman]

........ having seen what mesothelioma does to a fit and healthy person, there is NO WAY I'd be willing to take a risk for me nor for my family. a truely terrible way to go.

My mum has it.

Yeah, I'd be overboarding and re-plastering. I wouldn't touch what's there.

if you do that, what about drilling holes into the wall? surely the risk is still there.

 

[RogerS]

........ having seen what mesothelioma does to a fit and healthy person, there is NO WAY I'd be willing to take a risk for me nor for my family. a truely terrible way to go.

My mum has it.

Yeah, I'd be overboarding and re-plastering. I wouldn't touch what's there.

if you do that, what about drilling holes into the wall? surely the risk is still there.

Yes, it is. Which is why, although I knew my builder was going to overboard, prior to replastering, I wanted to be assured that I wasn't going to run the risk of it being released into the air while drilling screwholes.

 

[MikeG.]

Wall? I'm talking about a ceiling finish. I suppose it's not impossible that someone used Artex on a wall once upon a time, but I've not seen it.

 

[thetyreman]

the stuff is on the walls and ceiling and is also pretty thick in places, if you was going to plaster it you'd need a thick layer, thanks for the responses very helpful,

cheers,

Ben.

 

[Nigel Burden]

Our current house had an artex wall in the lounge that was done by the previous owners. I removed it about thirty odd years ago as it was degenerating due to dampness caused by urea formaldehyde cavity wall insulation. I used a steamer and scraped it off.

Nigel.

 

[marcros]

slightly off topic, but related...

I have corrugated sheets on the garage that are a grey cement type material. I have always assumed that they were asbestos containing. if so, I have to double wrap and transport them, but Leeds council will take them if I pay. If they are not it is cheaper. Is there any chance that they are not asbestos? If it is 95% that they are, there is no point in wasting money on a test.

Not trying to do anything dodgy, or dispose of them improperly.

 

[Blackswanwood]

From memory they were banned for new use in the mid 1980’s so if put up after then possibly not. It’s a catch 22 as you can only tell by by paying for a test.

If you do get rid of them yourself don’t assume the Council are the cheapest for disposal. I used Fletcher’s of Sheffield albeit it was for the roof off an agricultural building probably 4 times the size of a garage. They rock up with an enclosed slip which you load while they wait.

I was told to spray it with diluted PVA while dismantling rather than water particularly if any sheets break. I also learned the hard way that those disposable PPE suits don’t half make you hot on a sunny day.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Skip? The trouble with asbestos is one mention of it and £ signs start to roll in people's eyes.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Skip? The trouble with asbestos is one mention of it and £ signs start to roll in people's eyes.

I agree - it wasn’t cheap but it was half the price that the council would have charged.

 

[Doug B]

slightly off topic, but related...

I have corrugated sheets on the garage that are a grey cement type material. I have always assumed that they were asbestos containing. if so, I have to double wrap and transport them, but Leeds council will take them if I pay. If they are not it is cheaper. Is there any chance that they are not asbestos? If it is 95% that they are, there is no point in wasting money on a test.

Not trying to do anything dodgy, or dispose of them improperly.

I took cement sheets off a large double garage about 10 years ago, they weren’t asbestos but to dispose of them I needed to prove this, the cost of testing was greater than treating them as asbestos & disposing of them as such.

I’d suggest you find out from whoever you plan to dispose of the sheets with who’s verification they will accept & how much it will cost to test. Don’t assume disposers will accept anyone’s verification you could spend money & still not be able to get rid of them.

Then it’s just a case of doing the math as to which route is cheapest.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My thoughts, exactly. Unless the people actually dealing with waste take the samples, why would they take someone else's test results?

 

[marcros]

I can't remember the charges from Leeds, west Yorks, but it was minimum 200kgs, and didn't seem a fortune when I asked a while back. I am on the border with north Yorks though and they will take it for nothing in harrogate 10 miles away. I need to bag it the same for both, and the cost of the bags for double bagging is probably similar to the cost of a test. may as well save the cost of the test and treat it as worst case.

when I looked previously, skips were a lot, because it became hazardous trade waste when the company transported it.

 

[thetyreman]

so in the end I got it tested and its asbestos free, I used bradley enviro in the end, was worth doing just for piece of mind, I can knock it all down now safely