Asbestos in Artex

[lms78]

Hi, I am a new member to this site, but hope that somebody can help me out.

I am about to get some artex celings skimmed. The guy doing it for me has said in order to make it easier for him to chip off the bigger bits.

I did this at the weekend and have since heard (and now read) that this is very dangerous based on the fact that it is likely to contain asbestos. My house was built in the late 60's so its sounds likely my celings will be affected.

I'm not getting them skimmed for another couple of weeks. Is there anything I can or should do to minimise any danger I have caused or is the damage done?

I have done this to all my upstairs rooms including my kids rooms, so any advice is much appreciated.

 

[peaps]

Hi, I am a new member to this site, but hope that somebody can help me out.

I am about to get some artex celings skimmed. The guy doing it for me has said in order to make it easier for him to chip off the bigger bits.

I did this at the weekend and have since heard (and now read) that this is very dangerous based on the fact that it is likely to contain asbestos. My house was built in the late 60's so its sounds likely my celings will be affected.

I'm not getting them skimmed for another couple of weeks. Is there anything I can or should do to minimise any danger I have caused or is the damage done?

I have done this to all my upstairs rooms including my kids rooms, so any advice is much appreciated.

Don't worry too much but would be a good idea to wipe down walls etc.

 

[vibrobullit407]

It is more likely that the atrex doesn't contain asbestos but there is still a chance that it might. When I work on artex ceilings I tend to ware fp3 masks, asbestos rated disposable suits, polythene sheets and clean up using a H vac.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/coatings.htm

 

[huddsspread]

Personally i would not give a toss. I have artexed 0000's of ceilings, and scraped and skimmed 0000's more. You could wear a mask etc if you want. But its not the most dangerous asbestos.

EG Im form essex, and i used to work a lot on barn conversions ( wooden barns ) And when we first started there, they would all have the grey asbestos sheeting. We ripped it off and burnt it ( it explodes like fireworks ) Also it ended up in the oversight in the footing. Never done me no harm.

Everything in the world is dangerous, it depends on what you do with it, what you beleive, and how you do it.

If it was the stuff that was used in Grange Hill all them years ago i might think again though....

 

[Micilin]

While I don't think there is much danger from artex, but would advise hoovering up as mentioned - I'd strongly advise not to weigh up a health risk on what you 'belieive'!!

Damage from asbestos does not become appparent until years (decades even) after the exposure , so not good to assume too much

 

[huddsspread]

Smoking KILLS, Drinking KILLS, DRUGS KILL, yet billions of people do it every day.

I'm not saying go and roll a joint of asbestos and smoke it, but the most exposure we have to asbestos is hardly anything, if you walk in an old building and there is asbestos everywhere in the lagging etc, then walk out.

I understand that things come out later in life, take the coal miners, but untill i get definative proof that artex has killed people, i tend to not worry. I'll wear a mask yes, but if everyone who has artexed ceilings was to worry about asbestos in it we'ed have a panic on our hands and people will panick buy multi finish!!

Might be good for me as a plasterer though...

Im not saying dont worry about it, but id be more worried about crossing the road, or flying in a plane, or driving in a car with my maniac brother....im more worried about the mighty tottenham hotspur whippig swansea today...


This is not intended to cause an argument or argue with anyone, this is just my opinion.

 

[roughcaster]

Personally i would not give a toss. I have artexed 0000's of ceilings, and scraped and skimmed 0000's more. You could wear a mask etc if you want. But its not the most dangerous asbestos.

EG Im form essex, and i used to work a lot on barn conversions ( wooden barns ) And when we first started there, they would all have the grey asbestos sheeting. We ripped it off and burnt it ( it explodes like fireworks ) Also it ended up in the oversight in the footing. Never done me nof harm.

Everything in the world is dangerous, it depends on what you do with it, what you beleive, and how you do it.

If it was the stuff that was used in Grange Hill all them years ago i might think again though....

Not good advice at all,, in fact irresponsible advice i'd say. We all know that there are more dangerous types of asbestos than others, but that is not the point. ALWAYS take care/precautions when dealing with this stuff. There is/was very little asbestos contained in artex anyway,, so they say, but that's not the point either. Asbestos was taken out of artex in the late 80's early 90's, but always put your health first when it comes to dusty substances.

 

[roughcaster]

Smoking KILLS, Drinking KILLS, DRUGS KILL, yet billions of people do it every day.

I'm not saying go and roll a joint of asbestos and smoke it, but the most exposure we have to asbestos is hardly anything, if you walk in an old building and there is asbestos everywhere in the lagging etc, then walk out.

I understand that things come out later in life, take the coal miners, but untill i get definative proof that artex has killed people, i tend to not worry. I'll wear a mask yes, but if everyone who has artexed ceilings was to worry about asbestos in it we'ed have a panic on our hands and people will panick buy multi finish!!

Might be good for me as a plasterer though...

Im not saying dont worry about it, but id be more worried about crossing the road, or flying in a plane, or driving in a car with my maniac brother....im more worried about the mighty tottenham hotspur whippig swansea today...


This is not intended to cause an argument or argue with anyone, this is just my opinion.

Stop digging any deeper. You're getting ridiculous now.

 

[peaps]

Smoking KILLS, Drinking KILLS, DRUGS KILL, yet billions of people do it every day.

I'm not saying go and roll a joint of asbestos and smoke it, but the most exposure we have to asbestos is hardly anything, if you walk in an old building and there is asbestos everywhere in the lagging etc, then walk out.

I understand that things come out later in life, take the coal miners, but untill i get definative proof that artex has killed people, i tend to not worry. I'll wear a mask yes, but if everyone who has artexed ceilings was to worry about asbestos in it we'ed have a panic on our hands and people will panick buy multi finish!!

Might be good for me as a plasterer though...

Im not saying dont worry about it, but id be more worried about crossing the road, or flying in a plane, or driving in a car with my maniac brother....im more worried about the mighty tottenham hotspur whippig swansea today...


This is not intended to cause an argument or argue with anyone, this is just my opinion.

http://www.disasteradvice.co.uk/asbestos.html

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/...egacy-of-asbestos-reaches-a-peak-7240204.html


I stated not to worry too much because he had already done it and if this is his lot then it's too late to worry. but to clean up is the thing he needs to do....

If you sand or chip you break it down into dust and this is when it's at it's dangerous because you breath it in and it may not rear it's ugly head for 25/30 years.

If you are doing it often then I would worry for the future. One day you may be sitting in your arm chair in your 50s with a mask on you feeding you oxygen wondering why you didn't take care..


It's real bad stuff mate.

 

[stevethespreader]

the most exposure we have to asbestos is hardly anything,

very wrong my old man was a spread of 20+ years then he left to go in the dockyard, after which he retired and was diagosed with aspestosis, they say he caught it in the dockyard on the ships but im not to sure, , there was the story of another spread who died of aspsestosis http://www.fentons.co.uk/newsroom/c...dow-of-plasterer-killed-by-asbestos-exposure/
and http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pd7t3
my girlfriends father now has it as well,
also about twelve years ago the council sent some people round to diagnose aspestos in properties, they looked round my gaff and left, a whole year later they sent me a letter saying do not touch the artex because it may have aspestos in it, "TO LATE" i had already sanded a few ceilings down (this is b4 i was a spread) and i inhailed lots of the stuff , have i got it myself now? who knows

 

[peaps]

the most exposure we have to asbestos is hardly anything,

very wrong my old man was a spread of 20+ years then he left to go in the dockyard, after which he retired and was diagosed with aspestosis, they say he caught it in the dockyard on the ships but im not to sure, , there was the story of another spread who died of aspsestosis http://www.fentons.co.uk/newsroom/c...dow-of-plasterer-killed-by-asbestos-exposure/
and http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pd7t3
my girlfriends father now has it as well,
also about twelve years ago the council sent some people round to diagnose aspestos in properties, they looked round my gaff and left, a whole year later they sent me a letter saying do not touch the artex because it may have aspestos in it, "TO LATE" i had already sanded a few ceilings down (this is b4 i was a spread) and i inhailed lots of the stuff , have i got it myself now? who knows

Stories linked were not due to artex, it was due to the environment he worked in on a job where asbestos was found. Could happen to any trade.

 

[stevethespreader]

the most exposure we have to asbestos is hardly anything,

very wrong my old man was a spread of 20+ years then he left to go in the dockyard, after which he retired and was diagosed with aspestosis, they say he caught it in the dockyard on the ships but im not to sure, , there was the story of another spread who died of aspsestosis http://www.fentons.co.uk/newsroom/c...dow-of-plasterer-killed-by-asbestos-exposure/
and http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pd7t3
my girlfriends father now has it as well,
also about twelve years ago the council sent some people round to diagnose aspestos in properties, they looked round my gaff and left, a whole year later they sent me a letter saying do not touch the artex because it may have aspestos in it, "TO LATE" i had already sanded a few ceilings down (this is b4 i was a spread) and i inhailed lots of the stuff , have i got it myself now? who knows

Stories linked were not due to artex, it was due to the environment he worked in on a job where asbestos was found. Could happen to any trade.

not linked directly to artex no but neither was my quote, i quoted on brads remark about "the most exposure we have to aspestos is hardly anything" and yes it could happen in any trade

 

[huddsspread]

i knew this would turn into this....


I said WE as a trade of plasterers, if you worried about the asbestos in ARTEX--what this thread is about--then you may as well give up--thats what im saying.

People do get ill from asbestos i know, and it has been pointed out, that people have experience of it.

Im not digging at all, whatever you think, if you are scraping artex for 8 hours a day for the next 2 years, then it will be an issue. Apart from that maybe you should wrap yourself in cotton wool.

I never said eat the stuff, but if your sanding it down or scraping Artex, wear a mask and hoover it up.

It can happen in any trade, i worked for butlins, and in there roofs was the WORST kind of asbestos, and they shut the whole place down and had it removed properly as it was a very nasty strain of asbestos, but again i say, millions more people die every year from smoking related diseases than asbestos poisoning, so do you go and say to everyone in the street the not good for you or irresponsible? No

 

[peaps]

i knew this would turn into this....


I said WE as a trade of plasterers, if you worried about the asbestos in ARTEX--what this thread is about--then you may as well give up--thats what im saying.

People do get ill from asbestos i know, and it has been pointed out, that people have experience of it.

Im not digging at all, whatever you think, if you are scraping artex for 8 hours a day for the next 2 years, then it will be an issue. Apart from that maybe you should wrap yourself in cotton wool.

I never said eat the stuff, but if your sanding it down or scraping Artex, wear a mask and hoover it up.

It can happen in any trade, i worked for butlins, and in there roofs was the WORST kind of asbestos, and they shut the whole place down and had it removed properly as it was a very nasty strain of asbestos, but again i say, millions more people die every year from smoking related diseases than asbestos poisoning, so do you go and say to everyone in the street the not good for you or irresponsible? No

The point with sanding and scraping artex with possible asbestos in it is you are reducing a solid compound that is safe into fine dust that isn't safe. Asbestos is bad because your lungs can't rid itself of it and it stays in your lungs. You don't even need many exposures. You also introduce it into your home when you have finished work, kids are exposed and has gone on to develop cancer in them as adults....

So if you work regular with it the risk is much higher and you take the risk home with you.....

Best option with artex, IMO, is to bond out the ceiling and skim.

 

[joe-90]

Fags kill 50% of those that smoke them - even Russian Roulette gives you 1 in 6 chance. How many of you that panic about Artex smoke?