How to take samples of artex for asbestos testing?

[DIYNotIan]

Hi

I received my sampling kits today for asbestos testing.... It said instructions would be included, which they are, but they don't give you much beyond wetting the area and using a sharp knife. I was hoping for more practical advice and instructions...

...so it's over to you guys...

I've read plenty about the safety precautions to take, but how to actually take the artex sample?

And should I aim to remove chunks/single pieces? Or does it matter if it comes off in small crumbly pieces?

Many thanks

 

[^woody^]

Get as much as flakes off using the tip of a small penknife. Take samples from five areas if a large ceiling or wall, three if a smaller surface. Dab oil paint or similar on the exposed sample areas.

 

[KenGMac]

DIYNotIan, good evening.

How about a telephone call to the Company?

As "woody" above dampen of an area and get your samples.

I have heard of a system used where wall paper paste is smeared on to the Artex and the samples obtained.

The "test areas" i regularly see have Gaffa tape in a cris-cross pattern applied to the scrape area.

If you are testing more than one room ensure that you clearly mark on the bags which room the sample is from.

Ken.

 

[footprints]

I used wet kitchen towel and a sharp wood chisel, held the chisel in place pushed the wet paper up to sandwich the chisel sliced a bit then gave the paper a push to squeeze in some water to the hole and carefully removed the paper. a dob of paint, walpaper adhesive or similar will seal the hole don't contaminate the tin decant a bit into an old lid or container and use a plastic bag or disposable glove to dab it on.
The company I dealt with wanted a bit about the size of a 20p piece.

 

[roche]

Ive read a few guides on this and it involves wetting the area down and then using a chisel or knife to scrape off the textured coating (note its important to take from a few different areas of the ceiling to ensure an extensive sample of the whole ceiling) - Asbestos in Artex was sporadic so it could be found in one area but not another.

Its also recommended that you don't just try and take samples from inconspicuous areas such as the corners of the room (whilst this may seem like the best place to sample as its more hidden, these areas are less likely to contain asbestos).

This is from a guide a read

How to Take a Sample of Artex – A Step-by-Step Guide

Artex was incredibly popular before the 2000s and you could find Artex-coated ceilings in many homes. It gave ceilings a pleasant textured appearance and was often applied in patterns. However, today, Artex is not as popular and plain, smooth ceilings are preferable. If your property was built...

www.asbestos-sampling.com

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I did this, mine's fairly spiky and I didn't care about its appearance. I just dug in with a scraper and levered a chunk off. You want to minimise the powdering, so snapping a chunk off causes much less dust than scraping. If they want powder then they can smash it up in their lab.

Wear a disposable mask. Probably not essential, but a good precaution for a quid.

I smeared some white acrylic adhesive over the scar to seal the surface, after wiping with a disposable damp cloth. Definitely not invisible but safe.

Put some polythene on the floor to catch any bits. Keep the bits contained and chuck it away after.

Wash all your clothes and have a shower.

My test results agreed with the guideline, that spikey, sharp and well defined artex probably contains asbestos. More rounded, gloopy looking stuff probably doesn't. The asbestos was added to reinforce it, to provide the structure needed to form it into shape. A relative worked on building sites when they removed it, he remembers all the artexing blokes moaning that the new stuff was rubbish, it just wouldn't form shapes. Wonder how many are still around, after mixing all that powder?

 

[^woody^]

LOL. Better safe than sorry, eh? You forgot the double airlock enclosure and air reassurance test afterwards

The actual content of asbestos in any textured coating is so small its often difficult to even get an accurate result.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Yep, all a laugh and a joke. My grandad's post-mortem report says otherwise. Dead at 46 from the stuff. Grandma died at 32, also with lung issues, after washing his overalls.

Obviously it's low risk. But don't be casual about it.

 

[^woody^]

Yep, all a laugh and a joke. My grandad's post-mortem report says otherwise. Dead at 46 from the stuff. Grandma died at 32, also with lung issues, after washing his overalls.

Obviously it's low risk. But don't be casual about it.

And what did your grandparents do to be so exposed to asbestos?

For context, you will breathe in more asbestos fibres when you step outside your house and walk down the street than you would when taking five scrapes of textured coating unmasked.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

My grandad worked in an asbestos factory. So obviously exposed to a high level of the stuff, they were scooping fibres out of his lungs after he died. He was making the stuff that's all still installed all over the place.

Obviously nobody's going to get this level of exposure from taking an artex sample. But for the sake of a quid mask and a 10p bit of polythene it's worth having a sensible level of caution.

One big risk would be scraping a load of powder off, spilling onto the floor then hoovering it up. Now your hoover could be spewing the stuff into the air every time you use it, at least until it next gets emptied, possibly beyond. Emptying it would be a risk in itself.

I'd put it another way - what's the advantage of your approach of apparently not caring about it? You've spent longer complaining than it takes to stick a mask on and chuck a polythene bag on the floor.

 

[^woody^]

My grandad worked in an asbestos factory. So obviously exposed to a high level of the stuff, they were scooping fibres out of his lungs after he died. He was making the stuff that's all still installed all over the place.

Obviously nobody's going to get this level of exposure from taking an artex sample. But for the sake of a quid mask and a 10p bit of polythene it's worth having a sensible level of caution.

One big risk would be scraping a load of powder off, spilling onto the floor then hoovering it up. Now your hoover could be spewing the stuff into the air every time you use it, at least until it next gets emptied, possibly beyond. Emptying it would be a risk in itself.

I'd put it another way - what's the advantage of your approach of apparently not caring about it? You've spent longer complaining than it takes to stick a mask on and chuck a polythene bag on the floor.

I see, you've cited a comparable risk and outcome there.

By that logic, we need to mask and glove up when we fill up with petrol or clean the sink plughole, and avoid coffee completely.

The whole point of risk management and safe working is to assess the risks and take reasonable precautions based on the risk. If everyone takes your suggestion, it will require wrapping up based on minutiae of risk, and to the contrary of what you think, people then just don't bother at all with any safe working or PPE.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Think you're looking for an argument, are you short of work? You're just making things up that neither I nor anyone else is saying.

I'd put a mask on while scraping a substance overhead that I think may contain asbestos. I'd also put something under that's going to catch any spills. Seems entirely reasonable to me and I suspect anyone else with a brain.

What's the advantage of not doing this? Other than admitting you're wrong, which I suspect is the real issue here.