panicking about possible asbestos exposure :(

[sunny84]

Hi guys my house was built in 1968/1969 and originally had a seperate kitchen and dining room. At one point (not sure when) this was made into an open plan kitchen/diner and the back door was bricked in and patio doors put in. I had the kitchen decorated and plastered in 2013. There was artex on the arch in my kitchen. Im not sure when it was put there but only assume this was when the kitchen and diner was altered. They decided to artex this arch with the most horrible, sharp artex going (had to remove it because it would have injuried my baby if he had ran into it). The plasterer mentioned that some artex had asbetsos in it but said not to worry because post 1986ish the asbestos was not used. He plastered over the old arch but the tips had to be chipped off which he and his colleague did. He left the kitchen in a state that night and me (heavily pregnant at the time) and my mum cleaned a lot of it up.

So now after reading about mesothelioma, im in a complete panic about the fact we cleaned up these artex chips. I dont even know when the artex was from. The brick work out the back looks quite new compared to the other brick work but, of course, im no expert.

 

[footprints]

Short of digging lumps out of your walls and getting them tested there is no way to know.
Chips of Artex are not likely to be a big danger, sanding poses a much bigger risk, breaking asbestos materials usually results in very little exposure. We often used to break old asbestos flue to avoid having to saw it and you could in fact see the fibres tended to stay stuck in one piece or other of the broken bit.

 

[sunny84]

Thanks footprints ...I don't think it was sanded I think he just used a Chisel and knocked the peaks of the artex off. Come to think of it now I used to have two house rabbits and they used to gnaw at the artex on the arch there were areas of the arch where the artex was literally all gone so I'm sure if it had asbestos in it I will have been exposed probably before the decorating when my rabbits attacked the walls!! I just wish I had a way of knowing what year the artex was put on but I guess I'll never know. Could literally cry

 

[footprints]

I would never advise anyone to take asbestos lightly but best to move on and forget it the bunnies will have had most of it

I used to saw and file asbestos as a gas fitter, my overalls were white with it when I went to eat my sandwiches at lunch time, that was between 1965 and the late 70's still here (fingers crossed ) either get a section you know was Artex tested (they charge about £100 to come out and test) or forget about it and move on.

Best wishes,
footprints

 

[HawkEye244]

Hi guys my house was built in 1968/1969 and originally had a seperate kitchen and dining room. At one point (not sure when) this was made into an open plan kitchen/diner and the back door was bricked in and patio doors put in. I had the kitchen decorated and plastered in 2013. There was artex on the arch in my kitchen. Im not sure when it was put there but only assume this was when the kitchen and diner was altered. They decided to artex this arch with the most horrible, sharp artex going (had to remove it because it would have injuried my baby if he had ran into it). The plasterer mentioned that some artex had asbetsos in it but said not to worry because post 1986ish the asbestos was not used. He plastered over the old arch but the tips had to be chipped off which he and his colleague did. He left the kitchen in a state that night and me (heavily pregnant at the time) and my mum cleaned a lot of it up.

So now after reading about mesothelioma, im in a complete panic about the fact we cleaned up these artex chips. I dont even know when the artex was from. The brick work out the back looks quite new compared to the other brick work but, of course, im no expert.

Chances are it's white asbestos if at all. I don't want to tell you that it's nothing to be worried about because asbestos exposure is best avoided but you need to be exposed to large quantities of fibres for months/years in the case of white, the more time the more risk. Disturbing a bit one day through knocking or chipping is completely negligible in my opinion - based on what I've read and researched.

People instantly panic when they hear the word but it's very much situation specific. Blue and brown is not to be messed with but white, still manufactured today in some parts of the world by the way, is a MUCH less toxic because of how the fibre is structured.

I would have a good clean up, clean surfaces (good excuse to tidy the house top to bottom) and think no more of it