Textured coatings have been applied to walls and ceilings, as a decorative finish, extensively throughout the UK – the most common trade name for these is ‘artex’.
Asbestos was added to these coatings in small quantities – typically 1-2% of Chrysotile or white asbestos. The use of asbestos within textured coatings ceased in 1984 – although asbestos has been found in coatings applied latter than this presumably from older stocks.
Textured coatings pose a minimal risk to health if kept in a good condition and well maintained.
Unfortunately it is not possible to identify if asbestos has been added to a coating through visual means alone.
Asbestos Textured coating often known as ‘artex’
If you wish to determine if a textured coating does contain asbestos, then a sample needs to be taken of the material for asbestos analysis. The sample should be made up of several pieces of the material from multiple locations to ensure it is representative.
Hatch Consultancy is a Devon based company that offers asbestos testing and sampling of textured coatings in Plymouth and Exeter at highly competitive rates. If you would like to find out more or would like to receive a quote for asbestos testing then please contact us through the website or email info@hatchconsultancy.co.uk.
