Whether you undertake a large renovation project in a commercial property or a home DIY, you need to be aware that there might be asbestos in Artex decorative ceilings or walls. If you know about this risk, you need to be mindful of the steps to ensure that any work in Artex ceilings is safe.
What is Artex?
The name of Artex is widely popular as a textured coating for interior designing, but the term originates from the company that produced the layer. Many trade products other than Artex exist like Marblecoat, Suretex and Newtex.
These products use about 1% to 4% chrysotile asbestos, otherwise known as ‘white’ asbestosis. This indicates if these products are damaged, there is a chance of coming in contact with asbestos.
Why is Asbestos Used in Artex?
Artex that contained asbestos was used a lot in the 1960s, 70’s, ’80s, and 90s, when asbestos was still legal in the UK. Though Artex was offered without asbestos from 1976, asbestos-containing Artex was still produced in the UK till 1984 and was even used in the late 90s.
As per the manufacturer, there was asbestos in Artex to promote the curing and dewatering of the product due to the reinforcing effect that asbestos fibres had on the matrix.
Does all Artex Contain Asbestos?
No, there are asbestos-free Artex, and it was made available in the 1970s though you cannot guarantee it without proper Artex asbestos testing. Testing is necessary to find out if any given Artex contains asbestos or not. Even after Artex containing asbestos was removed in the 1990s, imported materials from 1999 may still have asbestos.
If your home was built before 1985, the textured coating might contain asbestos, and if constructed between 1985 and 1999, the coating should not have asbestos. But some might still do so as asbestos was used even in the late 90s despite the ban.
But if your property was built after 2000, you might not find traces of any asbestos in the Artex coatings. Asbestos is a harmful material and could cause health problems to residents or workers.
When was Asbestos Banned from Artex in the UK?
Though asbestos-containing Artex stopped producing in the UK in 1984, it was not until 1992 that the EU and UK legislation formally prohibited it. But some people continued to use it even after it was forbidden, and this was to use up the held stock.
In 1999, asbestos-containing Artex was banned entirely, and the manufacture and supply of asbestos products were stopped in the UK.
How Can You Tell if Artex Contains Asbestos?
You cannot be 100% sure whether any Artex decorative coating has asbestos just by looking at it with your eyes. This is because asbestos in Artex is always mixed with other non-asbestos materials and cannot be seen or smelled.
As a result, you can only assume that your property was built before 2000 to ensure there is no asbestos. But you can hire an asbestos removal company to conduct an asbestos survey to check if there is asbestos on your Artex decorative textured coating.
