1Does Your Textured Ceiling Contain Asbestos?
Textured coatings manufactured in the UK by Artex Ltd and other brands prior to November 1999 commonly contained 1% to 4% chrysotile (white asbestos) as a binding strengthener. Because visual inspection cannot confirm asbestos presence, UKAS-accredited Polarised Light Microscopy (PLM) testing is legally required before drilling, sanding, or removing textured coatings.
A postal testing kit costs £30 to £50 for 2 samples, while a professional on-site HSG264 sampling visit costs £180 to £245.
2Three Remediation Routes & Cost Comparisons
Homeowners have three statutory options when dealing with asbestos-containing Artex ceilings:
1. Overboarding & Skimming (£25 - £40/m²): Fixing 12.5mm plasterboard directly over the undisturbed Artex ceiling with drywall screws, followed by a two-coat multi-finish plaster skim. This encapsulates the asbestos safely with zero disturbance.
2. Non-Destructive Wet Stripping with X-Tex (£65 - £85/m²): Application of specialist water-based gel strippers (such as Eco Solutions X-Tex) to soften the matrix, allowing manual scraping without airborne fibre release (CAR 2012 non-licensed work).
3. Full Plasterboard & Joist Deconstruction (£90 - £125/m²): Complete take-down under NNLW conditions. Plasterboard is carefully dismantled, double-bagged, and disposed of as EWC 17 06 05* hazardous waste.
3Health & Safety Executive NNLW Notification Criteria
Under CAR 2012 Regulation 3(2), removing deteriorated or friable Artex where the plasterboard backing must be cut or snapped is classified as Notifiable Non-Licensed Work (NNLW). The contractor must submit an ASB1 online notification to the HSE prior to commencing work, maintain medical surveillance records for employees, and retain job logs for a minimum of 40 years.