Asbestos in houses: Artex, ceiling boards and what to do about it

Where asbestos is found in UK homes built or refurbished before 2000, including Artex and AIB ceilings, why it's often best left alone, and how testing and removal work.

Any UK house built or refurbished before 2000 could contain asbestos. Its use was banned in Great Britain by 1999, but materials containing it stayed in place. The most common places are Artex and other textured ceiling coatings, asbestos cement roofs, soffits and flues, older floor tiles, and asbestos insulating board (AIB). Finding asbestos in a house is not usually an emergency. The Health and Safety Executive’s advice is that asbestos in good condition, and unlikely to be disturbed, is often safest left where it is and managed. The real risk comes when it’s drilled, sanded, broken or removed carelessly.

Why is asbestos dangerous?

Asbestos is a group of natural mineral fibres that were widely used for fire resistance, insulation and strength. When asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are damaged or disturbed, they release fine fibres into the air. Breathed in, those fibres can cause serious diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis, which typically appear many years after exposure.

The key point for homeowners: the danger comes from fibres in the air. A sound, sealed material that nobody is cutting into is releasing little or nothing. When asbestos is in good condition and left undisturbed, the risk of exposure is very low.

Where is asbestos found in houses?

HSE lists these among the common locations of asbestos in buildings. In homes, the ones we come across most are:

Material Typical places in a house Typical risk if disturbed
Textured decorative coatings (e.g. Artex) Ceilings, sometimes walls Lower; fibres are bound in
Asbestos cement Garage and shed roofs, soffits, gutters, downpipes, flues, water tanks Lower when sound; avoid breaking or jet-washing
Floor tiles and some adhesives Kitchens, hallways, under later flooring Lower when intact
Asbestos insulating board (AIB) Ceilings, soffits, panels behind heaters and boilers, partitions, fire doors, airing cupboards Higher; most work needs a licensed contractor
Pipe and boiler lagging, sprayed coatings, loose fill Older heating systems, some loft and cavity spaces Highest; licensed contractor only

Asbestos was used most heavily from the 1950s to the mid-1980s, but HSE’s guidance is that any building built or refurbished before 2000 should be assumed to contain it until shown otherwise.

Artex and asbestos: does my ceiling contain it?

Artex is a trade name that’s become shorthand for any textured decorative coating: the swirls, stipples, peaks and patterns common on ceilings from the 1960s to the 1980s. Some of these coatings contained a small amount of asbestos, and you can’t tell by looking. The only way to know is to have a sample analysed.

Key points:

  • Painted, undamaged Artex is low risk while it’s left alone.
  • Don’t sand, scrape, drill or steam it without knowing whether it contains asbestos.
  • Plastering over it (skimming) is often a practical option rather than removal. Get it tested first, and tell your plasterer what you know.
  • HSE classes work on textured coatings as lower risk that can be done by non-licensed workers, provided they’re trained to work safely with asbestos. That doesn’t make it a DIY job.

Asbestos insulating board (AIB)

AIB is the material to take most seriously. It looks a lot like ordinary plasterboard or fibreboard and was used for ceilings, soffit boards, panels around heaters and boilers, and fire protection. It’s softer and releases fibres more readily than asbestos cement.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, most work on AIB, such as removing ceilings or partition linings, must be done by an HSE-licensed contractor. Only very short-duration work falls outside licensing.

Asbestos cement sheets, soffits and flues

Asbestos cement was used for corrugated roofs on garages, sheds and outbuildings, as well as soffits, rainwater goods, flue pipes and water tanks. It’s very common on garages and outbuildings of the post-war decades, in Yorkshire as everywhere else.

It is relatively stable while intact. Problems arise when it weathers and becomes brittle, gets broken, or is power-washed, wire-brushed or walked on (fragile roofs are also a falling hazard). If an asbestos cement garage roof is leaking or damaged, get advice before tackling it.

Should asbestos be removed?

Often, no. Ripping out sound asbestos can create more risk than leaving it. HSE’s guidance is that asbestos in good condition, and unlikely to be worked on or disturbed, is usually safer left in place and managed. For a homeowner, managing it means knowing where it is, checking its condition from time to time, and telling anyone who works on the house.

Removal or encapsulation makes sense when:

  • the material is damaged or deteriorating;
  • you’re planning renovation work that will disturb it, such as rewiring, replacing ceilings, knocking through walls or a new kitchen;
  • it’s in a place where it’s likely to be knocked or worn.

Before any building work, tell your builders and trades about any known or suspected asbestos. If you’re planning a refurbishment, HSE describes a refurbishment and demolition survey as the right type of asbestos survey before work starts.

How to test for asbestos

The only way to confirm whether a material contains asbestos is to take a sample and have it analysed. HSE recommends:

  • sampling by someone trained and competent, such as an analyst from a laboratory or a competent asbestos surveyor, so the sample is representative and taken safely;
  • using a laboratory accredited by UKAS (the United Kingdom Accreditation Service), which is the only accreditation HSE recognises in Great Britain;
  • using an accredited asbestos surveying organisation for surveys.

Home test kits exist, but taking a sample yourself means disturbing the material. If you go down that route, follow the kit’s safety instructions exactly.

What does a home survey say about asbestos?

A RICS Home Survey (Level 1, 2 or 3) is not an asbestos survey. Mills Building Consultancy is not an asbestos surveyor, and we don’t take samples. What we do:

  • identify materials we suspect may contain asbestos from their age, type and appearance, such as textured ceilings, cement sheets and flues, old floor tiles or boards that look like AIB;
  • comment on their visible condition and whether they’re likely to be disturbed;
  • recommend a specialist asbestos survey and testing where it matters, particularly if materials are damaged or you’re planning work that will disturb them.

Our guide to what a surveyor looks for explains the wider scope, and how to read your survey report without panicking is useful if “suspected asbestos” appears in yours. It appears in a lot of reports on pre-2000 houses, and in most cases the advice is to manage it rather than worry about it.

Buying a house with asbestos

Asbestos rarely stops a purchase. What matters is:

  1. Where it is and what condition it’s in. A painted Artex ceiling is very different from crumbling AIB in a loft.
  2. What you plan to do. If you’re renovating, budget for an asbestos survey before work starts and possibly licensed removal. Costs depend on the material, quantity, access and whether a licensed contractor is needed.
  3. Ask the seller whether any asbestos survey or removal has been done, and for any paperwork.

If you’re planning significant alterations, our extension and renovation oversight service can help you plan the sequence, with the asbestos survey done by an accredited specialist.

Getting a survey

For most pre-2000 houses in reasonable condition, a Home Survey Level 2 (from £335) will flag suspected asbestos-containing materials alongside everything else. For older or altered houses, or where you’re planning major work, a Level 3 gives more detail. Get in touch with the address and we’ll tell you which fits.

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