Asbestos Artex Removal | HSE Licensed

OVERVIEW

Artex, dealt with safely

Artex and other decorative textured coatings were hugely popular on UK ceilings and walls from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Coatings applied before the mid-1980s frequently contained white (chrysotile) asbestos, which means millions of homes still have it overhead today, often without the owners realising.

Left alone and in good condition, asbestos Artex is low risk, but the moment it is scraped, sanded, drilled or skimmed over incorrectly, it can release fibres. That is exactly why so many people run into trouble during a simple redecoration or ceiling repair. The safe approach is to have it tested first, then either removed under proper controls or sealed in place.

Innov8 UK Group removes and encapsulates asbestos textured coatings across the UK. Textured coating is non-licensed work, but we still treat it with full respect, trained operatives, dust controls, correct double-bagged disposal and waste consignment notes, and we make the ceiling good afterwards so you can decorate straight away.

THE DETAIL

Artex removal, in depth

What counts as asbestos Artex

Textured coatings applied before the mid-1980s routinely contain 1–3% chrysotile, and coatings applied right up to the 1999 ban can too. Artex, Wondertex, Suretex and plain unbranded stipple all look identical whether they contain asbestos or not, so age is your only visual clue and it is not a reliable one.

That is why every job starts with a test. A sample costs from £25 through our sampling and testing service and turns a maybe into a definite answer before any money is spent on removal.

One sample is usually enough for one coating. If the house has been extended or re-skimmed at different times, each area is a separate coating and needs its own sample — the ceiling in the back room may not match the hall. We take them, seal them and send them to a UKAS-accredited laboratory, and the result comes back in writing rather than as an opinion on site.

A negative result is worth as much as a positive one: it releases the work to any decorator or plasterer and closes the question for good. Full detail is in our Artex and textured coatings guide, and the testing itself is on our sampling and testing service.

How the removal is actually done

The coating is softened with steam or a fibre-suppressing gel and scraped back to the board or plaster beneath, working wet so fibres never get airborne in any quantity. Floors and fixtures are sheeted out, operatives work in the correct RPE, and all scrapings are double-bagged as asbestos waste and consigned to a licensed transfer station.

Most textured-coating work is non-licensed or NNLW, which means no 14-day HSE notification and a much shorter programme than licensed removal — a typical ceiling comes back to us clean in a day.

Or leave it and cover it

Sound, undamaged Artex on a ceiling that nobody is going to drill or sand can often stay exactly where it is. Overboarding with plasterboard or sealing with an encapsulant costs less than removal and is completely legitimate, provided the coating is recorded and managed — see our encapsulation service.

The honest answer depends on condition and your plans. If you are renovating, skimming or moving walls, removal usually wins; if the room is staying as it is, encapsulation often does. We price both so you can choose.

What overboarding does not do is make the asbestos go away. It stays in the fabric of the building, it has to be recorded, and it has to be declared when you sell or when a contractor comes to work on that ceiling. It also costs you a little height and it commits whoever owns the house next to the same decision.

The one thing that is never an option is dealing with it yourself. Sanding, scraping dry, wire-brushing or drilling textured coating releases fibres — it is the single most common way people expose their own household. If you have already started, stop, close the door and call us before you clean up.

Made good and ready to decorate

The job is not finished when the coating is off. Surfaces are left skim-ready, the area is visually inspected, and you get the paperwork that matters: waste consignment notes and, where air testing is specified, reassurance results from a UKAS-accredited laboratory via our air monitoring service.

Keep it all with your building records — it is exactly what a buyer’s solicitor or your own management survey will ask for later. Costs are on our costs page, or send photos for a fixed quote.

Removal or overboard — how to decide

There are two proper ways to deal with an asbestos textured coating: remove it, or bury it. Overboarding — screwing new plasterboard through the coating into the joists and skimming over it — leaves the asbestos sealed in place, undisturbed, at a lower cost than removal. It suits ceilings in good condition where nothing else is planned: no downlights, no rewiring, no loft conversion, nothing that would ever break the surface again. The asbestos stays in the building, so it stays on the record for any future survey or sale.

Removal costs more up front but ends the matter: the coating is gone, the certificate proves it, and no future refit, buyer or surveyor has to think about it again. It is the right call where the ceiling is damaged or water-stained, where refurbishment will disturb it anyway, or where you simply want the liability out of the property.

What is never acceptable is sanding, scraping or steaming a textured coating off as if it were ordinary decoration — that is exactly how fibres are released, and it is the single most common DIY mistake we are called in to clean up after.

How we remove textured coatings

Textured coating removal is non-licensed work under CAR 2012, but non-licensed does not mean casual. The room is sheeted out in polythene, furniture and floors are protected, and the work area is kept under control while operatives in the correct RPE and disposable coveralls work the coating off using dampening and controlled techniques that keep fibre release down, never dry abrasion.

Everything stripped comes away as asbestos waste: double-bagged, consignment-noted and disposed of at a licensed facility. The room is cleaned down, visually inspected and handed back ready for the plasterer, and where you want it we re-skim or overboard as part of the same job so you are not left chasing a second trade. You get the waste paperwork for your records either way.

Testing first

Not every textured coating contains asbestos — use stopped through the 1980s and plenty of ceilings were skimmed in plain plaster afterwards. A sample and UKAS lab test settles it for a fixed price, usually within 48 hours, and if it comes back clear you can treat the ceiling like any other. Our Artex guide covers what to look for before you book anything.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Your questions, answered

Does Artex contain asbestos?

Textured decorative coatings like Artex applied before the mid-1980s often contained small amounts of white (chrysotile) asbestos to help them set and add strength. The only way to know for certain is a laboratory test. If your ceiling or wall coating predates around 1985, treat it as suspect until proven otherwise.

Is asbestos Artex dangerous if left alone?

In good, undisturbed condition, textured coating is low risk because the fibres are bound in the material. The danger comes from sanding, scraping, drilling or breaking it, which releases fibres. That is why you should never try to remove or skim over it yourself without knowing what it is.

Can you remove Artex or just cover it?

Both. We can safely remove asbestos textured coating under controlled conditions, or, where it is sound, encapsulate it by overboarding or skimming so it is sealed and safe. We will advise which is more practical and cost-effective for your ceiling.

How much does asbestos Artex removal cost?

It depends on the area, ceiling height and whether removal or encapsulation is chosen. We give a fixed written price after a quick look or from photos, usually within 24 hours. A single room is often very affordable.

Do I need a licence to remove Artex?

Textured coatings are non-licensed work, so a licence is not legally required, but it must still be done by trained operatives with the right controls and disposed of as asbestos waste. We handle it all and provide waste consignment notes.

Will you make good afterwards?

Yes. After removal we can re-skim or overboard the ceiling ready for decoration, so you are left with a clean, finished surface, not a bare mess.

CHECK FIRST

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HSE-licensed asbestos removal and environmental contractor. Surveys, removal, demolition, remediation and hazardous waste — one team, one responsibility. North West based, working UK-wide.