Asbestos Anxiety

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AmyNin

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Hello, I moved in to my new home mid august and in starting to decorate noticed the skim had lifted away in a corner. The painter started pulling it off and underneath there is this coarse and rock hard layer.
Anyway after tapping the wall etc there are places where the plaster is crumbling away...back to brick in one place. So got the plasterer in to have a look and he told me he won’t touch it until I have done an asbestos test on the layer underneath the old skim...This has put the fear of God in to me.
I’ve done a test and sent it off today but I’m wondering if anyone can identify the coarse coating? It was too hard to be able to scrape any of it away. I had to snap pieces off from around the hole in the wall.
Someone has told me it’s polytex, not artex and that it shouldn’t have any asbestos in post 1970s.
I know the extension in the kitchen was done in the 90s. This is the wall they moved the cooker etc from, so I’m guessing they slapped this coating on then to skim over.
I guess I'm looking for reassurance that it is polytex and also unlikely to contain asbestos. As this wall has been exposed like this for weeks, waiting to be able to afford the plastering.
 
Your only recourse is to get it tested. Nobody, including the so called experts on this forum, can tell you what is in that substance from pictures. get it tested simple.
 
some artex had asbestos in it

floor tiles

cold water storage and wc cisterns
 
Yeah...I’ve read a lot about it. But don’t think this stuff is artex. It’s rock hard, doesn’t crumble at all. Also it’s like pink / brown not white... But the plasterer warned that old plaster / coarse coatings can have asbestos in too. The extension was done in the 90s so it’s touch and go really as to if we could assume it was safe or not...that’s why we’ve got the test. I’m very anxious for the results.
 
Even if it's asbestos, don't panic.
There's asbestos in the majority of properties pre-90s.
Once you know you can deal with it, but in normal circumstances don't think that a single fibre will kill you.
If you were around in the 60s, 70s and 80s you have surely inhaled asbestos at one point, as well as passive smoke from everyone smoking indoors.
You won't die for that.
 
Aha thank you...well I was born in 1989 and saw my Grandad die struggling to breathe (he used to work with asbestos). So when the plasterer said “get it tested for asbestos” it was like someone stuck a knife in me. The panic! I get for my generation we haven’t been exposed to it as much so it’s a scary subject. The plasterer is young as well. So think he is being extra cautious. But I literally haven’t slept since Saturday lol. I live on my nerves as it is...thanks for the reassurance though. I am an ex smoker so I hear what you’re saying, not everyone that smokes is guaranteed to get lung cancer etc...
 
The general advice is that as long as it's not being cut or disturbed Asbestos isn't dangerous. So having it exposed for a week or ten won't have made any difference.

Either you'll have to take a sample and get it tested or keep calling plasterers until one is happy it's safe to work on.

There are mail testing services where you scrape off a small sample and post it to them. If you're still worried then get a P3 face mask for protection, assuming you can find one thanks to Covid-19.
 
I sent a sample off today for testing. So we shall see...
 
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