DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi,

I have bought a property built in the 1960's, which has Artex in most of the rooms. I can live with it on the ceilings in the living room and bedrooms, but it also has it in the kitchen, which makes it impossible to clean.

The Artex there has been painted over, and I was about to remove it, but decided to have it tested for asbestos using a DIY kit. It came back positive for chrysotile. The part that I sent for testing was on a section where the underlying plasterboard had been removed (where the main water stopcock comes into the kitchen). As the plasterboard has been damaged, the white filling is very loose. I also put some of the plasterboard and filling in the sample, so I am not sure if it is the Artex or the plasterboard that contain the asbestos, or both.

I want to remove the Artex and replace the plasterboard, and wonder if this could be a DIY possibility, assuming I use the correct protective overalls and respirator.

I have attached a couple of photos, as I have been trying to identify whether it is definitely plasterboard that is lining the walls. Could anybody help me identify the type of board from the cross section picture?

Would you recommend tackling this myself or will it require professionals?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

you could plaster it , or cover it with new plasterboard instead

Will that not just cause me problems in the future if I ever want to sell? There is a record now that the lab found asbestos in that location (kitchen Artex), at that address. Would really prefer to remove it, if it is an option. I am tempted to try the X-Tex stuff I have seen advertised. Is it any good?

Thanks again,

Sarah