West Berkshire · England
Asbestos Artex Removal in Hermitage, West Berkshire
Worried about asbestos in Hermitage? Our service covers Artex removal, with testing first, with clear advice at each step.
- Damaged or cracked coatings
- Landlord refurbishments
- Walls before tiling
Asbestos help in Hermitage
Artex removal in Hermitage
According to HSE, textured coating work is normally non-licensed. Bigger jobs using steam or gel must be notified before they start. Typical jobs include walls before tiling and loft conversions and extensions, including swirl patterns, Artex ceilings and coated ceiling roses.
Village homes like those in Hermitage have often been altered several times, so ceilings may have been coated during an earlier renovation. Clear answers come first: is it asbestos, and what should you do about it.
- Location
- Hermitage (RG18)
- Area hub
- West Berkshire
- Covers
- Textured ceilings and walls
- You receive
- Result and waste note
- Price
- Written quote for your job
- Call
- 07833 053 749
- Updated
- 26 October 2026
Landlords, managing agents and employers
The duty to manage applies to non-domestic premises and common parts, not to single private homes, but anyone working on the property still needs to know about asbestos.
Void periods are a good time for asbestos work, when rooms are empty and work can be done without disruption.
What we do and don’t cover
Here’s what Artex removal covers, and what it does not:
- Larger-scale steam or gel removal must be notified before it starts, so allow time
- We need the room cleared
- Plastering and making good are generally separate jobs
If you’re unsure, describe the job and send photos, and we’ll advise before booking.
Materials we see
- Swirl and stipple patterns
- Coated plasterboard
- Patched or painted coatings
- Textured walls
- Ceiling roses and cornices (coated)
- Artex ceilings
What we deal with in Hermitage
Many electricians and plasterers ask for a test result before working on textured ceilings.
Buildings from before 2000 can hide asbestos in many places. Common situations include:
- Damaged or cracked coatings
- Loft conversions
- Rented homes refurbished between tenants
- Walls before a kitchen or bathroom refit
If you are refurbishing flats near Newbury Racecourse station, coatings can be tested while the flat is empty.
Comparing quotes
- If the price includes VAT
- What paperwork you get
- How the waste will be disposed of, and whether you will get a consignment note
- Whether the job needs notifying
How it works
We soften the coating and take it off by hand, with no sanding or dry scraping. While we work, the area stays out of bounds, so arrange for pets and children to be elsewhere.
- Get in touch with photos
- We arrange testing
- We talk through the options
- We remove it safely if that’s what you choose
- We dispose of the waste legally
Preparing for the visit
- Let neighbours know if the work is near them
- Clear access to the area, loft or garage
- Tell us about anything that is already damaged
Getting a price
We quote each job individually, because no two are the same. To start, ring 07833 053 749, or send the details through our contact page.
Read more
Prices and what affects them
Our quotes take into account:
- How easy it is to reach
- Disposal costs
- Licensed or non-licensed
- How much there is
Dealing with asbestos before building work is usually cheaper than finding it mid-job, when the whole project can be held up.
Helping us quote
Before you send photos, a few tips:
- A wide shot showing where the material is
- A closer photo of the material, without touching it
- Any labels or markings, if you can see them safely
- How we’d reach it
For an accurate quote, tell us what you’ve found, where it is and what you’re planning. Use our quote form or call 07833 053 749.
After we have finished in Hermitage
After removal, the room is cleaned and the waste goes to a permitted site, and you get the paperwork.
A few practical points:
- Clear the rooms before the work
- Tell us which rooms and roughly how big they are
- Keep pets away
- Book your plasterer after removal
Things not to do
Do not drill or cut into textured ceilings until you know what they contain.
Do not use a steamer or chemical stripper on an untested coating.
Hermitage: your questions answered
Could my house in Hermitage contain asbestos?
It depends on its age and history: asbestos products were used until 1999, so pre-2000 homes and extensions in Hermitage may have it. Garage roofs, Artex, floor tiles, soffits and flues are typical examples.
Can you deal with asbestos on rural buildings in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape?
Yes, the same rules apply there, but access to farm and rural buildings can take planning.
Could my home contain asbestos?
Any building built or refurbished before 2000 can contain asbestos. Only laboratory analysis of a sample can confirm it.
Is Artex removal licensed work?
Normally not: HSE treats textured coating work as normally non-licensed, but larger-scale steam or gel removal must be notified first.
What if the weather’s bad?
It depends on the job: indoor work carries on, while outdoor roof work may be postponed in strong wind or heavy rain.
How dangerous is asbestos?
It can be, if fibres are released and breathed in. The related diseases often take decades to develop, so the aim is never to disturb it unknowingly.
Is a home built after 2000 likely to contain asbestos?
Asbestos was banned in 1999, so a home built after 2000 shouldn’t contain it.
When can you start?
We agree a date when you accept the quote. Notifiable jobs cannot start until they’ve been notified.
Artex removal around Hermitage
Hermitage is about 4 miles north of Thatcham, in West Berkshire. In Hermitage, we hear from homeowners, landlords and businesses. Hermitage is one of 155 places in West Berkshire we cover. Our nearest city page is Reading, about 13 miles away.
For a school such as Hermitage Primary School, the duty holder’s records should show any coatings. In older homes in Hermitage, textured ceilings were often added in later decades. Hermitage is within about 6 miles of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape; cottages and farmhouses nearby can have textured coatings too.
Artex jobs anywhere in RG18 start with the postcode and some photos. Streets in the area include Newbury Road, Lipscomb Close and Marlston Road, and Artex removal is available on all of them. If your property is just outside Hermitage, we also cover Longlane (1 mile south-west), Little Hungerford (1 mile north-east), Oare (1 mile north), Wellhouse (1 mile east) and Curridge (1 mile south-west). We also cover nearby towns such as Newbury (4 miles south-west), Thatcham (4 miles south), Burghfield Common (10 miles east), Speenhamland (4 miles south-west), Hungerford (11 miles west) and Spencers Wood (14 miles east).
Nearby you will also find Hampstead Norris Castle (2.4 miles north-east) and West Berkshire Community Hospital (3.3 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Snelsmore Common.
- Nearby, you’ll find The White Horse pub (within half a mile west)
Materials, one by one
Coated plasterboard
Board removal avoids stripping.
Painted coatings
Paint often hides the coating, but the coating underneath is the same.
More for properties in Hermitage
Should you do it yourself?
Found something mid-DIY? Stop: leave the area, don’t clean it up, and ask for advice.
Home testing kits exist, but you have to disturb the material to use one. HSE recommends a competent person takes samples.
- Nothing removed blind: unknown materials are tested first
- Planned to HSE guidance and the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
- Everything in writing: quotes, reports, results and waste notes
- Waste sealed and labelled, then taken to a permitted site