The short answer
Textured coatings, often called Artex after the best-known brand, were used on ceilings and walls in many British homes. Coatings applied before 2000 can contain chrysotile (white asbestos), usually in small amounts. You can’t tell by looking, so the only way to know is to have a sample tested.
If the coating is in good condition and you aren’t planning work, leaving it alone is usually fine. If you want it gone, or you’re about to renovate, get it tested first. Most work on textured coatings is non-licensed, but it still needs proper precautions. Never sand it or scrape it dry.
Why textured coatings can contain asbestos
Manufacturers added asbestos to some textured coatings to strengthen them and help them spread. HSE’s Approved Code of Practice, L143, says the proportion of asbestos in these coatings is “normally between 2–5% chrysotile”. That is low compared with materials such as lagging or insulating board, and the fibres are bound into the coating.
The risk comes when the coating is broken up. Sanding, dry scraping, power-tool cutting and drilling without precautions can release fibres into the air. A ceiling you simply live under, in good condition, is not releasing fibres in the same way.
Not every textured ceiling contains asbestos. Many were applied without it, especially later ones. But asbestos was not fully banned in the UK until 1999 (see when asbestos was banned), so the age of the house alone can’t rule it in or out.
How to test a textured ceiling
A test means taking a small sample and sending it to a laboratory for analysis. HSE’s survey guidance, HSG264, expects bulk samples to be analysed by a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. You have two routes:
- A surveyor or trained tester takes the sample. They damp the area, take a small piece, seal the hole and bag the sample. This is the safer option and the result can go straight into your plans or a quote. See asbestos testing.
- A postal kit. These exist, but you take the sample yourself. If you go this way, follow the kit’s instructions closely and keep the disturbance tiny.
One sample from one room tells you about that coating only. If different rooms were done at different times, or patched later, they may need separate samples. For whole-house work, a refurbishment survey covers every area you plan to disturb.
Option 1: leave it alone
If the test shows asbestos but the coating is sound, not flaking, and you don’t plan to disturb it, leaving it in place is a reasonable choice. You can paint over a sound coating with ordinary emulsion, as long as you don’t sand or scrape it first. Keep a note of where it is so that anyone working on the ceiling later, such as an electrician fitting lights, knows to take precautions.
Small jobs like drilling for a light fitting are covered by HSE’s Asbestos essentials task sheets for tradespeople, so a competent trade can do them safely with the right method.
Option 2: cover it (overboard or skim)
Covering the coating avoids removing it at all. There are two common ways:
- Overboarding: fixing new plasterboard over the old ceiling. Screwing through textured coating is a non-licensed task with its own HSE sheet, A27. The asbestos stays above the new board, so record it for the future.
- Skimming: a plasterer applies a thin coat of plaster over the top. The preparation must not involve sanding or scraping the old coating.
Either way, tell your plasterer or builder the result of the test before they start. A builder working in your home is still bound by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 even though you, as a homeowner, are not a dutyholder.
Option 3: remove it
Removal makes sense if you want a smooth finish, the coating is damaged, or a ceiling is coming down anyway. The usual approach is to soften the coating with water, steam or a stripping gel and scrape it off wet, so fibres stay damp and bound. HSE’s sheet A28 covers removing a small area, around 1 m². It says to “never scrape through or sand down textured coatings or stripped surfaces” and not to use power tools to cut through them.
After removal, the area is cleaned and checked visually. HSE has a form for this, EM10, the statement of cleanliness, which the person in charge of the premises signs off. Clearance air testing is not normally needed for this work.
We remove textured coatings as non-licensed work. See Artex removal or ask us for a quote.
Licensed, NNLW or non-licensed?
This is where people get confused, so here is what HSE actually says:
- Normally non-licensed. L143 says “work with textured decorative coatings will not normally be licensable work”.
- Large-scale removal by steaming or gelling is notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW). HSE lists it on its non-licensed work page. The employer must notify the enforcing authority before work starts and meet the other NNLW requirements, such as medical checks and records for the workers.
- Coating on top of insulating board. If the coating sits on asbestos insulating board (AIB) rather than plasterboard, A28 says to use an HSE-licensed contractor.
So “all Artex needs a licensed contractor” is wrong, but so is “Artex is harmless, do what you like”. For more on the three tiers, see licensed vs non-licensed asbestos work.
What not to do
- Don’t sand, dry scrape or wire-brush a coating that hasn’t been tested.
- Don’t use a power sander, grinder or multi-tool on it.
- Don’t sweep up dust or debris, or use a household vacuum cleaner on it.
- Don’t put bagged coating in your household bin. Asbestos waste must be disposed of as hazardous waste; see asbestos waste disposal.
If you have already sanded or scraped a coating before testing it, stop, keep people out of the room, close the door and get a sample tested. HSE’s sheet EM1 explains what to do after accidental disturbance. If you’re worried about your health, speak to your GP.
Planning a renovation
If the textured ceiling is part of a bigger job, such as a kitchen, extension or loft conversion, deal with asbestos before the builders arrive. Ask for a refurbishment and demolition survey of the areas being worked on, not just a single ceiling test. Then put the findings into the schedule: removal first, then the rest of the work. This avoids work stopping halfway when a trade finds a suspect material. See survey before renovation.
Quick answers
Is my Artex ceiling dangerous?
Not usually while it’s in good condition and left alone. The risk comes from breaking it up, for example by sanding or dry scraping.
Can I paint over Artex that contains asbestos?
Yes, painting a sound coating is generally fine. Don’t sand or scrape it to prepare it.
Does Artex removal need a licensed contractor?
Not normally. L143 says it will not normally be licensable work. Large-scale steam or gel removal is notifiable non-licensed work, and coating on insulating board needs a licensed contractor.
How do I find out if my ceiling has asbestos?
Have a small sample taken and analysed by an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For the law itself, see the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and HSE’s asbestos pages. Not sure what you’re dealing with? Ask us.