I had intended to remove the 1970s stippled paint coating on the ceilings
of my house and since there are warnings on the web about possible
asbestos content, I asked this group about safety precautions. The
consensus was: don't touch it or just board it over.

I've decided that I really need to find out if it contains asbestos or
not. I could rip off a small piece of the ceiling paper that it's coated
onto, and get it tested. Commercial testing services that I've found on
the web seem to expect you to take the sample to their premises where
they'll charge you £100 for the test. I'd have thought that local
councils might have testing services, but I can't see anything on my
local council's website. Any ideas about how this is normally done?

In message , Dave Rove
writes
I had intended to remove the 1970s stippled paint coating on the ceilings
of my house and since there are warnings on the web about possible
asbestos content, I asked this group about safety precautions. The
consensus was: don't touch it or just board it over.

I've decided that I really need to find out if it contains asbestos or
not. I could rip off a small piece of the ceiling paper that it's coated
onto, and get it tested. Commercial testing services that I've found on
the web seem to expect you to take the sample to their premises where
they'll charge you £100 for the test. I'd have thought that local
councils might have testing services, but I can't see anything on my
local council's website. Any ideas about how this is normally done?


This place does it for £25,

http://www.diyasbestostesting.co.uk/...estos-testing/

Or £36

http://www.asbestostesting.co.uk/

Or £18:

http://www.passukltd.co.uk/sample-analysis.htm

Chris
--
Chris French

On Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:18:09 +0100, Chris French wrote:

This place does it for £25,
http://www.diyasbestostesting.co.uk/...estos-testing/

Or £36
http://www.asbestostesting.co.uk/

Or £18:
http://www.passukltd.co.uk/sample-analysis.htm

Excellent. Thanks. Evidently I didn't persevere enough with my Googling.

"Dave Rove" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:18:09 +0100, Chris French wrote:

This place does it for £25,
http://www.diyasbestostesting.co.uk/...estos-testing/

Or £36
http://www.asbestostesting.co.uk/

Or £18:
http://www.passukltd.co.uk/sample-analysis.htm

Excellent. Thanks. Evidently I didn't persevere enough with my Googling.


Send a piece to each of them, you'll probably get three different results

On Thu, 18 Sep 2014 19:51:00 +0100, "Phil L"
wrote:


"Dave Rove" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:18:09 +0100, Chris French wrote:

This place does it for £25,
http://www.diyasbestostesting.co.uk/...estos-testing/

Or £36
http://www.asbestostesting.co.uk/

Or £18:
http://www.passukltd.co.uk/sample-analysis.htm

Excellent. Thanks. Evidently I didn't persevere enough with my Googling.


Send a piece to each of them, you'll probably get three different results

http://www.asbestoswatchdog.co.uk/contact-us seems to be reliable and
unlike others doesn't try sell any other "services" after their
analysis.

"Dave Rove" wrote in message
news
I had intended to remove the 1970s stippled paint coating on the ceilings
of my house and since there are warnings on the web about possible
asbestos content, I asked this group about safety precautions. The
consensus was: don't touch it or just board it over.

I've decided that I really need to find out if it contains asbestos or
not. I could rip off a small piece of the ceiling paper that it's coated
onto, and get it tested. Commercial testing services that I've found on
the web seem to expect you to take the sample to their premises where
they'll charge you £100 for the test. I'd have thought that local
councils might have testing services, but I can't see anything on my
local council's website. Any ideas about how this is normally done?

And then what? You spent £5000 getting it removed?
Some things are best not to know, this is one of them.

On Thu, 18 Sep 2014 23:17:24 +0100, Peter Parry wrote:

http://www.asbestoswatchdog.co.uk/contact-us seems to be reliable and
unlike others doesn't try sell any other "services" after their
analysis.

"Many thanks for your reassurances and the article. We will learn
from this - a £175 lesson that sounds like it could have cost more!
Thank also for your most informative website and your prompt reply.
It was much appreciated." -- Chris A

Hmmm. So there's untrustworthy services and there's expensive services?

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 06:43:42 +0100, harryagain wrote:

And then what? You spent £5000 getting it removed? Some things are best
not to know, this is one of them.

If it's asbestos, I'll board it over. If it's not, I'll scrape it off
and re-paint (and maybe re-paper) the ceiling.

Re-boarding sounds like a challenge for the DIYer but if that's
necessary, then that's what I'll try.

On 19/09/2014 07:21, Dave Rove wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 06:43:42 +0100, harryagain wrote:

And then what? You spent £5000 getting it removed? Some things are best
not to know, this is one of them.

If it's asbestos, I'll board it over. If it's not, I'll scrape it off
and re-paint (and maybe re-paper) the ceiling.

Re-boarding sounds like a challenge for the DIYer but if that's
necessary, then that's what I'll try.


It is fairly simple, if you hire a plasterboard lift. This one has a
lower platform to stand on while fixing the sheet, which not all do:

http://www.jewson.co.uk/tool-hire/li...ard-jack-lift/

--
Colin Bignell

I thought I was the cynic around here? :-)
I think if they did not work they might have been taken to court by now. I I
do wonder what they do though. The only real way to figure this I'd have
thought would be mass spectroscopy.
Be interested in the outcome, as my gut feeling is that its not asbestos.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Phil L" wrote in message
...

"Dave Rove" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:18:09 +0100, Chris French wrote:

This place does it for £25,
http://www.diyasbestostesting.co.uk/...estos-testing/

Or £36
http://www.asbestostesting.co.uk/

Or £18:
http://www.passukltd.co.uk/sample-analysis.htm

Excellent. Thanks. Evidently I didn't persevere enough with my Googling.


Send a piece to each of them, you'll probably get three different results

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 08:45:17 +0100, Nightjar \"cpb\"@ wrote:

It is fairly simple, if you hire a plasterboard lift. This one has a
lower platform to stand on while fixing the sheet, which not all do:

http://www.jewson.co.uk/tool-hire/li...pment/lifting-
equipment/products/6025/plasterboard-jack-lift/

I see. But as a DIYer, I'd be working on and off, redecorating one room
at a time, walls and ceilings, so hiring equipment would be expensive.

Googling for plasterboard support suggests that DIYers could struggle on
with a couple of props like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001BWT2PA

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 08:31:40 +0000 (UTC), Dave Rove
wrote:

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 08:45:17 +0100, Nightjar \"cpb\"@ wrote:

It is fairly simple, if you hire a plasterboard lift. This one has a
lower platform to stand on while fixing the sheet, which not all do:

http://www.jewson.co.uk/tool-hire/li...pment/lifting-
equipment/products/6025/plasterboard-jack-lift/

I see. But as a DIYer, I'd be working on and off, redecorating one room
at a time, walls and ceilings, so hiring equipment would be expensive.

Googling for plasterboard support suggests that DIYers could struggle on
with a couple of props like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001BWT2PA

These are much better
http://www.screwfix.com/p/forge-stee...ack-of-2/78272,
stronger and they don't collapse when you try to put a bit of pressure
on.

For not a lot of money you could get something like
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Profes... tem416e057a87.

http://tinyurl.com/mbnq994

A bit wobbly, but it does work, and packs into a fairly small volume.

On 19/09/2014 09:31, Dave Rove wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 08:45:17 +0100, Nightjar \"cpb\"@ wrote:

It is fairly simple, if you hire a plasterboard lift. This one has a
lower platform to stand on while fixing the sheet, which not all do:

http://www.jewson.co.uk/tool-hire/li...pment/lifting-
equipment/products/6025/plasterboard-jack-lift/

I see. But as a DIYer, I'd be working on and off, redecorating one room
at a time, walls and ceilings, so hiring equipment would be expensive.

Googling for plasterboard support suggests that DIYers could struggle on
with a couple of props like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001BWT2PA


I think those who suggest you could get by with something like that
haven't actually tried it. If you have a couple of people to lift the
board into place, then a couple of props (traditionally timber T pieces)
are useful to take the weight while fixing. If you are working alone,
you really need a lifter.

You could buy a simpler lifter, such as this, and sell it when you have
finished:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional...erboard+lifter

--
Colin Bignell

"Dave Rove" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 06:43:42 +0100, harryagain wrote:

And then what? You spent £5000 getting it removed? Some things are best
not to know, this is one of them.

If it's asbestos, I'll board it over. If it's not, I'll scrape it off
and re-paint (and maybe re-paper) the ceiling.

This is your major mistake.

In your OP a few weeks ago you said that someone had artexed over paper
which was stuck to plasterboard.
They haven't.
The artex is straight onto plasterboard, and once you start to remove it,
you will damage the plasterboard beyond repair - trust me - it *will* need
plastering.


Re-boarding sounds like a challenge for the DIYer but if that's
necessary, then that's what I'll try.


If you want a flat ceiling, then either get it plastered flat and paint it,
or if you fear it may contain asbestos, get it boarded and plastered flat.

I've been doing these jobs for decades and trust me, no one, not even those
in the trade, have ever got artex off plasterboards successfully.

By all means waste money having stuff tested, then a fortnight with a sander
and several ruined carpets, furniture, lungs etc, before realising it's an
utter mess and then get someone in, but be aware that they will charge an
extra premium for arsing around with someone else's mistakes.

For the cost of having the artex tested properly, you could have a plasterer
come and flatten in it, and all done in half a day.

Phil L wrote:

By all means waste money having stuff tested, then a fortnight with a sander
and several ruined carpets, furniture, lungs etc, before realising it's an
utter mess and then get someone in, but be aware that they will charge an
extra premium for arsing around with someone else's mistakes.

Job's best done with a power plane, not a sander. Use the vac connector
on the plane.

"Capitol" wrote in message
o.uk...
Phil L wrote:

By all means waste money having stuff tested, then a fortnight with a
sander
and several ruined carpets, furniture, lungs etc, before realising it's
an
utter mess and then get someone in, but be aware that they will charge an
extra premium for arsing around with someone else's mistakes.

Job's best done with a power plane, not a sander. Use the vac connector on
the plane.


I can imagine an even worse mess trying to plane .5mm of powder off a paper
surface upside down and dragging a pipe around the room

On Fri, 19 Sep 2014 06:16:16 +0000 (UTC), Dave Rove
wrote:


Hmmm. So there's untrustworthy services and there's expensive services?

You will often find this. A company will offer a service and price it
to make a reasonable profit. Another may sell a similar service at a
loss, using it as bait to give it an opportunity to "up sell" an
associated (and very much more expensive) service.