But the adhesive residue that determinedly clung on caused his biggest headaches.Tiles are typically stuck on using the five-dab principle - a dab of glue in each corner and one in the middle - but if you are really unlucky you may find the installer was overenthusiastic and used an all-over cover of adhesive. These solutions also yield a clean slate in terms of a new, smooth surface. Remember - Artex may have been used in the first place because the surface underneath was in a poor state.Those who, like Anthony Moran, find polystyrene tiles on their ceilings might, after asbestos and Artex, think them relatively easy to remove. An alternative is to cover the surface with plasterboard, filling in any spaces with filler.
In areas where the property market is booming, you are likely to find that so are the charges of plasterers. "You are disturbing the fibres, and until the mid-1980s the ubiquitous asbestos could also be found in Artex."One solution is to re-plaster the entire surface This can be costly, depending on the area to be covered. Artex, a once widely used wall and ceiling finish, is anathema to current tastes for a smooth, polished finish. If your new living room is covered in it should you, as an acquaintance of mine did, attack it with a sander, in the process creating a blinding dust cloud?"Definitely not," says ARCA.
Such a firm may not necessarily be part of ARCA, but all ARCA members will be licensed.Other substances, which may seem hazardous only to your sensibilities, can also be damaging to your health. If it is asbestos, the Asbestos Removal Contractors' Association (ARCA) recommends that any removal be carried out by a licensed contractor. The material then needs to be tested to identify it and determine the type. "We knew from the survey that there was asbestos in the house, even on some of the bedroom doors, put there years ago for fire prevention, but it is always worrying to find it in places you didn't know about. When Labour MP Steve Ladyman and his wife Janet moved into their home last summer, despite detailed surveys they still found something nasty behind the walls."When builders began on the sitting room to remove a 1950s fireplace and old plasterboard they found asbestos behind the walls," says Janet. "The difference in price between mine and those in rather more pristine condition in the same street was substantial" - in his case around 30 per cent. "The difference in price was attractive, but I also liked the idea of stamping my own individual style and taste on the house."It sounds a tempting solution, but you would be wise to think carefully before you buy your 'bargain'.