Artex is tested for asbestos by taking a small sample of the coating and having it analysed by a UKAS-accredited laboratory under polarised light microscopy. A professional sample visit typically costs £50–£80 per sample with results in about 24 hours. Postal test kits from Screwfix, B&Q, Wickes or Toolstation use the same lab analysis — the risk is in taking the sample yourself.
Why Artex needs testing at all
Textured coatings applied before 2000 can contain chrysotile (white) asbestos, and there is no way to tell by looking. If you are planning to sand, scrape, drill or over-board an Artex ceiling anywhere in a pre-2000 property, testing first is the only safe route — and for landlords and communal areas it supports the legal duty to manage.
Professional sampling
A surveyor wets a small area, takes a thumbnail-sized sample under controlled conditions, seals and double-bags it, and makes the surface good. Across West London we usually attend same or next day, and results are back from the UKAS lab within 24 hours with a written certificate you can show a buyer, builder or managing agent.
DIY kits: fine for some, not for ceilings
Postal kits are legitimate — the lab step is identical. But an Artex ceiling means working overhead, directly under falling dust, which is the worst position to self-sample from. If you use a kit, wet the surface, wear an FFP3 mask, and take the sample from an edge or damaged corner rather than scraping the face.
What happens if it is positive
A positive result is not an emergency. Intact, painted Artex is low-risk and can be left, over-boarded or encapsulated. If you want it gone — for a renovation or peace of mind — removal of textured coatings is usually non-licensed work done by trained operatives under controlled wet-strip conditions, and we quote it fixed after the test result.