Artex is it safe

We moved into oour house in 1968, and all the ceilings are stippled artex. I'm sure that as we have decorated over the years, the effect has lessened with all the applied paint
It's probably a Marmite thing, Love or Loathe. A bit like woodchip wallpaper.

The school I worked in had artex ceilings and specialists were brought in to remove it, as the ceilings were crumbling. The whole place was covered in plastic, whilst they were working.

In our own home, we had a burst pipe a couple of years ago and part of the ceiling came down. When we tried to get it repaired, we were told that the best thing was to skim the ceiling, as Artex should not be disturbed. Our home is only 25 years old.

Does Artex really contain something toxic ( when disturbed)
As I thought it was just decorated for effect plaster?

Until the mid-1980s, the Artex coating was made with white asbestos to strengthen it. Therefore old Artex manufactured by Artex Ltd. will contain asbestos while Artex coatings applied after 2000 may or may not contain asbestos.
How are you to know? Better to be safe than sorry.

??Thanks marydoll for the info.

I bought a new buy to let in December. It had Artex on all of downstairs ceilings. I was not sure if it contained asbestos or not but took the safest option of having it re-skimmed by plasterer. It is always easier if empty and cheaper to get it all done at once. To do large lounge, good sized kitchen/diner and all of hall and corridor and to plaster over a patch of wall where there used to be a storage heater on top of stairs I was charged £540 so cheaper than you might think. Plasterer has done a fab job. It was ready to paint white after 4 or 5 days. Plasterer told us only way to know for sure if it contains asbestos is to have it tested but completely skimming over makes it safe as it is completely sealed.

I must say skimming hardly made any mess and plasterer cleaned it all up and swept over floor too. I just had to steam mop it after. Much easier if nothing in room, them plasterer can put down large dust sheets to catch any bits of wet plaster that fall.

Quite honestly I’m amazed anyone is alive and well these days.

Lots of people arent/werent because of Asbestos.... mainly those who worked with it or disturbed it though

But it is fine if undisturbed. And its in so many buildings that you would really struggle to avoid it completely!