| With all the fears about mesothelioma, an | | | | a new one fitted, plus the bedroom, hall, stairs and |
| asbestos-induced incurable cancer, we had a real | | | | landing all redecorated - all for a $200 excess on the |
| shock just before Christmas. | | | | insurance. |
| We went away for a week in Spain, and when we | | | | Talk about total disruption! |
| came back, we found our bedroom carpet was like a | | | | Luckily we had built a 'Granny annex' for my father |
| wet sponge. Looking up, we saw water marks right | | | | who died some years ago, so we moved into that for |
| across our bedroom ceiling, and across the upstairs | | | | two weeks, while the decorators took over. |
| landing as well. Rushing up into the loft, we quickly saw | | | | But - when the day came for the ceilings to come |
| the cause of this leak, a sticking ball valve in the main | | | | down, well, Torchwood had nothing on our house. |
| water tank. Although there seemed to be no damage | | | | They arrived in a great big truck, with generators, and |
| apart for the stain on the ceiling, we though we had | | | | air conditioning, and all sorts of space age gadgets. |
| better call the insurance company in case there had | | | | They sealed all the upstairs doors, except for our |
| been some more permanent damage to the roof. | | | | bedroom, built a plastic airlock across the bottom of |
| Well, the response I got from the insurance company | | | | the stairs, and then two of them waddled from their |
| was mind-blowing... | | | | truck in what looked like space suits complete with air |
| They asked me what type of ceiling, and I told them it | | | | tanks, vanished though the air lock and proceeded to |
| was 'Artex'. | | | | demolish our ceilings. |
| Silence... | | | | When they had gone, we were left staring through our |
| 'Do you realise there may be asbestos in your ceiling' | | | | rafters at the outside roof tiles - Boy was it cold that |
| we were told, even though our house was built in the | | | | night. |
| mid 1970's | | | | It's quite scary really, as over the years we had |
| They said that they would have to send a specialist | | | | knocked our kitchen and dining room into one, |
| out to check the roof, and the cost of the repair would | | | | smashing part of the ceiling in the process, drilled holes |
| either be about $200 to repair the ceiling, or several | | | | for TV cables, and latterly Ethernet cables to go |
| thousand if they found asbestos was present. | | | | through the ceilings. After all, why should we be |
| Regardless of the outcome, they would meet the bill. | | | | worried about the presence of asbestos? We thought |
| Well, the specialist came, with his special mask and | | | | they stopped using that, what, in the 1950's? |
| breathing apparatus, who checked the ceiling, and sure | | | | But that's not all... |
| enough, it contained asbestos! | | | | While the supervisor was here, he looked at our |
| So we were going to end up having to have all of our | | | | garage. "Did you know your garage has got absolutely |
| fitted bedroom furniture dismantled, and then the | | | | lethal asbestos sheeting under the eaves...?" Well. Here |
| ceilings in both our bedroom and landing removed, and | | | | we go again. 'Torchwood, we need you again... |