Can asbestos be in walls? Freaking out!

[Nononon]

We've had an extension to our 30s semi which has caused no end of dust. I'm now panicking that there could be asbestos fibres amongst the dust (which has found it's way all over EVERYTHING!) and that our house is a silent death trap. I'm so scared to go back and live in it now and am worried that I have exposed my DC to asbestos.

Could there have been asbestos in the walls that have been knocked down? I'm ansolutely terrified? There has been literally dust everywhere - what if the builders didn't realise about asbestos?

It's very unlikely. Asbestos wasn't used much in homes until after ww 2, so if it was an original wall there shouldn't be a problem. Experienced builders would probably spot it too. You can send off samples for testing if you're still worried.

I may be wrong but I think generally asbestos was not built into walls in the 30s.
We have a 30s house and found no asbestos anywhere but expected it on ceilings (artex style stuff put up in 60s and 70s) or in the garage.

1950s houses often had asbestos in the fascias or soffits (whatever that bit is called under the roof edge).

I would relax a bit, maybe ask your council, you have a building control person coming to sign off stages of the extension? You could ask him/her.

We had cement rendered walls btw, looked grey and were really hard to chase for new electrics.

I'm just so worried I've already exposed my DC to it simply by living there during the first half of the build and then visiting the house, handling dusty items. It's got everywhere and I'm so paranoid that it's just so unsafe and the house will never be safe. I'm losing sleep over it :-(

the only thing you are likely to find is asbestos-cement board or slates. If the builders are still there, they will recognise it and will know if they have seen any. It is the grey stuff, very hard, sometimes used to make prefab garages and workshop roofs. It has one smooth shiny side and one that looks like it was pressed against hessian. Usually about 10mm thick. It is not especially dangerous but a competent builder will easily recognise it.

Unless you live in a converted factory, it is unlikely to have had fluffy asbestos insulation on hot pipes or crucibles.

If it had artex "decoration" in the 1980's, some batches did contain asbestos fibre and there are guidelines to what to do with it. It is no longer used.

It sounds as though anxiety is your real problem.

There was no artex when we moved in but we bought the house from an investor who could have plastered over it and therefore no one would have known it was there and damage to ceilings has meant there has been fibres released. The dust has got all over our soft furnishings and in carpets. I do feel very very anxious about this at the moment. It was something that didn't occur to me at the time but all of a sudden I've thought about it and have read up on it and am absolutely petrified!

this is not a normal level of anxiety, not your fault but please get help.

you are in far more danger crossing the road or driving.

Without wishing to sound harsh - I think you need a bit of a reality check: it's highly unlikely there was any asbestos. Don't you think the builders would have wanted to be safe themselves? If there was any sign, they would have stopped and got things checked out - and you would have known about this as it would have slowed the project down and you'd have an extra bill for asbestos removal.

If you are concerned about the ceiling containing asbestos, then have a sample tested. What did the survey you had done on the property have to say on asbestos?