Asbestos in Plastering

Hi everyone, I'm new here but am having a moment of panic.

I had some guys come round to drill through a solid brick wall to install a ventilation system. Half way through, the vacuum malfunctioned and dust was thrown around everywhere. The dust was brown in colour. House built in 1890's although the extension bit with kitchen and bathroom added at an unknown later date.

It didn't occur to me at the time, but six months later, I am paranoid that it may have been asbestos. I am about to get an asbestos survey done, but in the interim I just wanted to know if anyone knew if this could be asbestos?

It is a solid wall, with rendering to the exterior. I spoke to an asbestos survey guy who said that lath and plaster (which my homebuyers report said the ceiling was) would not be brown.

Other surveyors have said that asbestos would not have been used in normal plaster.

I even located the original owners and previous freeholders who renovated and replaced the plaster. One said that they had replaced it completing in 1982 and then the next owners said that they needed it skimmed back in 2004 as when they tried to remove the wallpaper the whole wall collapsed.

So I am not sure what to think!


Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Halfway through, brown in colour, sounds like brick or sand to me.
Most asbestos is white or grey, the White, Brown and Blue asbestos are not White Brown And Blue! The colour only shows up under a special light when viewed through a microscope.

OK if you want to be precise asbestos can be added to anything and if that material is sky blue pink that's the colour the asbestos will be but I suspect you are OK.
Any asbestos would tend to be in the first 20mm or so of the wall as an insulating sheet or Artex very unlikely to meet it halfway through a solid wall.

Hope that helps

Thanks, for your reply Footprints. Some of those surveyors like to scaremonger don't they? I've just checked the blinds where some dust remains (i know I should do a thorough clean) it is red/brown, so I guess it could be the brick.

it's a shame that no bricks are exposed because it is all rendered over.

Fingers crossed.

You might see some brick in the loft space if it helps to reassure you.

Post the best (detail) pictures that you can.

And after six months, best thing you can do is stop worrying about it - like the fags you smoked around the bike sheds as a kid; you can't un-smoke them.