Want to get some decorating done but worried about dust..

[Cannotstopworrying]

I want to get some woodchip stripped from ceilings and walls in two bedrooms.

I want to get a decorator in to do it. I am worried the striping and sanding will create toxic dust which will go around the house and I will breathe in causing health problems.

They said they would use a dustless sander but there is still going to be dust. Particularly worried when they do the ceilings incase they sand anything which has asbestos in and they do not realise, worried the walls might even have it in but the reality is it will be plaster? The house is very old so who knows what will be under this woodchip.

I have wanted to get these rooms decorated for years but the worry has stopped me.

Also worried they strip the walls and it is so bad I will need a plasterer to skim causing even more dust in the air.. Hoping there is a high chance they can do it without needing a plaster though..

Anyone have any advice on this?

I am planning on sitting downstairs if I decide to go ahead with the work but worried dust floats all.over and remains in the air for hours.

[Fishmanpa]

There are literally pages of similar fears here. Especially asbestos fears. The reality is, a professional remodeler knows what their doing (do your research on whoever you're thinking of hiring!) and will take the proper precautions to protect you as well as themselves. Let's be real here. The things we expose ourselves to in our everyday lives or ingest into our bodies can have consequences but it's all in the long term. A week or two of construction and just taking the proper precautions won't make a dent in the type of exposure that would cause an issue down the line. When I was a kid, they used to come around the neighborhood and spray mosquito killer. I remember my friends and I running behind the truck in a cloud mosquito killer! :wacko: And while I do have medical issues, it wasn't from that ;)

FMP