Asbestos in 1930s council house fireplace

[Samanthajayne]

When I moved Into This council house 8 years ago it had a tiled/cement/concrete fire place, I just painted it a different colour with tile paint so can’t remember what the original colour looked like. The fire was a usual council house fire. Anyway the fire wasn’t always smelling funny when used and it concerned me so council came out and disconnected it from the gas supply ( I have the paper work stating this). A year later I asked permission to remove it and they sent me a letter with all these conditions that I get a corgi registered guy to remove it ( even though it should be on their records that they themselves disconnected it) and that I send them a certificate of this and that I send them details of the company who will fit an electrical one and that I must fit that same gas fire again when I move . So I just left it and didn’t bother. Fast forward to today I wanted to remove it as we are redecorating, my toddler son keeps falling over the tiled slab attached to the floor (is this the hearth) so I took fire out and my husband chisled out old fireplace and boarded it all up with plaster board and brick. I did it because the gas has been capped off anyway and the fire and fireplace was there ugly doing nothing. Now I’m worried I’ve exposed us all to asbestos. The house is 1935 and I’m worried now I’ve exposed us. How likely is it there was asbestos in the cement and other materials in this fireplace. It seems like at one point part of the ‘hole’ of the chimney breast was partly covered to make the ‘hole’ smaller as there is random broken brick/cement/mortar stuffed in that doesn’t match the other fireplace brickwork. Could I have some advice please
I’ve sent for an asbestos kit and paid for it test these materials but which materials do I test?

 

[Brigadier]

As you've already had the offending fireplace blocked up, I guess you can't now post a photo on here (unless you took some during the works itself).

Otherwise, do a search on Google for something akin to your fireplace, and post that.

 

[Samanthajayne]

I took a picture before it was blocked up. Bear in Mind tho it’s not the original colour because when I moved in 8 years ago, i painted it with tile paint and I can’t remember the colour it once was. Think it was white with blue detail.
@Brigadier

 

[Samanthajayne]

When I moved in this house 8 years ago, I asked what asbestos products where present in this house, they sent me a clone of a report of house similar to mine in the same area as me. The report said ‘survey done in 2007’
There was no mention of asbestos in fireplaces or cement so is it safe to assume there isn’t any ?

 

[RigidRaider]

Stop worrying about it and get the job done. Asbestos was usually wrapped around metal pipes to insulate them, that's the bad type. There was also asbestos cement board but I can't see any of that in your pictures. It's not very hazardous especially if you remove it carefully and bag it up.

 

[FiremanT]

Stop worrying about it and get the job done. Asbestos was usually wrapped around metal pipes to insulate them, that's the bad type. There was also asbestos cement board but I can't see any of that in your pictures. It's not very hazardous especially if you remove it carefully and bag it up.

You clearly have little knowedge of asbestos. Never encourage anyone "just to get on with" any job involving asbestos.

 

[FiremanT]

I’ve sent for an asbestos kit and paid for it test these materials but which materials do I test?

There is only one area likely to contain asbestos in those photos. Where the fireplace met the wall, there is normally rope around the perimeter if the opening. It is very often asbestos. There may have been asbestos board lining the builders opening (the fire area behind the fireplace) - but if it was there, it should have been obvious.

 

[Samanthajayne]

There is only one area likely to contain asbestos in those photos. Where the fireplace met the wall, there is normally rope around the perimeter if the opening. It is very often asbestos. There may have been asbestos board lining the builders opening (the fire area behind the fireplace) - but if it was there, it should have been obvious.

Thank you. I am a bit confused at where this rope would have been? What would it have looked like? And what about the board? All he did was take away the fire from the wall that’s it. He didn’t see any board behind the fire apart from the metal one at the back of Rhe usual council house fire where they stick the usual testing stickers on. Would the rope be hanging or lay on the ground?

 

[FiremanT]

Thank you. I am a bit confused at where this rope would have been? What would it have looked like? And what about the board? All he did wt’s it?

I

Thank you. I am a bit confused at where this rope would have been? What would it have looked like? And what about the board? All he did was take away the fire from the wall that’s it. He didn’t see any board behind the fire apart from the metal one at the back of Rhe usual council house fire where they stick the usual testing stickers on. Would the rope be hanging or lay on the ground?

TBF, he has done more than take the fire out!
The rope would have been between the bricks revealed now and the removed tiled fireplace. It would have been evident, about 20mm diameter, but squashed to some degree. Don't worry about the panels. They would be VERY evident, and would be behind that metal plate. More likely NOT to be there, though.

 

[Samanthajayne]

I


TBF, he has done more than take the fire out!
The rope would have been between the bricks revealed now and the removed tiled fireplace. It would have been evident, about 20mm diameter, but squashed to some degree. Don't worry about the panels. They would be VERY evident, and would be behind that metal plate. More likely NOT to be there, though.

Thanks for your advice. Do you recon I need to get any of the cement or other material tested ?

 

[FiremanT]

No. The cement and the masonry will be okay. Where is all the debris at the moment?

 

[Samanthajayne]

Hiya thanks again for your reply. All the stuff is now bagged up and ready to go to the tip. Why?

 

[Scared_of_Dust]

Without alarming you there was an amosite fireblock board inside the fireplace of my house.

It was a few bricks up inside the void to protect the wall from the heat of the fire.

There will be a lot of asbestos survey guys around. Ring them up and get the site looked at. expect to pay about £200 for this give or take a bit.

Keep the debris too for them to look at.

I would much rather pay the extra cash now and forever know I am safe than worry for the next several decades about what could/could not be there.

So many people cheap out on this. Don't be one of them.