Possible asbestos. Looking for advice.

New to the site and am looking for some advice re some concerning plasterboard which I’ve located behind a gas fire.

I’ve recently moved into a new property which needs renovating. I’ve had a gas engineer round to remove an old gas fire in the living room (intent to replace it with a full media and library wall). Upon removing the fire, the engineer stated he found some ‘suspicious’ looking plasterboards surrounding the fire. He stated, although it’s unlikely, they could contain aspestos. The property is an old barn that was converted in the early 90’s.

I’m not particularly DIY handy so this is a pretty big project for me, and the thought of now dealing with asbestos is quite concerning.

I’ve attached some photos of the fireplace and the damaged plasterboard which surrounded the fire. If anyone with any knowledge or experience of asbestos or plasterboard could possibly advise me on what I’m dealing with, I’d be very grateful. Thanks!

Those long strands look like glass fibre to me, but if you're concerned send a sample to one of the numerous testing services.

Thanks, a few people have said the same, hopefully it is.

Looks like its fireline plasterboard but its usually pink. Pre 90s plasterboard did contain asbestos. To be fair no one can tell you for sure. Only way to be 100% is to have it tested.

Yes It’s understandable! the safest next step is to have a small sample tested by a professional before doing any more work. Once you get confirmation, you can plan your media wall confidently, as this kind of issue is usually easy to address early in the renovation.

Read like AI !