!! Asbestos fake stone product??

[LiamPope]

Oh dear!

Just started knocking out the old 70s-ish stone fireplace. One of those whole width of the room jobs! Looks like a kind of orangey stone but after starting the work it's apparent it's just a fake stone-look tile-like product on a brick construction. On looking closer I noticed white fibres in it and am concerned it may be asbestos.

The material looks just like white plaster with a small amount of white hairs in it. It's also harder than plaster. Anybody know if this is likely to be an asbestos product - not really seen or heard of anything like it. Maybe it's glass fibres or something? Doh - all this after just having sent off a sample of some dodgy looking ceiling tiles to a lab!

Will try and get a photo up of a piece. Any advice appreciated as i really wanted to get some work done this weekend!

Cheers,

LIam

 

[rssteve]

If it is asbestos will you get it removed professionally or do it yourself?

 

[^woody^]

Plaster products generally will have reinforcement fibre in them, and these will look like, well ... hairs.

Asbestos fibres will be much finer and not look like 'hairs' - if that makes any sense.

But, plaster products from pre-80's may have reinforcement hairs and asbestos fibres.

If you can't damp it down and remove it in one piece, then get it checked and removed properly if it does contain asbestos