Damage to hearth when removing flooring

[curium]

Hi

I'm removing the flooring in my kitchen to replace with chipboard. The property is a 1934 semi-detached.

The flooring was vinyl tiles glued to thin ply glued to the floor boards. A gas leak meant it had to come up. I'm now cutting the remainder out.

When I removed the vinyl over the hearth it's taken a corner piece with it.



How best to repair this so that the hearth is flush with the replacement chipboard?

Is the hearth likely to contain asbestos?

Edit:

I've exposed some more of it now and I'm now wondering if it is a screed. Possibly laid by the installer of the vinyl tiles?



Thanks

 

[Mr Chibs]

More than likely a screed.

Choices are mix a bit of sand and cement and fill in the area you’ve removed to get to same level.

If it’s too high chip it out and level with sand and cement or self levelling compound.

Or remove the hearth completely, as you don’t appear to have an open fire, so you won’t need it.

 

[John D v2.0]

I would recommend the same as Mr chibs, get rid of it, as now you don't have an open fire it will be a magnet for damp. Check the joists surrounding and if any have high moisture content then just knock it all out and put a couple of joist trimmed across the other way to pick up a bit of 18mm flooring ply.
If everything is bone dry then fill it in with whatever. It won't have asbestos as they didn't really use it in the 30s.