Gas fireplace

[mkar123]

Hey,

I posted some plaster related questions in the other subforum, and mentioned the below there, but I guess you guys will have a lot of experience with this kind of thing

Yesterday I had a gas fire removed from the living room, and just had some concerns about what I assume is the fire-retardant material - looks like thick yellow soft insulation. Don't know when the gas fire was put in, but it's in the extension part of living room, so after mid-80's - more than 10 years ago anyway. There was no chimney, just a straight vent to the outside wall

The plumber capped the pipe etc but left quite the mess, and having little knowledge of these things, but two young kids, I was hoping to hear what the 'foam' typically might be - I know you can't reliably comment on 'yes that is asbestos' for example from a photo, but advice appreciated

Untitled

• mkar123
• 16 May 2013
• 2

(one small bit left by the plumber)

it's probably nothing and you'll sigh at yet another idiot coming to your forum, but advice very gratefully received

 

[Tom1981]

That looks like rockwool insulation to me, more than likely your houses cavities are filled with this, or the installer packed it around the old fires flue.

I wouldn't be concerned about it, Asbestos hasn't been used house hold insulation for many years.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Either Rockwool or glass fibre, if it makes you itch like crazy then chances are it's one of the two. Asbestos products usually quite 'flaky', breaking them (NOT advised!) reveals the asbestos fibres.

A gallery can be found here, courtesy of the H.S.E. http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/gallery.htm