Help: is this asbestos?

Spir4L

Hi,
I have recently purchased a property and looking at the fireplace I got a little bit scared; can that be or contain asbestos?



The surveyor reported that they did not note the presence of any asbestos containing materials or other hazardous or deleterious materials during the course of their inspection.

GDB2222

Which bit of that do you think looks like asbestos?

Davesnave

The grate is backed with a special kind of brick that can expand and contract rapidly without damage, though obviously it's deteriorated over time. It might contain asbestos, so if you can find a replacement that would be best, but if that's too hard, sealing the surface with a resin or SBR and then painting with matt black stove paint will stop further erosion and make it safe enough. Even as it is, it's not posing any huge risk.

(I'm assuming the fire will now be retained as a focal point rather than being used!)

Spir4L

Davesnave said:

The grate is backed with a special kind of brick that can expand and contract rapidly without damage, though obviously it's deteriorated over time. It might contain asbestos, so if you can find a replacement that would be best, but if that's too hard, sealing the surface with a resin or SBR and then painting with matt black stove paint will stop further erosion and make it safe enough. Even as it is, it's not posing any huge risk.

(I'm assuming the fire will now be retained as a focal point rather than being used!)

Thanks, so you think the risk would be only if the grate gets more erosion and the bricks get exposed?

Spir4L

GDB2222 said:

Which bit of that do you think looks like asbestos?

I was afraid about the erosion of the material (not sure if it's concrete but it could have been concrete mixed with asbestos).

Davesnave

Spir4L said:

Davesnave said:

The grate is backed with a special kind of brick that can expand and contract rapidly without damage, though obviously it's deteriorated over time. It might contain asbestos, so if you can find a replacement that would be best, but if that's too hard, sealing the surface with a resin or SBR and then painting with matt black stove paint will stop further erosion and make it safe enough. Even as it is, it's not posing any huge risk.

(I'm assuming the fire will now be retained as a focal point rather than being used!)

Thanks, so you think the risk would be only if the grate gets more erosion and the bricks get exposed?

Yes, it looks like it's been painted already, so I suggested a binding agent you could paint over again and reduce the risk of more flaking. There's not definitely asbestos there. The only way you could be sure would be an asbestos test on a sample: maybe £30-40 or so.

Section62

Spir4L said:

I was afraid about the erosion of the material (not sure if it's concrete but it could have been concrete mixed with asbestos).

Spir4L said:

Thanks, so you think the risk would be only if the grate gets more erosion and the bricks get exposed?

The bit which is crumbling is called a "firebrick" - they aren't like normal bricks in either shape or material.  Davesnave wasn't talking about 'bricks' (the things the house is built from) behind the fire being exposed, in this case it is the thing you can see.

They aren't concrete, but instead a special mix of clays and other minerals that are more resistant to heat than normal bricks. They are usually manufactured to a specific shape (pattern) for a particular type of fire, so can be difficult to get a replacement.

They can contain asbestos, sometimes just as a contamination of the other minerals used in the 'fireclay' - e.g. vermiculite is a common fireclay component and when dug out of the ground vermiculite is sometimes contaminated with asbestos.

Unless you want to start using the fire then Davesnave's advice is the best thing to do - just paint it over with a binding agent to stop any more crumbling and it will be fine.


In fact, there is possibly more of a risk involved if you instead attempt to dismantle the fire and remove the firebrick as fireplaces were often assembled using 'asbestos rope' as a seal or stopping.  That has many times more asbestos in it than any firebrick, and whilst it poses no risk when left alone, dismantling a fire that contains asbestos rope seals/stopping isn't a good idea without the right training and precautions.