Asbestos in chimney breasts ?

2 posts

Hi, I have heard that asbestos may be contained in chimney breasts ? Does anyone know where this is likely to be ? All I want to do is drill a hole in the chimney breast in my lounge to hang a mirror above my fireplace. Is this likely to disturb any asbestos ? The walls are papered over, so I don't know what lies underneath. Sorry if this sounds silly, but I am new to DIY.

Thanks

Paul

From Sheffield England, 1 post

it is very unlikely that you will disturb any asbestos drilling the hole.

if there were to be any asbestos in the chimney, it would most likely be on the inside of the breast, as you only need a small depth of hole you wont disturb it.

From UK, 2 posts

So - Asbestos in a chimney breast is not dangerous in its own right?

From Sussex, 1 post

Originally posted by MayhemUK on 27 Sep 2005 11:18 AM
So - Asbestos in a chimney breast is not dangerous in its own right?

Containment is the ideal here. If you lived "in" the chimney breast the asbestos would pose a threat to health, as, the surface of asbestos "powders" after a while venting off microscopic fibres.

If the chimney breast vents into the room then it can become dangerous to the health of the occupants and the chimney breast will either need sealing off, the asbestos to be removed or, it will require "encapsulation" (asbestos surface sealed with a PVA like solution). The only test to confirm whether it is asbestos or not is to have it tested by a laboratory that specialises in this material ID.

-= =-

I would go with the first reply, as, the breast wall should be brick (4 inches thick) add to that the thickness of the plaster 0.5 - 1 inch. Any asbestos should be behind this. So... unless you're screwing a hammock to the wall, a 2 inch hole should suffice for most large wall hangings without posing any real threat of contamination (also check there are no; gas, electric or water runs underlying if the fireplace is disused).

If you are still cautious about asbestos, and want to go through the motions to minimise the threat; you can spray the drill's entry point and subsequent bore hole, lightly, with a water based PVA solution (50/50) to damp down any dust. Charge the finished hole with the same PVA solution. Clean thoroughly afterwards, any wet areas and PVA overspill, with a clean damp cloth and bucket of warm soapy water, ensuring you double bag the waste and take it to a suitable waste disposal site specialising in asbestos waste. Wash hands thoroughly afterwards.

If you want to go even further; it gets really expensive!

Me? I'd just drill it!

From UK, 2 posts

Wow. Thanks!
only thing is that the original post was nearly three years ago. I moved house since then (Not just to get away from the chimney). But thanks for the full reply anyway.