Asbestos in Old Fireplace

michaelson

My home is quite old and the fireplace hasn't been used the whole time I've lived here. I was messing around with the chimney and the firebox today because there was water dripping in. I noticed a white powder around the sides of the firebox and while messing with the damper a bunch of dust and pieces of brick fell down in the room.

I immediately thought, huh, I'm probably going to die of asbestos cancer now.

First, if there was asbestos in there am I going to die now?

Second, was asbestos used in old 1930s gas fireplaces?

jomama45

Yes, you're probably dead already..................

Let me ask you this how many people do you know that have died of "asbestos cancer"??? Likely not one other than if you watch local TV mid day and get bombarded with adds from ambulance chasing lawyers.

The white dust is likely nothing more than ash from the gas burning, as well as flakes of whatever the flue is made of (likely masonry).

My Dad worked with asbestos for 10 + years, 40 hours a week, rebuilding refractory burners in a coal burning plant. Didn't have any known effect on him, or any of his co-workers, most of which are in their 80's now...........

michaelson

Yeah, I'm still alive. :-)

itsreallyconc

WATER LEAK ??? might wanna be concerned about that instead


ps - yes, asbestos has been an issue but, largely a positive 1 for attorneys,,, yes, you're also going to die your cause of death & when is unknown to anyone but God but, nevertheless, plan on it

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if you hear it from a guy in the apron store, be VERY suspicious the mtl/method will work,,, when it time to build something together, they won't answer phones NOR help
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oh'mike

That white powdery stuff may be 'efflorescence'---minerals and salts energing from the face of wet bricks----You need to find out what's leaking ----

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tibberous

Fun fact: mesothelioma was once Google's highest paying keyword, at $28 a click. I believe it's fallen a lot since, likely due to spammers click-fruading it to death.

Maintenance 6

More "fun" facts. Of the diseases that one can acquire from asbestos exposure, the most prevalent is asbestosis, followed by lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a far distant third, but is the only one conclusively tied to asbestos exposure and is 100% fatal.