Is this asbestos?

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celticpiping

celticpiping

Member
Sep 27, 2007
66
Maine,USA
www.gouette.com
Folks, I have a Regency insert, and want to remove it & replace with a freestanding stove.
When I remove the front plates & expose the flue/pipe, I see a white batt, or "fiberglass-looking" material that's been stuffed up into the flue opening, and also sits on top of the stove around the pipe.

It looks very similar to the pink fiberglass, but I'm very concerned for safety, since I don't know for sure.
I'm unsure of the age of the setup.

Any thoughts as to what material it might be?
Or does this question need a picture to go along with it..

Regards,
Rich
 
Sounds like a ceramic blanket insulation. One of the most popular brands (and actually the only one I'm familiar with) is called Kaowool, manufactured by Thermal Ceramics. It isn't asbestos, but the airborn fibers are still hazardous, so wear some protection if you're going to mess with it.
 
The white insulation is typically formaldehyde free. much nicer stuff if ya have to use batt insulation
 
Really? Maybe it's bleached white, but I have seen LOTS of white asbestos......asbestos is usually pretty dense and easily flakes apart. It has been used on some stove door gaskets, but not on things like block-off plates. You can often find it on the air ductwork in older houses. It looks like it is wet and then slapped on.

If the materials looked like fiberglass, it probably was - that comes in various colors from different makers. Other products are rock wool, mineral wood, etc....but they are less commonly available.
 
I have dug up the teal green rock working in the environmental industry, I believe called crysotile and definitely one of the more common types of asbesos.
However, asbestos can be any color and fibers can be embedded or used in the manufacture of many prodcuts. White transite pipe, shingles and tiles, etc.
Color is NOT the way to tell. Green, fibrous rocks found in nature is about the only time I would hold color against a rock-like material.
 
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