# Forum Home Renovation Asbestos  Asbestos coating on old wood heater

## peteandem

Hi everyone, 
Just wondering if anybody can identify if there would be asbestos on this old wood heater I'm trying to salvage and restore.
The top of it is flaking off with a really crumbly material. This is what worries me.
The flakes can easily be brushed off by hand it's so crumbly.
You can still see the cast iron top underneath, so it's definitely something sitting or coated on top. 
Just hard to tell with the years of heat. Pretty sure it's the original heater to the house (circa 1850's) 
Be a shame to waste such a great looking, historical heater, but I'm nervous about working anywhere around asbestos.

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## craka

> Hi everyone, 
> Just wondering if anybody can identify if there would be asbestos on this old wood heater I'm trying to salvage and restore.
> The top of it is flaking off with a really crumbly material. This is what worries me.
> The flakes can easily be brushed off by hand it's so crumbly.
> You can still see the cast iron top underneath, so it's definitely something sitting or coated on top. 
> Just hard to tell with the years of heat. Pretty sure it's the original heater to the house (circa 1850's) 
> Be a shame to waste such a great looking, historical heater, but I'm nervous about working anywhere around asbestos.

  
I'm unsure if asbestos was being used in that period, however other may be able to add value to that or not.    
I think that the only way categorically to tell is by getting a asbestos testing kit and having it analysed.

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## David.Elliott

I'd say sell it as soon as possible, urgently....       
(PS: how much do you want for it?)

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## doovalacky

Can't say about the top. It could be anything.
However the door seals and any packing around the stove itself may well contain asbestos.

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## FrodoOne

The flaky material is almost certainly asbestos - but there is not much of it. 
Handle it carefully.   
It would probably be best if you wet it thoroughly, remove it as a soggy mass into plastic bags and dispose of the bags and their contents appropriately. 
Any contamination which may take place will have taken place before you wet it - so it is too late to worry about that now!

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## joynz

Dont forget the P2 mask. 
And dont vacuum or sweep up any left over dust or flakes that fall to the floor etc (instead, use damp rags, 1 pass per side of the rag and put the rags and dust in a couple of layers of thick plastic and dispose at a proper facility as per any asbestos waste). 
However, I would get it tested first.

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## peteandem

Thanks for your help everyone, 
Long story short, demo crew got to it before I had it tested. 
I've since picked up a smaller wood heater to use.

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