Walled in chimney in eternit condition
Hello all
While refurbishing my house i've temporarly moved in a neighbouring house where my old father lives (im in Italy). These are old houses built in the 70s, and do have walled in eternit chimneys afaik. My father absolutely loves his fireplace, and basically turns it on daily throughout autumn and winter, and has probably done so for the last couple of decades of living here.
Since i know that an inner walled in section of the chimney is eternit, and i since i'm now much more aware of it than i was in the past, i started thinking about the condition of the material itself and the risk of having lived here for the time being. I've tried taking a picture of the chimney from the top, on the roof, apologies if its not the best but i basically have take the picture without seeing as its to tall to peek inside and proprerly focus the camera.
Is it possible to have a preliminary idea on the condition of the chimney? I also don't think it has been cleaned for ages, which is another issue in and of itself (unfortunately my father is old and does not remember at this point in time). Is there a chance the eternit is damaged and cracked, and how likely is it that it has been releasing fibers down the fireplace and inside the living room during continious use? Paradoxically, could the fact that it hasn't been cleaned for a long time offer more protection from possible degradation, by creating a "protective" layer of soot and such?
Im attaching one pic from the top where i think the eternit chimney is clearly visible, and one taken from the fireplace inside the house, where i think the eternit is not visibile as it is further beyond up. Thank you all in advance