Questions & answers on How to Remove Asbestos Containing Floor Tiles or Sheet Flooring Safely.

This article series describes the proper procedure for removing vinyl-asbestos floor tiles.

Q&A on Procedures for Removing Asbestos-Containing Floor Tile (Vinyl-Asbestos Tile / Asphalt-Asbestos Tile)

These questions and answers about removing asbestos-containing floor tiles or sheet flooring were posted originally

at ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE - you will want to read the advice given there.

Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air.

Just Removing Carpet Tack Strips: not a big asbestos remediation job

On 2017-09-30 by Diana - do I need a full building asbestos abatement just for removing carpet tack strips?

I removed carpet from my 750 square foot apartment and found what look to be asbestos tile, in tact underneath. I plan to tile the floor completely with porcelain tile.

I have been advised that removing the carpet strips from the floor tiles will require that I do either a full removal and abatement, or that I can do a partial abatement where the strips are removed, and then glue and possibly screw durarock to the floor and tile over the asbestos flooring.

Mt question is whether removal of the carpet strips, which are nailed down, requires the abatement precautions, and if it is safe and advised to just do that, rather than full tile removal, before putting down the durarock and porcelain tile floor. Thank you.

On 2016-11-13 by Andrew K - Is there a problem with removing the carpet tack strips ?

I want to leave the existing floor but want to remove the carpet and carpet tack strips. Is there a problem with removing the carpet tack strips around the perimeter and putting new laminate flooring over the existing ?

On 2016-04-02 by Anonymous - Can I remove tack strips and use some type of sealant over "holes" and keep tile?

Can I remove tack strips and use some type of sealant over "holes" and keep tile?

On 2017-09-30 by mod - asbestos hazard from removing carpet tack strips: manageable

Diana and Mary:

I wonder who is giving you that advice. Is it a local building official? Or is it a contractor who spending your money to reduce their risk. Generally the least risk is created by avoiding disturbing the flooring.

Remember it's not Radioactive. So the requirement to cover the floor before installing ceramic tile would more likely stem from an uneven surface.

if this is a wood-framed floor be sure to check the stiffness of the framing before installing ceramic tile

Andrew,

Situations vary of course but I've usually been able to pull up tack strips with very little floor damage using a thin flat bar. Damp wipe for cleanup, don't run a normal vacuum cleaner as you'll aerate any dust or asbestos.

Anon

That seems reasonable to me.

 

Other Hazards From Removing Old Flooring?

Do we need to worry about lead when removing old flooring?

We are buying a home built in 1972. The entry and main floor bathroom have tile floor that look original to the home that I would like to replace. It appears to be a ceramic tile, so I don't think putting something over it would be an option.

Is this something that could possibly have asbestos and I should send in for testing. What I have read it would be the mortar that is at risk of containing it, correct. So I would just need to send a sample of that?

I have attached a few pictures of the floor, but they are not great ones because we have not moved in yet. Thanks for your guidance. On 2017-12-03 by Anonymous -

Reply by (mod)

Anon

See CERAMIC TILE, ASBESTOS / LEAD? https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Ceramic_Tile_Asbestos_Content.php where we discuss the occurrence of asbestos in ceramic tiles or the tile mortar (uncommon, not impossible).

There we comment that Ceramic floor and wall tile produced in North America would not be expected to contain asbestos.

However you may find asbestos in some tile grouts and thinset tile mastics and possibly in hand-made tiles made as part of an art project using art clay.

I only see one photo, and that one isn't showing the floor -

If you want to test grout, tile, and mastic samples (you'd certainly need to test all three if you're bothering to test at all), use the search box in this page to find our ASBESTOS TEST LAB directory, give a lab of your choice a call, and make sure they're up on testing those materials.

The presence of a sound ceramic tile floor does not preclude covering it over with a new layer of tile or other flooring.

On 2017-11-30 by Anne - will our 1971 Linoleum contain asbestos?

We have tried to get up old linoleum from 1971 will there be asbestos in it

On 2017-11-30 by (mod) - 1971 vinyl tile or vinyl sheet flooring is likely to contain asbestos

Quite possibly yes, a 1971 vinyl tile or vinyl sheet flooring contain asbestos. That's a reason to avoid making a Dusty mess. The best approach when the floor is generally securely in place is to install a new layer of flooring over it

. If you have to remove the flooring because it's in terrible condition or for some other reason then this article series contains procedures on asbestos floor tile removal to minimize a hazard.

If you're facing the costly Demolition and asbestos containment job it might be worth having a sample of the floor tested this article series also includes a link to certified asbestos test labs

On 2017-11-06 by Bill - how do we get rid of asbestos contamination once it is airborne?

I recently removed some tile which could be us Bestos. Now I'm worried about exposure to this stuff. How do you remediate it once it's airborne?

On 2017-11-07 by (mod) - An asbestos remediator would start by isolating the problem area

An asbestos remediator would start by isolating the problem area to avoid blowing asbestos Laden dust into other building areas, then removing the problem source in the building.

That may be followed by a combination of ventilation and HEPA vacuuming or damp wiping settled dust.

On 2017-09-12 by Mary - do I have to remove old tile before intalling a new layer of flooring?

My home was built in 1956, has cement with tile for flooring. I had laminate flooring installed but it needs replaced.

I was told by the company replacing the laminate that I need to remove the tiles because be they are damaged. Our insurance adjuster said the tiles may contain asbestos. What can I do?

On 2017-07-05 by Bob Brown - Do I have to have suspected asbestos removed?

Do I have to have suspected asbestos removed, or can I cover the tiles with non-asbestos larger tiles?

On 2017-07-05 by mod

Bob,

If the floor that is already installed is in good condition, such that it wouldn't create a problem for installing a new layer of flooring, then indeed you can and should leave it in place.

Install your new layer of flooring on top of the existing layer.

That approach is actually the lowest risk of creating an asbestos Hazard as well as being the lowest cost.

On 2017-08-05 by Gail Williams - what does it cost to remove asbestos-containing floor tile?

What is the pay rate for a standard room to remove tile with asbestos

On 2017-08-18 by (mod) -

Gail I'm not sure there is a right answer to your question. If you are asking about what asbestos remediation workers are paid per hour, that varies by geographic location.

However a typical asbestos cleanup worker earns about $16. U.S. per hour.

On 2017-06-05 by wr.webmasters - Removal of asbestos by yourself is very expensive and dangerous.

Removal of asbestos by yourself is very expensive and dangerous.

On the dangers of contact with asbestos written a lot, from myself, I can add that none of these diseases I do not need))) About this a little more here
I also read a lot of information, useful articles and feedback about how the asbestos removal takes place, for example

Given these costs from instruments, I can say with confidence that it's better to hire professionals. I was looking for ways to make the removal of asbestos cheaper, but it did not give me results.

So now I'm in search of a service that will perform the removal of asbestos in my home. I am looking for reviews about good companies, I will be grateful for your recommendations! Thank you! Waiting for answers!

Question: I'm concerned out about how much we might have breathed in

2016/04/20 Stan said:
We just started pulling up some floors in the kitchen of an old house. there were many layers of linoleum and vinyl flooring. I didn't realized until afterwards that it might contain asbestos.

We only pulled up 8 or 10 square feet before we stopped, but it was definitely dry, crumbly and dusty, so now I'm concerned out about how much we might have breathed in. Is that something to be freaked out about? Also, is there a place to upload pictures to show you, to possibly help identify

? I couldn't find any specific matches to pictures on the site.

This question/comment was posted originally

at HOW TO CONTACT InspectApedia.com

Reply:

Stan you can use the page bottom CONTACT link to send us photos for comment. Or you can use the page bottom Comments Box to post a photo with each comment.

Please make future comments about asbestos-containing flooring on any InspectApedia article that discusses that topic.

Search InspectApedia for ASBESTOS FLOORING or any similar term. That will expose both your question and any replies to the eyes of other readers who are expert in or have concerns about the topic.

Asbestos flooring is not usually friable, but "crumbly and dusty" could mean that what you have has become friable with age or for some other reason. Friable asbestos materials are more of a hazard: there is greater risk of airborne asbestos if disturbed.

Do not freak out: that will double or triple what some contractors will charge you to do what's needed.

See ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE for detailed procedural advice.

On 2016-09-30 by David - How do you know if asbestos is present after removal?

How do you know if asbestos is present after removal?

On 2016-09-30 by (mod) -

By an expert follow-up visual inspection of the work area and appropriate tests for the presence of asbestos in air or in settled dust.

On 2016-09-08 by AUTHOR:Rosanna (no email) - Can we remove these 3 bottom floors (after flooding) ourselves?

COMMENT:My home in Baton Rouge, LA recently flooded. The incredibly lovely tile floor my husband installed 8 years ago must be removed. We plan to try to salvage and reuse. Problem: we laid it over the roll down vinyl I had installed in 1978 when I moved in.

Just learned that vinyl was laid over the existing vinyl and THAT vinyl was laid over press down vinyl tiles.

Can we remove these 3 bottom floors ourselves? Any idea what it would cost to remove about 1000 sq ft? I'm worried that will eat up our entire FEMA budget! I don't think that the possibility of the old floors having asbestos was considered. Thanks for your help. We are so frustrated!

On 2016-09-08 by (mod)

Rosanna:

Floor tile removal advice is given in the article above. Let me know if any of that leaves you with questions.

 

On 2016-09-08 by (mod) - is there still dangerous asbestos floor dust in our home?

Rosanna:

Floor tile removal advice is given in the article above. Let me know if any of that leaves you with questions.

On 2016-06-09 by (mod)

I cannot guess, Marylin at whether there was asbestos flooring, nor whether your contractor ground, chopped, sanded flooring to make a dusty mess, nor whether they used proper dust control or not - from a brief e-text, but those are the first questions that occur to me.

You might collect some tape samples of settled dust to send to an asbestos testing lab; if screening dust in your home doesn't find any significant level of problem particles it's probably not worth looking further.

Search InspectApedia.com for ASBESTOS TEST LABS to find a qualified lab, and search for TAPE SAMPLE FOR DUST ANALYSIS to see how to collect settled dust; choose a representative area or two - typically if you're in the U.S. the cost is under $50. / sample.

On 2016-06-09 by Aria Wellington said: why do we need to worry about dust when removing asbestos floor tile?

Aria Wellington said:
You mentioned that when dealing with asbestos, it is best to avoid sweeping or vacuuming.

Is that because that stirs it up into the air? We moved into an older home and we suspect that there might be asbestos in the flooring. We will have to get it tested and see what the result is.

On 2016-06-09 by (mod) - airborne asbestos hazards during floor demolition

Aria

This article series explains that asbestos flooring is generally safest if left alone or covered-over.

If you have no choice but to do a dusty messy demolition, then because of the extra costs involved to handle asbestos hazards, it's worth testing if you can't by other means know safely if the flooring contains asbestos or not.

In that case search InspectAPedia for ASBESTOS TEST LABS to see how to find a qualified, certified test laboratory.

The cost is low, about $50. if you're in the U.S. and similar in other countries.

Aria: and of course, yes, you don't want to stir up dust nor to grind, cut, saw, chop, sand or otherwise make a dusty mess of material that may contain asbestos.

 

On 2016-05-26 by Steve Bartolovich - Ceramic wall tile typically does not contain asbestos.

Ceramic wall tile typically does not contain asbestos. It may contain lead. Unless you can safely remove the ceramic wall cleanly from the drywall and joint compound, which is doubtful, the ceramic material will be cross contaminated with the asbestos material from the drywall and joint compound.

On 2016-05-26 by (mod) - what aboute lead in flooring or in floor tile?

Thanks for the comment, Steve, particularly reminding readers that some ceramic tiles contain lead.

We agree with you that finding asbestos in ceramic tiles in North America would be unusual; one might find asbestos in tile mastic depending on what adhesive was used, and when it was made.

I would not assume the presence of any substance, for example lead or asbestos, where the assumption leads to a very costly remediation job, without supporting that information by testing by a certified lab.

Lead testing is pretty easy, though there are some false positives with DIY tests (See inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Home_Test_Kit_For_Lead.php for details).

We discuss lead in floor coverings at

LEAD in FLOORING PRODUCTS & POLISHES

and we discuss asbestos use in ceramic tile specifically at

CERAMIC TILE, ASBESTOS / LEAD?

and welcome your comments on those articles.

Asbestos was used in some drywall compounds and is suspect in older homes - say before the mid to late 1980's in the U.S.

On 2016-04-17 by Jojo - planning to re tile over my 1956 lanai that has asphalt tile with vinyl.

I am planning to re tile over my 1956 lanai that has asphalt tile with vinyl. Are there any guide lines as to the proper types of vinyl to be applied... Sheet, Planks that are interlocked, or 16 inch Tiles that are interlocked together or is all of the above OK.

On 2016-04-17 by (mod) -

Jojo

I think any floor covering is fine. Virtually all systems include an underlayment that will help assure that the under-floor is not abraded.

On 2016-03-28 by Anonymous - ok to poly over asbestos floor tile before removing it?

I have a customer who has asbestos tile in his bathroom. He wants to poor a polyurethane over it and then break it up in junks, in the hopes of the asbestos not filtering through the air. I have never heard of doing this. Any comments?

On 2016-03-28 by (mod) - NO

I think it's a bad idea.

Even if the top surface of the flooring were sealed with epoxy, that would have no effect whatsoever on dust release from the edges of broken material.

On 2016-03-21 by Sim - Can I use heat when removing asbestos tiles?

Can use heat when removing asbestos tiles

On 2016-03-21 by (mod) - not necessarily

Yes but ... what else are you heating: volatiles in tile mastic? Lead paint? Those may be harmful.

 

Q&A on asbestos in floor mastic adhesives

On 2015-09-23 by Anonymous - how do I seal black mastic adhesive with asbestos?

How do i cover black adhesive for carpet

On 2015-09-23 by (mod) -

If the floor is otherwise clean and sound you can

- paint the floor with an asbestos encapsulant paint (best approachb)

- install red rosin paper wall to wall, taped and stapled

- install a layer of thin subflooring such as 1/4" or 3/16" thick Masonite type hardboard.

On 2015-08-26 by Marianne - dealing with asbestos suspect tan mastic adhesive?

I have 1972 Armstrong vinyl asbestos tile I would like to remove. There is old tan adhesive that was quite thinly applied and many tiles separate from the wood underlayment quite easily, especially if soaked with water.

Is there a solvent for the adhesive that would make separation even easier? I have the old adhesive can and it says use mineral spirits on dry adhesive, but I think that too much of that will be necessary if it will work at all on adhesive soaked into wood. Of course I won't sand or smash, but how much should I worry about the adhesive? I would like to simply cover it with a new vinyl or linoleum floor.

Can I get your reply by email (malazarus@verizon.net)? Or do I have to keep checking to see if it is posted here?

Thank you for the supportive information...but I wish I didn't have to read twenty times to simply cover the old tile, because in my case it would be difficult to meet up with abutting surfaces.

On 2015-08-27 by (mod) -

For the mastic you describe, in my experience water is the best solvent. You could experiment with others such as low VOC paint thinner but the hazards are thus increased.

Yes some old adhesive mastics contained asbestos. Don't create a dusty mess.

On 2015-08-05 by Jack D - how to remove old floor wax layers over asbestos-suspect tile

i just need to know the best method for removing old wax and then the best method for re-waxing asphalt floor tile?

On 2015-08-05 by mod

Jack: use a wax stripping cleaner sold at flooring suppliers or building supply stores. Don't use a stainless steel buffer, nor sanding, etc.

 

 

Thank you to our readers for their generous comments

On 2017-05-05 by Olha - Very good article! Many useful tips. Thanks,

Olha said: Very good article! Many useful tips. Thanks, I will try to apply them to remove asbestos.

On 2016-12-08 by D Black - nice tip on avoiding sawing, sanding, or scraping on asbestos materials.

Danni Black said:
I like your tip about avoiding sawing, sanding, or scraping on asbestos materials.

My husband and I just moved into an older home and we are concerned about there being asbestos in the home. We will have to keep these tips in mind while get the place inspected and checked out.

 

...

Continue reading  at ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE -home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE FAQs-2 - more-recent question and answers about the right way to remove asbestos-containing flooring

Or see these

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• ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST
• DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos -
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