Covering Asbestos Tile Floor

In floor tiles asbestos is used primarily for its insulation properties and its ability to resist fire.

Covering asbestos tile floor.

The asbestos floor tile identification articles in this series illustrate that with the combination of design appearance and an idea of floor tile age many asbestos containing floor tiles or sheet flooring products can be reliably identified even before confirmation by a test by a certified asbestos testing laboratory. One of the biggest factors of installing a new floor over the old is thickness. If the tiles in question are crumbling torn drilled sawn or sanded you ll definitely want to consult with a professional who can help gauge risk and offer recommendations for reducing asbestos exposure the epa is among the best resources available to help educate on risks and abatement techniques. Just like tom hd116 stated encapsulation and enclosure is really the best thing a homeowner can get sort of a professional abatement company to remove the tiles.

Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets. If you aren t removing the old floor you may be creating a new floor that is too thick for doors to open and shut or for thresholds to have clearance. Hey deltaskye thanks for your great question and welcome to the community. You have lot of options when it comes to covering asbestos tiles and it only is a health risk when the floors asbestos particles come airborne.

That said it can be difficult to get a level surface for the new floor especially if the old tiles have chipped away. But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it. If floor tiles were installed between 1920 and 1960 there s a good chance they contain asbestos because most flooring tiles manufactured during this period did. Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around.

You could also cover the tiles with new vinyl flooring linoleum or even ceramic tiles. That way no one will be endangered years from now when they start to rip up the new flooring and find asbestos tiles beneath. In addition to the tiles themselves a layer of mastic a type of adhesive below the tiles is also likely to contain asbestos. However as a favor to future owners of your house make some note of the fact that asbestos tiles are under the new flooring.

Vinyl tile is an excellent option for sealing in asbestos tiles. In many cases installing a new floor over the tiles encapsulates the asbestos fibers and is an acceptable way to manage the material.