The Sellers Disclosure Form in your state may not require this information, but the new homeowner should know at some point in case they decide to tear up the flooring. If you cover up the flooring, Tom Silva from This Old House recommends notifying anyone who buys your home that asbestos tiles are present. Remember that tiles in good condition are not considered a serious risk. Vinyl plank and linoleum rolls are also effective. If you don’t want that expense, a rubber-backed carpet is a good choice. Pouring concrete over tiles is the best way to seal them. As noted above, they can be covered with new flooring if the tiles are not disintegrating. You’ve got two options for handling asbestos flooring tiles. Asbestos is present in a range of products still manufactured including disc brake pads and lining, cement pipe, cement corrugated sheets and roof coatings. Mining asbestos was banned in the US in 2002, but we still import more than 1,000 tons of it per year from countries like Brazil. In the last two hundred years, it has been used in thousands of products including brake pads, clutches, gaskets, fire proofing and prevention materials, plastics such as vinyl, cigarette filters, laboratory hoods, heavy duty work clothing, construction adhesives, ductwork and insulation. Laws phasing it out or banning it immediately from some industries were first passed about 1980. WHERE IS ASBESTOS MOST LIKELY TO BE FOUND – HISTORY OF USAGEĪsbestos came into popular use around in the first half of the 19 th century due to its affordability, insulating qualities, flexibility and resistance to fire. Some would prefer to push ahead with proper asbestos handling procedures. The only way to make it a science is to hire a licensed asbestos inspector or by sending a sample to a lab to be tested, but doing so can be costly and time consuming. If the tiles or the floor beneath show oily discoloration, the tiles very likely contain asbestos.Īs you can see, this method is not an exact science. Look for discoloration: Asphalt is a main ingredient in asbestos tiles, and the oil from the asphalt can leach out.Tiles that are disintegrating should be handled with extreme care. Examine the condition of the tiles: Intact asbestos tiles are not a major risk and can, in fact, be left in place and covered with other materials such as carpet, vinyl, linoleum or concrete.Asbestos floor tiles were manufactured in three sizes: 9”x9”, 12”x12” and 18”x18”. If you know when the building was built or renovated, this might help you estimate when the tiles were installed. Gather information about the age of the tiles: Asbestos flooring was made into the 1980s, though its heyday was the 1920s through the 1960s.With that in mind, here are the keys to identifying asbestos floor tiles. Let’s start with a principle used in the flooring and construction industries: If you think it could be asbestos, treat it as asbestos, even if the material hasn’t been tested. That way, no one will be endangered years from now when they start to rip up the new flooring and find asbestos tiles beneath.WHAT DOES ASBESTOS TILE LOOK LIKE – IDENTIFICATION However, as a favor to future owners of your house, make some note of the fact that asbestos tiles are under the new flooring. You could also cover the tiles with new vinyl flooring, linoleum, or even ceramic tiles. In a basement I’d suggest a rubber-based carpet pad rather than a fiber pad. That’s enough to prevent the damage and wear that can release fibers into the air no sealer is needed.Ĭarpeting and a suitable pad will do the trick. Tom Silva replies: The advice you received is correct: The best way to deal with old asbestos floor tiles is to cover them up. Is this the best approach, and if so, should the flooring be sealed somehow before the carpet is installed?- Lori, Newtown, CT I’m told that the old vinyl floor tiles in the basement of our 1950 house contain asbestos and that I should not try to remove the tiles but cover them with wall-to-wall carpeting.
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