I am going to be getting wall to wall carpet in my finished basement and I have about 300 square feet of asbestos tile over concrete flooring that has been sealed with an oil based primer and painted over with floor and deck paint. Do I need to remove the tiles before the carpet is laid?
2007-02-01 01:55:28 · 16 answers · asked by dsquiggles 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
I did asbestos removal for many years and can tell you that it would be perfectly fine to do that unless the asbestos is breaking up and cracking at all. The fibers that are harmful are small and take a lot of them to do any harm but when it cracks and chips you risk things like kids putting it in their mouth and those types of problems. The tiles are harmful if they are in poor condition because then the fibers are being moved around. Since most of these tiles are from the 70s or older most os the time they are in bad condition. If you remove the tiles it has to be done by a person that is licensed for it or the fines can be up to 50,000... If you do decide to do it ( and i don't think you should ) wet everything down to minimize the dust and fibers from becoming air born, keep it wet the whole time you are working with it and triple bag it. If you remove it you have to dispose of it and I couldn't even tell you how to go about that but if you get caught illegally dumping it you can even face jail time. Also the glue that they used back then can be some nasty stuff, both hard to remove and not to good for you. Wear a mask if you remove this stuff. The masks have to be special ( not just a painting mask they dont stop the fibers of asbestos ) we wore actual face masks that had air flowing from a machine. Cover all vents and doors so nothing makes it out of the area you are working in and wear clothes that you can throw away. Once you are done clean up everything good and take a shower scrubing under you nails and in you hair. The health risks of doing this are low because it would only be a one time job unlike the workers who remove it daily but there are always risks and if your family has a history of cancer the risks go up more. Just be safe that stuff can be nasty and cause some of the worst kinds of cancer known.
2007-02-01 02:15:13 · answer #1 · answered by darin s 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Carpet Over Asbestos Tile
2016-11-01 23:47:59 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I understand that the EPA has downgraded asbestose floor tile, removing it from the hazardous list. I may be wrong, but as you have read in the responses, there is no justificatin to remove the tiles, no matter what shape they are in. If for instance some tiles are missing you can fill the spaces with thinset. The tiles will provide a good moisture barrier and help retard Radon fumes.
But for your own satisfaction, there is a test kit that will tell you if the tiles really contain asbestos.
Good Luck
2007-02-01 13:47:40 · answer #3 · answered by billy brite 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No you do not have too.
It would be a more professional job if the tile was removed.
If you can tack down the carpet without harming your tile. I would not use glue, this would ruin the tile all together.
Oh just thinking the cement nails are not that long, check into this if this is you are not going to glue the carpet down. The nails I used when laying carpet were not long at all, maybe there are longer cement nails then what I used?
Good luck and sounds as if you have a project....
2007-02-01 02:04:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are sure they are asbestos... DON'T disturb them at all. It sounds like you are all sealed up and the fact that you are installing carpet over it tells me that the tile floor will no longer wear and potentially cause an environmental hazard to you and your family. Asbestos is only an issue if it's airborne. If you leave it alone, it won't be airborne.
2007-02-01 02:00:50 · answer #5 · answered by 6kidsANDalwaysFIXINGsomething 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the tile is in good condition, it would be safer to leave it. Asbestos only becomes a problem when it becomes airborne, and ripping it up could cause some asbestos dust.
2007-02-01 02:00:41 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I do not recommend disturbing the tiles at all. It's dangerous. Use a construction adhesive such as liquid nails or some of the quicker drying adhesives to install tackstrip around the perimeter of the room. You may also glue down the carpet directly to the tiles if you do not wish to use pad due to moisture or water concerns.
Good Luck with your project
Jen
2007-02-01 05:57:01 · answer #7 · answered by Jen 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leave the tiles as long as they are in good shape. tiles with asbestos are the best insulators and more durable. Too bad the stuff kills ya. I still like the lead in my paint. Too bad people couldn't get their kids to stop chewing it off the window seals. Paint with lead lasted 5 times longer than the stuff out today
2007-02-01 19:46:27 · answer #8 · answered by myothernewname 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how do u know its asbestos 9by 9 not allways asbestos .u can certainly cover the tile. im not an expert. but very familier whith the situation.i suggest contacting ur state or town 4 more info
2007-02-01 11:05:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No you dont actually. you can have the carpet layed right over the tiles. I would think the installer would glue down the carpet or use a good underlay for concrete.
2007-02-01 01:58:13 · answer #10 · answered by Ty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋