Asbestos Tile

dama

A friend is looking to re-floor his house in hardwood, and came to me for advice (but I know a fair amount about cabinets not floors) and I need help. Any advice would be great, we have lots of questions.

He has Asbestos Tile flooring (we have not tested but it is a 1970 installation, 9x9 tiles, black mastic/glue) on his concrete slab 1st floor and upstairs on the plywood sub-floor.

Do we need to remove?

What are the best options for hardwoods? Floating hardwood? Do you see the seams like you do in cheaper versions of laminate?

Do you have any idea if you can nail through the upstairs tile? It seems pretty hard, and I am afraid it may crack and cause problems with stability or even sound "crunchy" when walking on wood over the cracked tile?

Donedat

I would have it tested. Not all tile of that era was made with asbestos. Even so, it is ok to scrape up the tile. It is the crumbly, powdery stuff that is dangerous. Don't cut it with a saw. Also, if it does have asbestos in it, land fills may have strict regulations in the disposal of it. You'll need to check with your local sanitation department on that one.

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Floorwizard

I do not ever recommend DIY removal unless you have it tested.

A floating floor will keep you from needing to worry about it at all.

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"in 20 years you will regret more what you did not do than what you did"