Asbestos tile in the basement

If these are not loose/friable, there is no reason to be alarmed. With the carpet over them, there is little liklyhood that they can be turned into dust producing asbestos factories.

The two ways of dealing with asbestos are removal or encapsulation. The carpet is not a perfect capsule, but the tiles are not the easiest thing to turn into dust.

In schools where remediation has been done because of the big scare, free asbestos fibrres in the air three years after remediation are testing at higher levels than before the remediation. In other words, it may be better to leave sleeping dogs lie.

Another fact to consider, in the lawsuits against manufacturers of asbestos used in the shipyards, testimony was disallowed under technicalities that substantially proved that the workers who smoked cigarettes and worked with asbestos developed asbestosis while those who did npot smoke and worked in the same conditions, did not. It appears that in adults, the cig smoke impeded the natural capacity of the human body to overcome the irritation and the scar tissue was formed. Children have more sensitive systems but this fact is worthy of your consideration. If you smoke, you will do moire damage to your child than letting him/her crawl on an asbestos floor.

Piffin,

Thank you *very* much for your post. Excellent points all. You have made me calm down a bit, but you have also raised two other questions.

(1) There was asbestos wrapping around some duct work that was professionally removed. They came in, built an enclosure, soaked the ducts and then scrapped all of the wrapping off. The entire time they were working, they had what they called a negative air machine pumping whatever fibers, etc. outside of the house. I am now really upset about what I may have inadvertantly caused because I thought I was doing the right thing. Any suggestions? I am planning on having a professional come in and test the air. Waste of money or is it too late anyway?

(2)From your post and what I have read on the EPA website, among others, I have calmed down about the tiles being friable. but, there are definitely loose tiles under the carpet (as well as in areas where there is no carpet, but they would be used as storage.) What do you suggest I do, if anything, about those?

Your advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Floor tiles are not nearly as difficult to remove as asbestos pipe or duct insulation. The procedure will be to apply a solvent to the tiles to loosen the adhesive and wetting of the tiles as they are removed. It should not be as expensive as the duct wrap you had removed. If you have loose tiles your best bet is to have them removed. Once eliminated you will no longer have to worry about it. The bottom line is how much is your peace of mind worth?

Glenn

Glenn, thanks for your advice. You are right about the value of piece of mind.

But, with piece of mind, comes alternative searching... I know the tile is going to have to come out to make me feel better, but we are nearing the end of line when it comes to cash for house projects. The tile is pretty old, probably original or at least from the 50s (house was built in 43). Since I posted this message, I have been poking around some more down there. It looks like the tile is underneath every square inch of the carpeting. The previous owners actually nailed through the tile to lay the carpet tacking strips. Most of the tile, from what I can tell, is not in bad shape (including the ones they nailed through). Based on what I have read, I am not as concerned about those. But, there are quite a few tiles that obviously were soaking in water for a long time (somewhere along the line a drainage system was installed to fix the water problem). Those tiles are now disintegrating into dust. Those are the ones that have me freaking out. Is the above mentioned solvent available to everyone or just contractors? Am I nuts for thinking about doing this myself?

Calm down. What you did with the duct wrap was right and what you are about to do yourself is also right.
The duct wrap is extremely friable and having professionals remove it wet was the right way to accomplish it for your saftey. Leaving it in place would have contributed far more, in the long term, to your unease and the amount ingested by the next generation.
But on the other hand, the floor tiles pose little risk unless you paln to grind or sand on them to get them up. Keep your work area misted damp in case you create any loose fibres. The misting ( a little spritz bottle will do it or a damp mop occasionally) will prevent any loose fibres from becoming airborne. Double bag them for disposal. wear a dust mask (N100 if you can find one) and change clothes when done working there. Use a wet/dry vac often.

Cheer up! Some houses have ghosts but there are few, if any Nightmares on Elm Street.

Enjoy the season

The solvent used would depend on the type of adhesive used. If it is black it is likely asphalt based. Mineral spirits may work but for starters you might try an ordinary adhesive remover available at most home improvement stores. Let it soak in for several hours before trying to remove the tiles. Apply more solvent as needed. Keep the tiles wet to eliminate any dust when removing them, be careful when using flammable solvents, and keep the area well ventilated.

Another thing to take into consideration is that asbestos is not permitted in your ordinary landfill. It will need to be disposed of in the same manner as other toxic substances and the bags containing the waste may need to be labeled.

Glenn

How does one find out their tiles contain asbestos? I am in the process of renovating my 1950's basement and found tiles underneath the carpeting. Should I be concerned????

Piffin and Glenn, Thanks very much (again)for your advice. I am going to go for it. I am assuming the ventilation is for the solvent? I'll do the best I can, but there are glass blocks on the basement windows and only two of them have vents in them. I also believe there are special tools that are used for lifting the tile available at local home improvement stores.

One other question, when I start rolling up the carpet and padding, do I need to be worried about any trapped fibers in there? Will the same precautions I take with the tile itself be sufficient with the carpeting? Thanks again and happy holidays!

John, all the stuff I have read indicates that if the tiles are 9x9 they most likely contain asbestos fibers, but they are bound in a matrix that makes it extremely difficult to actually release the fibers (unless you are grinding or sanding the tiles). Glenn and Piffin, who have responded to this post, are the people to ask though. Like Piffin says, enjoy the season and keep your worrying to a minimum.

Just bought a house with same basement. How did your job turn out? Did you take out the tile or go over it? Very curious as we are supposed to have carpet and padding put over our asbestos tile in two weeks.

I really am concerned here @ the advice people are trying to give. IF YOU SUSPECT OR HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE ANYTHING IN YOUR HOME CONTAINS ASBESTOS, YOU MUST HIRE A PROFRESSIONAL ASBESTOS REMOVAL CONTRACTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are you willing to risk the health of your children and even that of your own? Asbestos contains minute glass fibers, when inhaled, could cause your lungs to bleed. In turn you drown in your own blood. Scared yet? people cut corners and try to do DIY, but this is serious business. Do yourself a favor and get it done right!

Ginko, I was still a bit paranoid about trying to do the job myself, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a professional (the same one who removed the duct wrapping) come in and take a look. I also called an company that specialized in environmental hazards in the home as well as speaking to a local university professor who teaches preventive medicine and all of the local EPA's asbestos removal classes. Not one of them expressed serious concern about the tiles. Indeed, the professor was more concerned about potential lead paint in the house as opposed to the tile. The environmental specialist went into a long and involved explanation about how the asbestos is bonded with the tile in the manufacturing process and how difficult it would be to expose it. The contractor, who could have made a mint off me, suggest the same things Glenn and Piffin suggested, or, at the very least, simply cover it with linoleum or new tile (as several of my neighbors have done). He told me not to worry about the tile under the carpet as the carpet would act as a decent encapsulant.

Will I eventually remove at least the exposed tile? Yes, but it has gone way down on my priority list. Is the basement a playroom yet? No, but it is my office. I am not sure if it will ever become a playroom for my daughter, but there is a nice bar down there, so it's already my playroom. I feel as if I have done my due diligence on the matter. Due your own research and see how you feel. Asbestos is not something to be messed with, but on the other hand, don't buy into all of the horror stories like I did. At the very least have a contractor out to look the tile over. It shouldn't cost you anything. Good luck!

I am in a similar situation however, I removed the asbestos tiles to find a black tar like adhesive on the concrete slab below. I would like to put down a porcelain tile floor over this but, I am aprehensive I will not be able to get a good bond because of this layer. I tried using an adhesive remover with a metal scraper purchased at my local home improvement center but it had zero effect. My installer assured me it would not be a problem to lay the tiles over this but, he also will not be around five years down the line when they start to pop-up. Do I need to remove the adhesive residue and if so is there a way of doing so without grinding which I know is an asbestos no-no?

Thanks