Covering Asbestos Floor Tiles

Strategies for leaving asbestos containing floor tiles or sheet flooring safely in place in a building.

Covering asbestos floor tiles.

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. This article series assists building buyers owners or occupants in reducing the risk of asbestos exposure from. 9 x9 12 x12 and 18 x18.

Asbestos floor tiles were manufactured in three sizes. Using concrete to encapsulate asbestos tiles starts by having a clean well washed floor surface. Photo by russell kaye 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. Tiles that are disintegrating should be.

It really is up to you as long as the existing tiles are not disturbed in any way. 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. Vinyl tile is an excellent option for sealing in asbestos tiles. We also provide a master index to this topic or you can try the page top or bottom search box as a quick way to find information you need.

Let s look a little closer at the process involved with covering asbestos floor tiles with concrete. I f the floor tiles are degraded and crumbling the risk of fiber release rises. 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. Sanding sawing drilling or tearing the tiles out however can release fibers into the air.

Asbestos is a fiber that is harmful when it is breathed into your lungs 6 if the floor tiles are intact and undamaged there is very little risk that fibers are being released into your home. One of the biggest factors of installing a new floor over the old is thickness. Choosing an appropriate material to cover up or coat the surface of a sound well adhered floor can protect against future damage or asbestos particle release in the building. Asbestos floor tiles will not release toxic fibers and pose a health risk unless they are disturbed.

Therefore you can choose from using an adhesive with a new plywood subfloor to even porch floor paint as you stated. Sealants for asbestos containing floor tiles left in place.