How To Get Rid Of Asbestos Floor Tiles

Common in homes built in the 20th century black mastic was used as an adhesive for ceramic tile linoleum and other flooring materials.

How to get rid of asbestos floor tiles. The danger is in the hazardous dust that becomes airborne. Studies have proved there are health hazards from breathing high levels of asbestos but the risks from smaller amounts should never be taken lightly. However if the asbestos backing tears away as you peel which is what usually happens it means your asbestos backed sheet vinyl flooring is tightly adhered and will have to be removed in sections with the underlayment attached. Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets.

This is to keep you from getting hurt and from breathing any asbestos particles. Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around. Dispose of asbestos floor tiles in approved asbestos disposal bags and seal each one as directed. Sbestos was once considered a miracle material used in everything from paint and pipe insulation to even tiling.

But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it. Step 3 preparing the asbestos flooring for removal. Finding asbestos within the home is a dreaded event for most homeowners. Armstrong produced the excelon tile series beginning with a plastic asbestos floor tile series in 1954 referring to the product as vinyl plastic asbestos floor tiles beginning in 1955 and vinyl asbestos tiles from 1957 to 1980.

When you remove that floor covering to make way for new flooring you may encounter the mastic and wonder whether it is safe to remove the main concern surrounding this question is that black mastic often contains asbestos. Asbestos has been linked to asbestosis and mesothelioma lung diseases caused by breathing asbestos fibers. Resilient sheet flooring containing asbestos was also produced finding wide use as early as 1968. Take a utility knife and cut the asbestos into manageable pieces.

Use a steel floor scraper to pry up the asbestos tiles one at a time. However once considerable testing proved that it was a killer the miracle became a nightmare to deal with and remove. Next start lifting the asbestos vinyl tiles and with the scraper keep on separating the tile from the floor. But asbestos removal isn t as cut and dried as it may seem.

Asbestosis irritates and scars the lung tissues while the more dangerous mesothelioma causes a type of cancer that is often fatal. The peeling method to remove the remainder of the floor.