Current Events > So my floor might be full of Asbestos. Advice would be appreciated.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Gf and I have been looking into replacing the carpet. Finally ordered our new floor this past weekend.

Apparently we have 9x9 tile underneath our carpet, in which asbestos is very common.

Home Depot said they won't install the floor until the tile has been tested, and removed if necessary. I don't have an exact quote on removal, but we could be talking $5,000 easy.

I've heard that Asbestos is "safe" while it's still intact. The danger comes when it's broken up, and the fumes go into the air.

Would I be better off just installing my new floor on top of the tile? I can't imagine getting it inspected and them saying I don't need to remove it.
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That's correct in that undisturbed absestos is fine however ripping up the carpet may disturb the underlay and cause it to become friable.

A lot of old dust will become disturbed during carpet removal, so get the underlay tested first.

Theoretically you can lay new carpet over old but it's not a good idea to do so.
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do not lick the floor

DavidWong posted...

That's correct in that undisturbed absestos is fine however ripping up the carpet may disturb the underlay and cause it to become friable.

A lot of old dust will become disturbed during carpet removal, so get the underlay tested first.

Theoretically you can lay new carpet over old but it's not a good idea to do so.

This particular carpet has to go. Soiled by a puppy.

We're switching to Lifeproof Vinyl, which can be put on top of tile. We just need to be able to get the carpet out.

If I want to get the underlay tested, would they come pull the sample themselves?
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Bump
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lww99 posted...

DavidWong posted...

That's correct in that undisturbed absestos is fine however ripping up the carpet may disturb the underlay and cause it to become friable.

A lot of old dust will become disturbed during carpet removal, so get the underlay tested first.

Theoretically you can lay new carpet over old but it's not a good idea to do so.

This particular carpet has to go. Soiled by a puppy.

We're switching to Lifeproof Vinyl, which can be put on top of tile. We just need to be able to get the carpet out.

If I want to get the underlay tested, would they come pull the sample themselves?

No.

You need to hire a company to take a sample and test it. If it is asbestos you need to do an abatement which is a process where they literally quarantine the area where it's to be removed, set up ventilation tents and high grade fans to remove the dust and asbestos and take it away to be properly disposed of.

Yeah, it's not cheap depending on how many square feet you have.
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Just try to do asbestos you can
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eston posted...

*drags you out of the topic by the scruff*
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Yeah, dealing with asbestos is something you want to get done the correct way even if it costs a shit-load.

Not worth going cheap and giving your family lung cancer.
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Why are you paying home Depot to do your carpet?

Find some drunk carpenter who will do it for 1/4 of the price, rent a motel for a couple weeks until the dust settles.
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Well according to our government asbestos isn't bad for us anymore so maybe you'll be alright.
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If you get it tested you might be able to get away with a milder form of abatement. Call a local abatement company and ask for a quote. Tile is indeed one of the lowest risk applications of asbestos. Certain companies will it only remove the material properly but also install the new flooring at the same time once they've confirmed no asbestos remains.
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tremain07 posted...

Well according to our government asbestos isn't bad for us anymore so maybe you'll be alright.

That's not what happened but OK.
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So I called an asbestos specialist. A sample test is $150, but he literally said it'd be a waste of money. He can practically guarantee it is, based on it being 9x9 tile.

He said that if he remove the carpet from the area, he can tell if the tile is still safe and intact.

Fuck my lifeeee
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Trigg3rH4ppy posted...

Find some drunk carpenter who will do it for 1/4 of the price, rent a motel for a couple weeks until the abestos settles.

fixed
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Shit sucks man.
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lww99 posted...

So I called an asbestos specialist. A sample test is $150, but he literally said it'd be a waste of money. He can practically guarantee it is, based on it being 9x9 tile.

He said that if he remove the carpet from the area, he can tell if the tile is still safe and intact.

Fuck my lifeeee

If the tile is safe, then you can probably get away with laying an underlayment down over the old tile and installing the vinyl directly over it since it should be tongue and groove click tile anyway.
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People are gonna have to come out with hazmats suits and youre gonna have to be humiliated in front of the whole neighborhood.

Not that its your fault. Better get it taken care of.

I literally backed out of buying a house when I found out the whole attic was insulated with asbestos. I NOPEd the fuck out of there and backed out of the purchase due to the inspection . Thank god I had an inspection done.
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Caution999 posted...

People are gonna have to come out with hazmats suits and youre gonna have to be humiliated in front of the whole neighborhood.

Not that its your fault. Better get it taken care of.

I literally backed out of buying a house when I found out the whole attic was insulated with asbestos. I NOPEd the fuck out of there and backed out of the purchase due to the inspection . Thank god I had an inspection done.

I also had an inspection done. Says nothing about asbestos in the floor, but I'm not sure if they checked.
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eston posted...

Just try to do asbestos you can

+1
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lww99 posted...

Caution999 posted...

People are gonna have to come out with hazmats suits and youre gonna have to be humiliated in front of the whole neighborhood.

Not that its your fault. Better get it taken care of.

I literally backed out of buying a house when I found out the whole attic was insulated with asbestos. I NOPEd the fuck out of there and backed out of the purchase due to the inspection . Thank god I had an inspection done.

I also had an inspection done. Says nothing about asbestos in the floor, but I'm not sure if they checked.

Home inspections are just surface area inspections.

They wont and don't go out of their way to inspect inside walls or ceilings.

So theres no chance he lifted the carpet up to see old tile under it.
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Fuck. Idk what to do.
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lww99 posted...

Fuck. Idk what to do.

You call a company that deals with asbestos.

Let them look at it.

Let them tell you your options.
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I can tell you what you don't do.

Don't rip it up yourself and film a 'will it blend' video for YouTube using the tiles.
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You know I'm normally not a paranoid person but if my house got tested for asbestos and it came up positive I don't think I'd be able to live there anymore >_>

lww99 posted...

So I called an asbestos specialist. A sample test is $150, but he literally said it'd be a waste of money. He can practically guarantee it is, based on it being 9x9 tile.

He said that if he remove the carpet from the area, he can tell if the tile is still safe and intact.

Fuck my lifeeee

Good luck, hopefully it's still intact.
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RIP tc
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Axiom posted...

You know I'm normally not a paranoid person but if my house got tested for asbestos and it came up positive I don't think I'd be able to live there anymore >_>

Asbestos isnt as terrifying as it sounds.

When people say dont disturb it, they mean dont drill into it, cut it, chop it or smash it.

If it's in your walls or attic you're fine.
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JustMyOpinion posted...

lww99 posted...

Fuck. Idk what to do.

You know what to do. You just wanna be cheap. Home ownership isn't cheap.

It's not like that. It's not about wanting to be cheap.

If it's found to be safe, great. It can stay. But this tile is pretty much throughout the entire house, so literally all of our stuff, our 5 pets, etc, would need relocated for who knows how long.
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I hope we're able to get to carpet up, while keeping the tile intact. That's best case scenario.
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You're still going to disturb the dust that's sitting on top of the tile. You pull up that carpet, that asbestos has gotta go.
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Ugh. I wonder if I can use an asbestos binding compound.
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lww99 posted...

Ugh. I wonder if I can use an asbestos binding compound.

CALL AN ABATEMENT COMPANY.

Stop wondering what you can do when you have no idea what the hell you're talking about.
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I did. He told me he couldn't tell me if our tile was safe until the carpet was pulled.
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lww99 posted...

I did. He told me he couldn't tell me if our tile was safe until the carpet was pulled.

This is correct. I work in building insurance and deal with asbestos a lot.

This is what you need to do. Engage contractors for all of this.

Important - until otherwise confirmed, assume the underlay IS asbestos

1) Remove carpet. Advise removalist that underlay is likely asbestos.
2) Have underlay (your tiles) tested to confirm asbestos
3) If asbestos, engage asbestos removalists to remove the asbestos. Make sure an independent company comes in and clears your house of asbestos. Do not let the asbestos removalists self-clear.
4) Have your contractors install new underlay and carpet.

Or, if it's been soiled and you don't want to risk the asbestos removal. Engage a restoration company to see if they can restore the existing carpet.
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lww99 posted...

I did. He told me he couldn't tell me if our tile was safe until the carpet was pulled.

Yeah, 9x9 tile is almost guaranteed to contain asbestos. Pulling up the carpet and putting a new floor over it could cause it to release dust/ fibers into the air.
chrono625 posted...

CALL AN ABATEMENT COMPANY.

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don't worry Trump says asbestos is ok now
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DavidWong posted...

lww99 posted...

I did. He told me he couldn't tell me if our tile was safe until the carpet was pulled.

This is correct. I work in building insurance and deal with asbestos a lot.

This is what you need to do. Engage contractors for all of this.

Important - until otherwise confirmed, assume the underlay IS asbestos

1) Remove carpet. Advise removalist that underlay is likely asbestos.
2) Have underlay (your tiles) tested to confirm asbestos
3) If asbestos, engage asbestos removalists to remove the asbestos. Make sure an independent company comes in and clears your house of asbestos. Do not let the asbestos removalists self-clear.
4) Have your contractors install new underlay and carpet.

Or, if it's been soiled and you don't want to risk the asbestos removal. Engage a restoration company to see if they can restore the existing carpet.

I'm rather certain the tile does have asbestos in it. But I was told as long as it's in tact, not damaged at all, the new floor can be laid on top of it. It's a floating floor. I was going to paint an asbestos encapsulating paint, to contain any possible problems.

The stuff you mentioned sounds like it's gonna cost around 5k, and I really fucking hope that isn't the case.
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lww99 posted...

I'm rather certain the tile does have asbestos in it. But I was told as long as it's in tact, not damaged at all, the new floor can be laid on top of it. It's a floating floor. I was going to paint an asbestos encapsulating paint, to contain any possible problems.

The stuff you mentioned sounds like it's gonna cost around 5k, and I really fucking hope that isn't the case.

See, the problem is there will be dust that will be released when you rip the carpet up. It's going to be either glued or nailed down, so you can't 100% say that the asbestos will remain undisturbed. There's actually no way. You might not put a hole in the tiles, but it will be disturbed and you will release asbestos dust into your home.

Spraying the asbestos after you've ripped it up will only prevent further dust being released. You're not going to be avoid releasing asbestos dust/fibres into your home, if you are set on ripping up the carpet.

If you want to take the risk then that's on you. How old are you? If you're in your 40s, you wouldn't see the effects until you're in your 80s so you may be willing to take the risk.

But for 5k, I'd rather not take the risk to significantly reduce my lifespan.
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I recommend finding a new place to live...
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I live in the Bay Area where most of the homes here are built in the early 1900s and I see HUNDREDS of homes being gutted and torn down and replaced with modern parts. Their workers dont wear masks either (mostly asian) and they just start hammering the god damn place down.

R0N1N187 posted...

I live in the Bay Area where most of the homes here are built in the early 1900s and I see HUNDREDS of homes being gutted and torn down and replaced with modern parts. Their workers dont wear masks either (mostly asian) and they just start hammering the god damn place down.

They're gonna have cancer in 40 years
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I'm 27 and just bought this house last year. Dumped pretty much everything I had into it.
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Well, it's your call man. Either leave it, or get the asbestos done properly
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I wish leaving it were an option, it's straight ruined in more than one spot. Not just soiled, but eaten
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Seriously, you're 27 and bought it. You will (presumably) be there for a long time. Bite the bullet and get it done properly.
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