Replies

1. 
   BobKovacs | Jul 14, 2005 03:27pm | #1

   The first thing to do is have samples taken of the tile and the glue, to test for asbestos.  The tests should run less than $300-400.

   If asbestos is found, you can either have it abated (cost dependent on the total quantity, access to the area, etc), or cover the tile up.  If the subfloor is wood, you can nail luan over it and set new tiles.  If it's concrete, you're pretty much stuck with abating it, especially since the tile is loose.

   Bob

1. 
   stevieraycharles | Jul 14, 2005 03:59pm | #2

   thanks.

2. 
   davidmeiland | Jul 14, 2005 08:37pm | #4

   I have gotten asbestos tests a couple of times for far less money, around $50 IIRC. You send in a chunk of the material and they fax or email the result. I used a lab in Emeryville, CA, and could look them up if you want to know.

1. 
   BobKovacs | Jul 14, 2005 09:09pm | #5

   You're right- if you send the material in, the costs are only around $150 (they just put the sample under a microscope and look for fibers).  I'm not a big fan of scraping up potentially hazardous glue, though, so I was figuring to have someone come take the samples.

   Bob

2. 
   Wango1 | Jul 17, 2005 06:39am | #12

   This is one I hate to tell as it was back in the day of nightime (read covert) tear-ups...

   We knew to get the floor up without disturbing the fibers was the best way to avoid a mess, so we had a friend get us dry ice. Yes, dry ice. We put itt in a burlap bag, tied a rope to it, and dragged it over the floor. Every 2 seconds we heard a tile pop. No mess/no fuss. And quiet. 85-90% came up that easy, others were work.

   Try it if you must, but be careful with the ice!

1. 
   davidmeiland | Jul 17, 2005 09:01am | #13

   I wouldn't do anything remotely like you're describing. If there's asbestos then an abatement contractor is going to have to remove it and the customer is going to have to pay for it.

3. 
   Wango1 | Jul 17, 2005 06:34am | #11

   I had hoped you didn't say luan, but you did. I am unaware of any manufacturer of luan who would say their product can be used as an underlayment. Maybe where you are it's different, but unless it says/stamped as a rated underlayment, it's not. The glue used will not hold up, the tanins will bleed thru (especially under vinyl), and there are voids in it that are not filled, so it looks like a nice smooth surface, until someone walks on it in high heels and pokes a hole in it. Use an APA rated underlayment for any flooring.

2. 
   DaveRicheson | Jul 14, 2005 07:01pm | #3

   What size is the tile?

   It may not be VCT and most lkely contains asbestos if it is 9x9" tile.

   Be sure to check before you do anything.

   Bob is giving excellent advice on this one.

    

   Dave

3. 
   DanH | Jul 14, 2005 09:28pm | #6

   As I recall, if you can get all the loose tile up (ie, if they're loose enough to lift right off), you can then coat the whole mess with a floor leveler and be "legal", from an asbestos standpoint. This is also a way to avoid having to scrape the cutback itself up, once the tiles themselves have been "abated".

4. 
   Rafe82ABN | Jul 15, 2005 02:47am | #7

   I have never paid more the $25 per sample for asbestos analysis.  The old black tile adhesive typically contained 2-5% chrysotile asbestos.  The tiles could possible contain the same. 

   Is the quantity of floor tile more or less than 160 sf?

1. 
   stevieraycharles | Jul 15, 2005 05:24am | #8

   3 bedrooms, 14x14..........

2. 
   DavidThomas | Jul 17, 2005 09:23am | #14

   As long as we have a reverse bidding war going on here <G>. . . I pay $9 per sample give or take a buck. Caveat: I send 50 to 200 samples at a time and am sending them from an environmental engineering firm (i.e. the lab knows they don't need to hold our hand or explain the results to us). End of this month, I'll send a few hundred to NVL.Depending on the surface area involved, we take 3 or 5 or more samples and submit them with a "positive stop" protocol as per AHERA procedures. Which mean they run the samples of a particular material but stop if they find asbestos. So 5 samples of <1% material all get run ($45). But high% asbestos-containing material (ACM) is determined in only one test ($9).I suspect the poster who mentioned $400 was referrig to having a firm come out, measure, collect samples, submit samples and write up a one-page report.David Thomas   Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska

5. 
   csnow | Jul 15, 2005 10:57pm | #9

   What if you just laid down a new layer of underlayment right over the whole mess.  Just have to deal with issues surrounding new floor height.

   You would probably want a vapor/condensation break if the existing flooring is set directly on concrete.  This would be an upgrade in comfort over what they have now.  You can use the thin foam sheeting used to isolate floating floors, or special underlayment tiles like Drilock.

1. 
   stevieraycharles | Jul 16, 2005 11:51pm | #10

   Well, it looks like we're going to lay down a vapor barrier, then a high quality laminate. High pressure?