Covering Asbestos Tile With Vinyl

You can assume this floor tile contains asbestos.

Covering asbestos tile with vinyl.

For about 35 years flooring companies included asbestos when they manufactured the vinyl tiles. Applying a layer of sheathing or sheets of foam insulation over the asbestos then covering it with vinyl siding is a common practice. Above we show a 9 x 9 cork patterned vinyl asbestos floor tile found in a 1960 s ranch style home in new york. Vinyl tile is an excellent option for sealing in asbestos tiles.

If your tiles are in perfect condition it s true that they could be removed but doing. Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around. Like floor tiles vinyl sheet flooring is a long lasting and economical material and it also offers more aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste. New vinyl laminate flooring hardwood engineered floating flooring and carpeting can all be successfully installed over asbestos tiles.

But the flooring companies aim wasn t so much to make the floor tiles fireproof as it was to make the tiles more durable. 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. But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it. However removing the asbestos siding first though more expensive is the best alternative in the long run.

One of the biggest factors of installing a new floor over the old is thickness. Asbestos found in the vinyl floor tiles at the toh tv project house means a state licensed and well protected abatement crew must do the removal. Even ceramic slate and stone tiles can be installed on. Asbestos is a mineral that lends fireproofing qualities to any substance it is mixed with.

Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. 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.