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asbestos floor tiles - carpet over?

1 reply

scarytom · 21/01/2012 15:08

We've been taking up laminate flooring today ready for carpet fitters coming later in the week and I'm pretty sure (looking online at pictures of tiles identical to ours and age of house etc) that we've discovered vinyl floor tiles underneath that probably have asbestos in them. They're in very good shape, a few cracked ones around the edges but only where previous DIY has obviously been done.
Now, what to do? Online advice seems varied. Some sites say "no bother, just cover it over", some say "run with your children and never set foot in the house again and get specialist contractors in that will cost £££".
What I don't want is the carpet fitters to turn up at refuse to fit the carpet!
I also don't really want to go down the route of paying ££ for a survey. I'd be happy for the carpet just to be fitted over the top - in that we're been here for years already and really can't see that this will increase our risk of anything down the line. I also know a neighbour that still has these tiles exposed throughout their house so they're obviously long lasting.
Does anyone have any experience or advice?

OP posts:
TheHouseofMirth · 21/01/2012 21:56

Ring the council and speak to someone in Health and Safety for advice. As far as I undestand it asbestos is only a problem when whatever it is suspended in degrades or is damaged. If they're covered up I think they'd be fine but obviously carpet doesn't create the same kind of barrier as the previous laminate so I don't know if that makes a difference. Could yo put down a layer of thick plastic on top of the tiles and beneath the underlay perhaps?

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