Asbestos floor tiles - what did you do?

[Cattenberg]

I have asbestos floor tiles in my living room/dining room (confirmed by asbestos testing), which are covered by a faded, badly moth-eaten carpet.

I’d like wooden flooring instead, but I can’t decide what to do about the floor tiles. They are mostly in good condition, although a few are damaged, which probably happened when the gripper rods were attached. Would it be better to have the tiles removed, or just to cover them over? I’m not normally indecisive, but I can’t decide what to do - help!

We had Karndean fitted on top, they just slathered a layer of latex stuff on top and said if you don't break the tiles they are very low risk. Hope that helps!

Paid someone to take them out and dispose of them correctly. I just felt better knowing they were gone.

Previous owners had stick Karndean over the kitchen and bathroom ones so when we waited to replace that all the ones underneath got broken as they ripped them off…

We ripped ours up. Needed a perfect sub floor for the lvt so it was the only way. It was hellish getting the bastards up.

We covered ours with new flooring.

We had ours taken out. The adhesive used to stick them down also often has asbestos in so I wouldn't attempt to remove them yourself.

We had them in our first house in one room, a shovel with a sharpened edge on gets them up

I'd just have them covered over if there is no physical need to have removed. Danger to health is as good as 0.

The asbestos tester told me that sometimes the tiles come up easily “like flipping burgers”, but others have to be chiselled off piece by piece - and there’s no way of knowing until they get started. Apparently, mine are stuck down with bitumen.

If I put wood flooring on top, I’ll have to work out how get the gripper rods off. I suppose I could just get another carpet, which isn’t my preferred option, but would be cheaper.

I'd get it taken out personally, though I suppose it depends on funds & how long you're going to be there.

www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/floortiles.htm

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a23.pdf

www.oracleasbestos.com/blog/asbestos-floor-tile-removal-cost/
asbestos-removal-london.co.uk/why-asbestos-floor-tiles-are-dangerous/

Health risk

Asbestos is dangerous and only those with the required training and safety equipment should attempt to remove them. Safe disposal of asbestos is also legally required. DIY can put self and other at significant risk. There are legal concerns. Safer and easier to use professionals.

Alert any contractors or workers that there are asbestos tiles e.g. carpet fitters.

I discovered this in my 1960s flat- the council told me, but after I’d just fitted a new kitchen. The tiles were intact and were covered by the new flooring so I left well alone. When I sell it will be part of the info pack.

Hello, in the process of buying a property which we are planning to renovate (estimated built between 1930 - 1950s). When we viewed it, I walked through the kitchen and over the tiles pictured without a thought. I am worried that these are asbestos tiles. A number of them had come up/been taking up and I am wondering if I would have been in any danger by walking around this room? The property hasn’t been lived in for years so was very dusty anyway. Thanks

To my amateur eyes, they look like vinyl floor tiles, which might contain asbestos. Mine contained a small percentage of chrysotile. The only way to find out is to get the tiles tested.

I was told by the asbestos testing company that vinyl tiles don’t release fibres easily, even when damaged. I hope that’s correct as one of my relatives, who’d been helping me with painting, took it upon themselves to pull up the gripper rods, which broke several of the tiles they were nailed to. I was livid and rather upset, but the asbestos testing company were quite reassuring - they thought there was very little risk.