How To Seal Asbestos Tile
What do I do about possible asbestos floor tiles in basement?
Purchased house about 3 months ago, limited details from owner. It is about 40 years old (not sure age of tiles). The tiles are in the basement where the heater, water heater and laundry are. They are in very good shape except for a few loose ones. I was pretty sure they were asbestos tiles (9×9) everyone in the neighborhood has similar ones. But the guy from Lowes said that you could not see the fibers??? and they are asphalt, but he also said they were 8×8, they are not! I like his ideas about what to do but question this reasoning. I do not want to remove the tiles and think they should be sealed. But how??? By who?? The more people I ask the more different answers I get. Pleases HELP!!!
While 8×8″ tiles do exist, they are rare. The majority of tiles are standardized to either 12″x12″ or 9″x9″. The 9 inch tiles have a greater probabilty of containing asbestos especially if you think the tiles are that old. The black adhesive or mastic under the tile can also contain asbestos.
To remove them legally, you’d have to hire a licensed abatement company to remove them and dispose of them. They can’t legally be thrown into just a normal landfill. Get several quotes though as different abatement companies charge different rates depending on their specialties and how hungry they are for work in this economy.
The fibers in the tile are embedded in the matrix of the material so he is right in that you can’t see them. The only way to know for sure is to send a sample to a lab to be analyzed under a scanning microscope.
To give you an idea of costs to find out, our lab generally charges about $25 to test the tile and another $25 for the adhesive.
If the tiles are in good condition, there’s no need to remove them or even seal them. If you want to seal them, you can just wax or even lay new tile over them. However, that might not be the best idea long-term. The old tiles could come loose over time and cause the new tiles to come loose. Also, should you want to remove them in the future, most abatement companies will add on a few extra charges for multiple layers. Other options are laying plywood or just a rug over them.
And looking long-term, in most markets its easier to sell a house in the future if the tiles were gone.
May 6th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart,[1] the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis.