Covering Asbestos Tile

Strategies for leaving asbestos containing floor tiles or sheet flooring safely in place in a building.

Covering asbestos tile. Many tile contractors will not even consider the removal of the tile. Choosing an appropriate material to cover up or coat the surface of a sound well adhered floor can protect against future damage or asbestos particle release in the building. Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets. If the tiles in question are crumbling torn drilled sawn or sanded you ll definitely want to consult with a professional who can help gauge risk and offer recommendations for reducing asbestos exposure the epa is among the best resources available to help educate on risks and abatement techniques.

You could also cover the tiles with new vinyl flooring linoleum or even ceramic tiles. The old tiles are relatively thin around 1 8 inch thick so installing new flooring on top. One of the best ways to deal with asbestos tile is to leave it in place and cover it with new flooring. That way no one will be endangered years from now when they start to rip up the new flooring and find asbestos tiles beneath.

The asbestos floor tile identification articles in this series illustrate that with the combination of design appearance and an idea of floor tile age many asbestos containing floor tiles or sheet flooring products can be reliably identified even before confirmation by a test by a certified asbestos testing laboratory. Old asbestos tiles can make a home appear dated. However as a favor to future owners of your house make some note of the fact that asbestos tiles are under the new flooring. But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it.

Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around.