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Flooring Design Dilemma

Basement flooring options....Best possible asbestos tile coverings

4 years ago

We are currently finishing our basement and our scenario is we need to cover up possible asbestos tile but also some areas where some of the asbestos tiles were loose and were replaced with some glue down vinyl tile. I was thinking that a waterproof floating floor would work over the top. Does that sound like something doable or does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks in Advance!

Featured Answer

PRO

Patricia Colwell Consulting

4 years ago

IMO the best choice is a good floating floor where you do not touch the tile underneath at all . We put dri-core and Allure vinyl plank in our basement (no tile) and it not only made the floor feel warmer but was easy to install too.

Comments (10)

SJ McCarthy
4 years ago
I was thinking carpet. Vinyl products (like floating vinyl planks) like smooth, flat and level. One thing glue down vinyl tiles from the 80's like to do is HIDE how bad a subfloor is. Before you look at a planked product, you will need to get a very good idea about how smooth, flat and level your floor actually is. Once you know how bad it is, you will be able to decide how much money you want to throw at it.
Jess Barrett
Original Author
4 years ago
thanks SJ, unfortunately we'd really like to NOT have to use carpet in most of these areas as they are made up of a laundry room, utility room, bathroom and hallway. :(
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Asbestos floor tile is not generally brittle to a large degree and asbestos is only dangerous if you inhale it into lungs. I would just get a n95 dust mask pick up the lose tiles and burying them in the yard as it is a mineral and not subject to enviornmental problems and quite often buried in landfills around here. Since its a basement I assume it is a concrete floor underneath and the adhesive is holding the tile firmly in place go ahead puts some floor patch down to cover the area tiles are missing I am not familar with the flooring you are putting down but most plank flooring I am familar with do not use adhesive or fasteners check your manufactures recomendation. Good Luck Eddie
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beachhouse- You can probably get it at a variety of big box and hardware stores. Just be aware that the kit will not give you a direct result...you take a sample and send it off to a lab that is supposed to analyze it with a microscope. If you are determined to test the floor, I recommend you skip the test kit and have a local lab -- one that is certified by the State or Fed as qualified to analyze for asbestos -- do it. Asbestos analysis is not a chemical test, it's a visual examination that is dependent on the subjective judgment and skill of the technician using the microscope. You don't want to be making decisions about this unless you are confident in the quality of the lab. But again, why do you want to know this if you are just putting a new floor over it? It's not going to pose a danger...other than to your budget if it's removed, or if a future buyer wants the sales price lowered because you've had to disclose the presence of asbestos (if you have any in the floor).
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Heather- I worked as a federal regulator in the toxic substances area for many years, particularly involving asbestos problems in homes, businesses, and schools. If your tiles are in good shape, as you describe, no sealer is necessary. Asbestos tiles are only a potential hazard if they are sanded, abraded, or broken up, thus releasing the fibres. Normal foot traffic is not an issue. If you want to apply some wax, that's fine, but don't obsess about this. You're wise to be concerned about asbestos, but this particular situation does not sound like a problem. If you want more info or references on this, feel free to send me an email.
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My first thought is to use an old trick to remove the tiles; flood the floor with water which often breaks the bond of the old tiles. It will take a while for the water to do its job. How long ? I dunno. BUt I have de-tiled damp slabs where the 9 or 12 inch tiles lift right off the floor in whole pieces as fast as you can pick them up. It doesn't hurt to try. You can also use ceramic tiles over them. Mapei's Eco-primgrip applied over the existing floor before tiling. Do remove any loose tiles or tile parts first.
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Oliviag
4 years ago
I'd look at a floating floor, vinyl plank or water resistant laminate
Jess Barrett
Original Author
4 years ago
What's the difference between water resistant and waterproof and do they make a waterproof laminate?
acm
4 years ago
you might want to look into ways to encapsulate the tile rather than just go over it...
Karenmo
4 years ago
We just finished covering the vinyl asbestos tile in our basement with the click type flooring and I am pleased with the results. I was sure that the original floors contained some asbestos because the previous owners left an original carton behind. In our laundry room, I wasn't sure about the asbestos content so I sent samples to a testing lab to find out, and the cost was reasonable. I recommend doing the testing so you know what you have before you cover it up, partly because you might have more options if asbestos isn't there and partly because when you go to sell your house you can address the asbestos question definitively. We used a Cortec product that is supposed to be waterproof, and I am happy with it although it has taken me a while to get used to the odd kind of hollow feeling the floor gives me, compared to walking on other floor surfaces.
Jess Barrett
Original Author
4 years ago
One guy that came out today recommended Home Depot's LifeProof. Anyone have any experience with it? Also looking at Tarkett's VeriCore if anyone has any experience with that one either? Would love any feedback.

Otherwise good news it that neither guy saw ANY issues with laying over the top of the possibly asbestos tile. :)
Karenmo
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I looked at Lifeproof with HD but the colors didn't work for us. In the end, I found a great deal with a Cortec product from Carpet Express. Their clearance section features some great deals, and while I had doubts about ordering something so expensive (and not returnable) online, I was pleased with their service. Since my project was about 1000 sq ft, even $1 saved per sq ft was significant!
mononhemeter
4 years ago
Not a pro. I had asbestos tiles and mastic professionally removed in our basement. Then I put vinyl planks over part of the floor and left the concrete unfinished in the rest.
Jess Barrett thanked mononhemeter

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