My parents were redoing their bathroom floor and found asbestos tile on the bottom layer, above the subfloor. They had a private inspector to come out and confirm it and then tried to get estimates to remove it, but was told it would be too expensive for such a small space and to DIY themselves. My husband and Father researched the proper removal and did it them selves. They wore suits and masks N95, and plastic and duct taped off the area. Sprayed the tiles and glue down well with water during removal and tried to get the tiles up in whole pieces. It's not only the tile that can contain the asbestos but the glue- as well so you have to be careful.

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).

I'm a retired floorman for over 40 years experience and went to a union school to learn the trade. Installers were told to take up asbestos tile and sheet vinyl with asbestos back years ago because they did not know of any danger so I sanded it down with a drum sander or took up 9 x 9 tile but in the 80's we were told it was dangerous so by law we could not do it. Wetting it down is part of the process to remove with masks and proper disposal. As far as danger in your house even if the tile glue which is black cut back had asbestos in it, if overlay-ed with plywood and new flooring is okay because it is then concealed and there is no harm to you. Years ago FHA required asbestos had to be used because it was fire retardant would not burn but melt. I sanded it for years and still not developed Mesothelioma Cancer.

The risk is for exposure to friable asbestos, which would be in the form of airborne particles. Do not use brushes or scrapers that would release particles into the air. We had tile and mastic removed by a licensed abatement company and they used a liquid solution to break up the mastic, and then sucked up the solution with a water vacuum. However, they also wore protective suits and masks the entire time, and had postive ventilation for the area. This youtube video will give you a better idea of the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bFgNyfjiKk Since your tile and most of the mastic is already gone, I would do some research to find a non-petroleum based Vinyl Adhesive Tile (VAT) mastic remover (in liquid form) and use it to clean the floor. The product I have seen mentioned in a few articles is called Bean-e-Doo mastic remover, but I'm sure there are other brands. You do not want to use anything with a petroleum base because it will be absorbed by the concrete. It may retain petroleum odor, and may prevent some adhesives from bonding properly with the concrete if you try to lay down new tile. Bruce