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Red Green

LSMFT wrote in :

Red Green wrote:
wrote in
:

On 1/31/2011 1:31 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:09:43 -0800 (PST), RicodJour
wrote:

On Jan 31, 12:21 pm,
wrote:
On 1/31/2011 12:02 PM, woods wrote:

I have the 9x9" asbestos tile in my basement, and I wonder if it
would be ok to just remove the loose tiles, and then glue
linoleum on top of them? Also smooth out the removed tiles with
floor cement compound.

I can't give construction specifics but as far as asbestos
exposure, it is OK. I'd be more concerned about filling voids
with cement that may sag. The asbestos is not going any where.

It's OK for the OP to be exposed to asbestos? How do you feel
about him wearing seat belts? Is that unnecessary as well?
Sheesh.

If he does not break opr remove the tiles he will NOT be "exposed"
to asbestos. He is best to just reglue the loose ones and cover it
up with a solid vinyl floor covering.

OP: Asbestos is only a problem when the fibers get airborne,
which they do quite readily. It's your home and your health, and
technically you're supposed to call to have the guys in the moon
suits in to do it, but that's overkill for floor tile in my
opinion.

It is a vinyl asbestos tile, with the asbestos encapsulated very
well. As long as it is not broken up/removed there will be NO
fibres loose - and even if removing the tile, unless you need to
break them up badly, very little exposure.

The following recomendations are likely gross overkill, but would
definitely be a safe way to go about removing the tile

I can't tell you what you should do, but I would definitely suit
up, wear a N95 dust mask or respirator, and wet everything down
prior to starting. If I saw any dust at all I'd know I haven't
wet things down enough, and I'd have plenty of lighting so I'd be
sure to notice the dust. I'd use plastic and tape off the area,
tape doors closed, and have one window in the basement open with a
fan blowing out. That would create negative air pressure in the
work space, and any minor amount of dust that did manage to get
airborne wouldn't escape into the rest of the house.

I'd put everything in a doubled up contractor trash bags inside a
trash can with some newspaper on the bottom to prevent the corners
of the tile from cutting through the bags, and I wouldn't let the
trash can get too heavy. I'd spray down the stuff inside the bag
just before tying it up - can you tell I think wetting the stuff
down is the critical step, yet? I'd move slowly when tying up the
bags as squeezing them quickly tends to puff out some air, and
that could carry dust. And I'd pass the bags out through another
basement window so I wouldn't be traipsing through the house with
the stuff. I'd work in smaller sections where I could keep the
tile and everything else wet without drenching the basement, and
I'd pick up the wet slurry with a wet dry vacuum with a HEPA
filter that I'd be prepared to toss when I'm done (the filter, not
the vacuum!). I wouldn't be sucking up standing puddles, but more
like wet slurry to prevent clogging the vaccum filter.

At the end of everything it should be wiped down with wet rags and
they would be tossed in the trash when done. I wouldn't want to
be going back and forth from a bucket of water, wringing out the
rags like I'd normally do when wiping things down, as that would
inevitably leave some asbestos fibers behind.

I think you get the idea of how I'd go about it - I'd be
fastidious about it. You're only going to do it once, and no
matter how you look at it it's going to take a full day to do it
safely, and it's no big deal.

R

That's right. Asbestos is encapsulated. If dust is generated, you
should wear a dust mask no matter what the dust is.

Yea, like we all did changing all those brake shoes when we were
younger
:-)

The general public thinks the asbestos is going to jump out at you

Yea, changing brake shoes and blowing out the drum and brake parts.

...with a cigarette hangin' out of the mouth.