DIYbanter - View Single Post - How dangerous is 3% asbestos in vinyl flooring?

wrote in message . com...
I am replacing my old vinyl flooring and I'm getting done as a favor
from my friend who works in construction. I gave him the keys but
didnt know when he would start. Then i heard someone tell me there
could be asbestos in the vinyl so i cut a sample and took it to a lab.
Meanwhile, i tried to contact my construction friend but he was out of
town. Then I got the lab results back and found that the vinyl
flooring tested positive for asbestos, 3%. So i drive to the property
immediately and found my friend already starting to tear out chunks of
the vinyl floor! I told him what i had found (3% asbestos in the
vinyl) and he seemed to not be too concerned and said that's a small
amount. I told him to wear a respirator mask for his own safety and
gave him a water bottle to wet down the floor so it wouldnt create
asbestos dust. I'm not sure if he'll follow my direction!

Question: What if my friend doesnt take any precautions as all and not
use the water bottle to wet down the floors while chipping away at the
vinyl (he cant peel it, it is too old and brittle). Will the asbestos
dust float around my house and get stuck in the walls? Will I have to
wash/paint all the walls? Wash the floors?

Is 3% Vinyl on the lower end of asbestos poisoning?

If the tile has asbestos, the mastic also has a high probablity of asbestos.
It can be encapsulated.
Some communities require special disposal of asbestos containing material.

TB