Vinyl Asbestos Tile (VAT)

[Ed Stuart]

Hi,

How to I determine if my basement's tile is Vinyl Asbestos Tile (VAT)?

Thanx, Ed Stuart

[dotcom]

Take a piece to an inspector.

If you are one of the people that freak out at the use of the word "asbestos", forget your worries. In tile the asbestos is in a soild state. Just dont grind, saw, or sand it, and it will not kill you. Asbestos fear can be releived thru a good psychiatrist.

[default]

Try drilling a hole in it with a cheap hole-saw. If it throws sparks, it's probably asbestos.

[DanG]

If the tiles are 9" x 9" they are almost certainly VAT. If they are 12 x 12 they may or may not be. As others have stated they are not a hazard unless sanded, sawn, or drilled. If they were installed with cut back adhesive (black) there is a distinct chance that the glue has asbestos in it and requires the same precautions. VAT can usually be chipped up with floor scrapers, keeping the area wet down. There are several cement based floor stones made for isolating cut back adhesive.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) [e-mail]

[Ed Stuart]

What would you think of my removing the tile by loosening it with water (so far they've been coming right up) and then installing a floating laminate floor over top of the adhesive?

Also, could you point me to appropriate cement based floor stones?

Thanx again, Ed Stuart

[DanG]

There are several manufacturers of good products. Here is one:

If this installation is on a concrete floor, you may be able to scrape the adhesive off with a floor scraper or leave it in place. A good scraper:

[maradcliff]

Hmmmmmmm, where did you get the info about the cutback adhesive containing asbestos? I worked with that stuff numerous times when I was younger, and as far as I know, it was just plain tar. It also melts when heated, thus a heat gun will soften it to scrape off with a putty knife.

Mark

[ß©©ß]

If water removes them, do it !!! Water wont harm a concrete floor....

Mark

[DanG]

We own well over a million square feet of building property. The state labor board seems to be more concerned about the asbestos content in the adhesive than in the tile.

Quotation from:

WARNING Cutback and other non-water soluble adhesives may contain asbestos fibers. Do not sand or grind adhesive residue, as harmful dust may result. Inhalation of asbestos dust may cause asbestosis or other serious bodily harm. Please consult the adhesive manufacturer and all applicable government agencies for rules and regulations concerning the removal of asbestos-containing flooring and adhesives.

The Resilient Floor Covering institute's pamphlet "Recommended Work Practices for the Removal of Resilient Floor Coverings" is available free of charge from the ARDEX Technical Service Department

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) [e-mail]