asbestos?

my house in san diego, ca was built in 1946

i want to put some tile flooring in the bathroom

below is a picture of the current vinyl flooring

it looks like it goes:

1. thin vinyl layer
2. thing light brown 'backer' layer of some type of paper-board, etc
3. dark brown fibrous asbestos?

what do you think?

also, i'm wondering if i take it all out, if i put in backerboard and tiles if this'll raise up my floor significantly and i'd have to cut the bottom of my door off possibly!?

thanks, chris

It does not sound like the typical asbestos tiles that were often used back then. This is be a newer material and likely asbestos free. The old tiles were usually squares, not sheet good. There may or may not be some asbestos in the adhesive, but if there is, it is encapulated and not a concern.

Trimming a door bottoms is simple task with a straight edge and circular saw. OTOH, you will have to allow for the difference on the toilet waste pipe, but that is not major either. There are adapters to allow for increased height between toilet and flange.

Can't tell from that pic.

If they're 9" by 9" squares from that era, they are probably asbestos. Pull one up if you can and break it. If it appears sort of fibrous, bingo. Left alone they are not a health hazard afaik.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

Wooo Woooo. Do not break anything. Get it tested.

Any fibers in the air are potentially harmful, so act safely.

later,

tom @

Take a sample of all layers and have it tested for asbestos. Then you'll know if you have any need to be concerned. Mine wasn't.

Bob

DON'T GET IT TESTED!

If the test is positive, you are required to tell a buyer. Contrast:

"Yes, we had an asbestos problem, but it was fixed." vs "We have no knowledge of an asbestos problem."

If you are among the millions who've been scared shitless by asbestos-oriented trial attorneys and their enablers, presume you have asbestos and clean it up.

imho:

Ok how about this..... treat it like asbestos, remove it, dispose of it, and then you get the best of both worlds, plausible deniability for you, and safety for me.

:D

later,

tom @

How's this for full disclosure: " environmental hazards? Not afaik. Yeah, there was dust everywhere when I tore up the floor, but I cleaned it up asbestos I could. Smelled pretty bad, so stuffed it in sacks and dumped it down by the olfactory."

That's what I'd do. It is really not much of a hazard and DIY will save a LOT of money.

Find a hidden corner or something, and try drilling through it with a hole saw. If it throws sparks, it's probably Vinyl-Asbestos tile.