Sheet Vinyl Over Asbestos Tile

If the tiles are not solid you can insert an intervening sheet of underlayment.

Sheet vinyl over asbestos tile.

Like floor tiles vinyl sheet flooring is a long lasting and economical material and it also offers more aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste. As long as the asbestos tiles are solid you can cover them with sheet vinyl luxury vinyl plank laminate engineered wood solid hardwood or just about any other type of flooring. In most cases vinyl tiles are considered non friable. Using the utility knife and sufficient pressure to fully penetrate the thickness of the vinyl cut a piece of flooring approximately one by two feet.

The most common tiles that are positive are ones that measure 9 x 9. Vinyl floor tiles can self adhere to asbestos. Advice for coating or painting over asphalt asbestos flooring or vinyl asbestos floor tiles using epoxy paint and or a rejuvenation sealer or gloss coat. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring poses a significantly greater asbestos exposure risk than floor tiles or wallpaper.

You can absolutely tile over asbestos tile and in many cases it s the best course of action as it doesn t disturb the contaminated material or send dangerous fibers into the air. Floor tiles can become friable if they are mishandled damaged or are in a badly worn or weathered condition. Despite common misconceptions even new vinyl flooring can contain asbestos. If you aren t removing the old floor you may be creating a new floor that is too thick for doors to open and shut or for thresholds to have clearance.

Mixing asbestos into vinyl floor tiles made them more insulating and resistant to damage. Mastic that is black is also a tell tale sign. Manufacturers often made this type of flooring with a friable asbestos backing which means asbestos fibres are easily released into the air if the sheet flooring is disturbed or damaged. The fancy term is encapsulation and it can be used with all types of asbestos but most often is seen when vinyl siding is installed over old asbestos siding or carpet is put in over old asbestos flooring or tile.

One of the biggest factors of installing a new floor over the old is thickness. Many tiles in older homes do contain asbestos and there is no way to tell just by looking. Thin luan wood or cement board. If your sheet vinyl floor was installed with little or no adhesive you may be able to peel the flooring off with little disturbance of its asbestos backing.

Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. Vinyl tile is an excellent option for sealing in asbestos tiles.