What flooring tiles are these?

KarlWalsh

I'm looking to to put some wood flooring down in the hallway, and whilst poking about under the carpet that currently exists I noticed these odd, thin green tiles.

The carpet gripper has been nailed into them, and they're quite brittle (near the site I was looking at they are cracked in places). I managed to pull up the attached piece with a screwdriver and very little effort.

Now, after a google quick search I'm worried that they're actually asbestos tiles but I can't be sure and I'm not sure where I go from here.

Any advice?





Edit: Image links don't appear to be working, so here they are unformatted...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u6mscra913ejg4g/File%2008-10-2017%2C%2018%2002%2035.jpeg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1bttamtjhwew3p9/File%2008-10-2017%2C%2018%2003%2025.jpeg

Norman_Castle

Impossible to know without asbestos testing but they do look similar to mine which contain asbestos. If you can leave them in place and put the floor over them they should be fine but avoid creating a dust from them as this dust may contain asbestos fibres.

https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Floor-Tile-Identification.php

phill99

These are known as 'Thermo Plastic' Tiles. They were exceedingly common in house building from the 1960's right up to the early 1990s. Marley were the main producer.


Some contain asbestos. However, it is in low concentrations and of the 'white' type which is the least harmful. If they are left in situ, they are fine.


Send that piece off for testing to be certain.


If it comes back as positive, your best bet and the most cost effective is to lay a self levelling screed over the top.

RichardD1970

Yep, look like all the floor tiles used in the council houses built around here in the 60's.

Never heard of anyone being concerned about them and everyone just carpets or lays flooring over them.

KarlWalsh

Thanks for the replies, I am going to send a piece off for testing.

If it’s asbestos, levelling and a floating engineered floor is one option, otherwise I’ll pull them up, level and glue some hardwood down.

Disposing of them might still be an option, depending on cost. They’re very easy to pull up. Has anyone tried that? Too risky?

Cats_are_great

Please wait for the testing to come back before you pull them up, I would use self levelling, the quick set works within a couple of hours....better to be safe

phill99

KarlWalsh wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I am going to send a piece off for testing.

If it’s asbestos, levelling and a floating engineered floor is one option, otherwise I’ll pull them up, level and glue some hardwood down.

Disposing of them might still be an option, depending on cost. They’re very easy to pull up. Has anyone tried that? Too risky?

NO!
Don't pull the up.


Asbestos is fine until it is disturbed. These tiles shatter into thousands of tiny pieces and that's when the potential for harm occurs.


Do nothing (which is what 99.9% of homeowners do) or put a self levelling compound over the top.