Surprise! It's asbestos! Advice needed...

greensalad

My bank holiday plan was to get my downstairs junk room painted and ready for new flooring. Started ripping out the carpet this afternoon and revealed... asbestos!

I'm 99% sure it is. Suspicious looking vinyl-y tile. 1965 home. Tiles are 9" square which I'm told is a common sign. Flooring is in good nick, doesn't look crumbly or anything. 

We were planning to put laminate down which I *think* is OK with asbestos tiles, but the problem I have is that gripper rods have been nailed into the tiles all round the sides. We were planning to crowbar these up today, but are now worried about the safety of that as presumably the nails will have caused some crumbly breakage of the tile all around the edges.

So what do we do? Is this the sort of job a DIYer can do with appropriate PPE? Masks, goggles, proper ventilation, safe clothing? Get the rods pulled up, somehow seal those edges with something and then we'd be OK to lay laminate? We would leave the underlay for the carpet in place until we put the new laminate underlay down.

Would a company come out just to remove gripped rods and leave the floor intact?

Or is it best just to bite the bullet and get the whole floor ripped out? I admit I shed a tear of frustration on the discovery thinking this is going to cost us thousands... but having looked it up it seems to be a few hundred to clear a room, which may just be worth paying to do and have it sorted.

greensalad

Picture of floor:
    

greensalad

OK, doing a bit more research and it seems that for just removing the gripper rods, though it's likely the tiles will crack, it may not be that bad? As long as PPE is used. And a lot of suggestions for peace of mind to seal with a latex self-leveller before laying anything else. Which I feel we could DIY. Still so unsure! Also seeing some people saying it can end up more dangerous having it all removed as you're disrupting the tiles.

danrv

I'm currently doing a similar job.  Looks like there's a screed over the tiles there already.

greensalad

danrv said:

I'm currently doing a similar job.  Looks like there's a screed over the tiles there already.

I don't think so? Perhaps I need to take a better picture but I can see thin almost "grout" lines in between the tiles.

Did you remove the gripper rods yourself? Did the tiles break when you did?

Eldi_Dos

Can you not change your plans and put underlay and carpet down instead of taking out the grippers.

greensalad

Eldi_Dos said:

Can you not change your plans and put underlay and carpet down instead of taking out the grippers.

Not really, the room is set to be a sewing studio which is an absolute nightmare to have carpeted. It's also the only room downstairs in our house that had carpet and I'd like to avoid carpet entirely. I'd rather pay a few hundred to get it removed over paying a few hundred to have it carpeted tbh. (I already have the new laminate flooring).

I feel confident about laying a vinyl self-leveller myself but I am just not sure what needs to be done, or if I even can, for the grippers.

Alderbank

Those tiles look in good condition.
Vinyl asbestos tiles were made from a small amount of asbestos tightly bound into the vinyl substrate. The risk of releasing asbestos fibres is very low.

You need a pry bar like this, and possibly a hammer.
Identify a nail head and gently tap the pry bar underneath the tack strip at that point. 
Gently rock the pry bar to loosen the nail.
Work your way steadily round the floor.
That's it.



Handle the tack strips with care. Those points are very sharp.

greensalad

Alderbank said:

Those tiles look in good condition.
Vinyl asbestos tiles were made from a small amount of asbestos tightly bound into the vinyl substrate. The risk of releasing asbestos fibres is very low.

You need a pry bar like this, and possibly a hammer.
Identify a nail head and gently tap the pry bar underneath the tack strip at that point. 
Gently rock the pry bar to loosen the nail.
Work your way steadily round the floor.
That's it.



Handle the tack strips with care. Those points are very sharp.

Your assessment of the tile definitely gives me hope. They do indeed look in good condition, which makes me think a route where they are encapsulated and left is a better idea than outright removal. 

danrv

greensalad said:

danrv said:

I'm currently doing a similar job.  Looks like there's a screed over the tiles there already.

Did you remove the gripper rods yourself? Did the tiles break when you did?

Removed them myself a while back. Had to, to fit new skirting. They were in my lounge.
The hallway floor I'm doing now has tape for the carpet.

The tiles were brittle and the edges did come up with the rods in places.
Used a water spray/mask and then brushed diluted PVA around the edge of the room.
Just bought one of these:
https://www.toolstation.com/stanley-dust-mask-respirator-with-p3-fitted-filters-and-face-fit-check/p27384?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=_dm&pcrid=null&pkw=null&pmt=null&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwtqmwBhBVEiwAL-WAYZhdUyEUY76XejSHC_P3o5Rl24cyEqAzCHY1WiEvBc9nsilLFNcaVBoC5cEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds