Bitumen on concrete and ufh

V2001

I removed parquet flooring in a bungalow and the concrete is covered in bitumen.  A little thick in some places.
I want to lay ufh matts and install ufh. How do I tackle the bitumen. Is it acting as a dpc?

I don't want the place smelling with the ufh

V2001

Yes it's bitumen adhesive glued on the concrete.  Can I get a firm to remove the bitumen with a grinder, then self level and lay ufh matts on top?

Mr.Generous

A heat gun and a scraper, get most off, then clean off the residue with a rag and white spirit. hard work and annoying job.

Tucosalamanca

I couldn't say as not my specialism, but if asbestos containing materials, grinding would be an absolute no-no.

I would get the black material tested, this will only cost you around £30.

If it's not ACM, you can do what you like.

If it is ACM, the firm will need to follow HSE guidance for removal or encapsulation (I don't know which methods are permitted or recommended).

danrv

Might cost a bit to get the bitumen removed 
if it contains asbestos. I have patches of the stuff in my Thermoplastic tiled hallway and it's staying put.
I seal it with PVA or a diluted SBR screed. 

V2001

Asnim putting ufh overlay boards on top I don't want the bitumen getting warm and smelling.

I been quoted 4k to grind it all of with a vaccum

ThisIsWeird

This bitumen will have been down for quite a while, so should be hard as rock. I cannot see the typically mid/high-20 degree temps from UFH causing it any bother at all.

I presume the UFH 'mats' you mention are insulation boards, V2001? In which case, even less heat will get to that bitu. The old flooring will almost certainly have felt temps well into the 20s and even well above at times with direct sunshine, to no ill effect.

My main concern would be the insulation level of that floor, or lack thereof, but I presume that is built into the mats?

I don't see an issue, but that's a DIYer's pov.

V2001

There is no insulation,  I will be relying on the matts from the ufh which has a foil top which are eps 400 boards

ThisIsWeird

V2001 said:

There is no insulation,  I will be relying on the matts from the ufh which has a foil top which are eps 400 boards

I see no issue here. The bitumen is just not going to melt

Do these mats need gluing down, or do they float? If the former, then I guess you'd need an adhesive that will work with the bitumen. Or, a suitable primer.

V2001

Heres a pic of it

ThisIsWeird

What goes down under the UFH mat? Is there an underlay that'll accommodate some irregularities? Or does it need a nigh-on perfectly flat surface that can be glued to? For the latter, the chances are you'll need to skim off any obvious high spots, and then spread over a coat of leveller, as is done for glue-down vinyl planks. 

If a thin underlay is used instead, you'd need to check what the max variation it'll handle. 

Are you DIYing the install? Contact the UFH manufacturer and ask their advice.