Floor Tiles Question

theroyal · 06-02-2011, 10:10 PM

Hello Everyone - I hope that someone can help me out.

I purchased a house that was built in 1958 and I live in Houston TX. The previous owner replaced the old floor tile about 3-4 months before I purchased the house. I discovered that the old tiles contained asbestos after I purchased the house and looked through the blueprints.

I spoke with someone at an asbestos testing facility and he said that I don't have much to worry about as AC filter would have caught most of the asbestos...

I am still extremely worried about the whole situation. I would really appreciate if someone who has experience with this type of stuff could share their thoughts.

Thank you in advance!

Ron6519 · 06-02-2011, 10:47 PM

Get various samples from isolated areas and send them for testing.
Ron

theroyal · 06-03-2011, 09:21 AM

Ron - Thanks for the quick reply. The old tile is gone, it was replaced before I purchased the house. My worry is that during the removal the Asbestos would have gone airborne and stayed in the house until I purchased it a few months later.

hyunelan2 · 06-03-2011, 10:09 AM

It would not stay in the air for months. It would have settled out like other dirt/dust particles and been swept/vacuumed/wiped away with general cleaning. What was in the air during removal likely would have been caught in the filter. Unless you never clean, and didn't clean before you moved in - it's long gone.

Ron6519 · 06-03-2011, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theroyal

Ron - Thanks for the quick reply. The old tile is gone, it was replaced before I purchased the house. My worry is that during the removal the Asbestos would have gone airborne and stayed in the house until I purchased it a few months later.

Not samples of the tile, samples of the dust laying around.
Ron

Alix · 06-03-2011, 12:19 PM

There's some original vinyl tile in our basement that likely contains asbestos, so I've done some research on this. Unless the removal involved smashing up the tiles, as opposed to just scraping them off the floor in mostly whole pieces, it is unlikely that asbestos was released into the air in any significant quantity. The tiles are not considered "friable" which means that the asbestos in them tends to stay put in the tile. When I looked into it a few years ago, I discovered that it was legal here for a homeowner to remove asbestos-containing floor tiles rather than having an abatement company do it. (It still requires a permit and following some rules, but it appears to be a relatively low risk procedure if the tiles are removed whole).

theroyal · 06-03-2011, 03:17 PM

Thank you all very much for your responses. I really appreciate the information. We cleaned the house completely, wiped the floors, changed air filter, and even replaced the AC ducts after we purchased it. I hope that we did not get exposed to asbestos.

Thanks again!

Bud Cline · 06-03-2011, 04:50 PM

Quote:

We cleaned the house completely, wiped the floors, changed air filter, and even replaced the AC ducts after we purchased it. I hope that we did not get exposed to asbestos.

How about the Radon?

06-02-2011, 10:10 PM	#1
theroyal Newbie Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 3	Floor Tiles Question Hello Everyone - I hope that someone can help me out. I purchased a house that was built in 1958 and I live in Houston TX. The previous owner replaced the old floor tile about 3-4 months before I purchased the house. I discovered that the old tiles contained asbestos after I purchased the house and looked through the blueprints. I spoke with someone at an asbestos testing facility and he said that I don't have much to worry about as AC filter would have caught most of the asbestos... I am still extremely worried about the whole situation. I would really appreciate if someone who has experience with this type of stuff could share their thoughts. Thank you in advance!

06-02-2011, 10:47 PM	#2
Ron6519 Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 9,519	Floor Tiles Question Get various samples from isolated areas and send them for testing. Ron

06-03-2011, 09:21 AM	#3
theroyal Newbie Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 3	Floor Tiles Question Ron - Thanks for the quick reply. The old tile is gone, it was replaced before I purchased the house. My worry is that during the removal the Asbestos would have gone airborne and stayed in the house until I purchased it a few months later.

06-03-2011, 10:09 AM	#4
hyunelan2 Jack of all - master none Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: SW Suburbs of Chicago Posts: 1,074	Floor Tiles Question It would not stay in the air for months. It would have settled out like other dirt/dust particles and been swept/vacuumed/wiped away with general cleaning. What was in the air during removal likely would have been caught in the filter. Unless you never clean, and didn't clean before you moved in - it's long gone.

06-03-2011, 12:19 PM	#6
Alix Newbie Join Date: May 2011 Location: Oregon Posts: 15	Floor Tiles Question There's some original vinyl tile in our basement that likely contains asbestos, so I've done some research on this. Unless the removal involved smashing up the tiles, as opposed to just scraping them off the floor in mostly whole pieces, it is unlikely that asbestos was released into the air in any significant quantity. The tiles are not considered "friable" which means that the asbestos in them tends to stay put in the tile. When I looked into it a few years ago, I discovered that it was legal here for a homeowner to remove asbestos-containing floor tiles rather than having an abatement company do it. (It still requires a permit and following some rules, but it appears to be a relatively low risk procedure if the tiles are removed whole).

Floor Tiles Question