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Placing flooring over broken tiles

838 Views 8 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  JazMan
Got a basement slab with old school floor tiles, not ceramic, probably vinyl asbestos since it was built in the 60s. Some of the edge tiles have cracked and delaminated from the adhesive due to carpet tack strips which have been removed. I'm planning to put down some other kind of flooring on top; haven't quite decided whether to do resilient vinyl plank, or some kind of laminate.

Anyway, my question is, what's the best way to level out the tiles with missing pieces before laying the new floor down, so that I have a level base for whichever flooring I use?

There's no moisture in the slab, BTW--it's over 50 years old!
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You suspect ASBESTOS and still have not tested it?

If it is ASBESTOS it needs to be removed or sealed so it is not getting into the air.

ED
It's not being ground or sanded. I'm not worried about that.
Look at Coretec Plus from US Floors. A loose lay vinyl floor. Will go over what you have with minimal prep.
If it is ASBESTOS it needs to be removed or sealed so it is not getting into the air.
Good one!:biggrin2:

Huesmann, are you positive all the tiles are bonded well, did you tap to see how they sound? I'd be removing them all.

Jaz
Pretty much only the edge tiles that had the carpet tack strips got loose. The rest seem pretty solid. I don't wanna be removing them all, since most, if not all, are pretty well bonded. I'm lazy. :biggrin2:
So, lazy huh? "The rest seem pretty solid" doesn't sound reassuring to me. Did you at least tap the tiles to see if they're stuck? Lazy people can use a golf ball.:biggrin2:

If your assessment is correct, I predict most, if not all of the floor will be fine.

Your new flooring selection will dictate what you should do.

Jaz
So, if my selection is laminate, what do I do? If my selection is vinyl plank, what do I do?
Read what the various manufacturers have to say about going over an old floor covering below grade. They may have a problem with that. Your selection may be ok for below grade, but only if direct over the concrete. Makes a big diff.

Jaz
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