Remove Subfloor Without Stripping Aesbestos Floor Tiles?

[Wabbiteer]

Photo Guide to Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles - 1900 - 1986

Sorry - I was repeating a generalization. As far as I know ALL 9" asphalt square tiles are suspect, I did not realize the 12x12 vinyl had it as well as other flavors until 1980!!!

Pretty darn convoluted issue.

[mbattin]

I am pretty disturbed buy this thread, I have seen a lot of "over titening" on these forums, but the cavalier attitudes that have been expressed here raise questions of the risk of advice a forum can generate. There are people of all skill levels on here and as asbestos is no joke. Resperators need to be fit tested to ensure protection, and there are lots of risks, to you and anyone around. Your kids the neighbor, the trash guy. The moderators need to address this. Be safe.

[tlsmit1]

Originally Posted by kuteogre

These things have ASBESTOS tiles??? Why is that not like a primary warning post at the top of the forums listing or the Airstream Webpage. I've ripped half of the tiles out of my '64 already?!? Does this mean I might as well take up smoking now?

Mesothelioma (the type of lung cancer related to asbestos) is unique. Different than the lung cancer from smoking. BUT smoking and asbestos exposure combined does increase the risk of mesothelioma. So no, do not start smoking....

[tlsmit1]

Originally Posted by mbattin

I am pretty disturbed buy this thread, I have seen a lot of "over titening" on these forums, but the cavalier attitudes that have been expressed here raise questions of the risk of advice a forum can generate. There are people of all skill levels on here and as asbestos is no joke. Resperators need to be fit tested to ensure protection, and there are lots of risks, to you and anyone around. Your kids the neighbor, the trash guy. The moderators need to address this. Be safe.

Another thing about mesothelioma. The purpose of the coverall suit is to keep it off of your clothes. There are documented cases where a family member worked with asbestos and other family members got mesothelioma after their clothes were washed in the same load of laundry.

[tlsmit1]

How much does it cost to have these tiles professionally removed?

[driftless]

Asbestos removal and disposal are regulated by the Federal and all State governments. In many states a homeowner is allowed to remove asbestos in his primary residence. So, unless your AS is your primary residence, there would seem to be a question as to the legality of the owner removing it.

Of equal importance is the disposal of the material once it is removed. It shouldn't just be thrown in a dumpster or set on the curb in a pile. In most cases it should be double bagged in contractor's garbage bags. In some states you are supposed to notify the landfill/waste removal company prior to their taking possesion of the asbestos material, to protect their employees.

If you want to know the regulations in your state, just Google "disposal of asbestos foor tiles (wisconsin)" as an example. You'll find plenty to read.

Asbestos is a very dangerous material. My mother-in-law has mesothelioma, probably the result of exposure to asbestos in the work place. There is no cure.

I always hated it when my mom said it, but in this case, "it's always better to be safe than sorry."

[Globemaster]

Asbestos Test results- I panicked a little bit when I read this thread. I had my 9x9 tiles from my 1962 Globetrotter tested at an accredited lab in Seattle and after testing all three layers of the tile (each layer is a separate expense), the results came back negative i.e. no asbestos. I would recommend testing your tiles. I treated all the tiles as if they contained asbestos before testing and even after the test results I won't sand or grind any tiles (paranoid, I know).

[Safari66]

Well, I knew nothing about airstreams when I pulled up the floors in my 22ft. Only that my fiance has wanted a silver slug always. I had no idea that the little white tiles were allegedly asbstos-laden. I had a layer of vinyl tile on top that took most up and the rest came up with a little wedge from a strong putty knife. They are however very brittle. A lot of them broke into pieces, and there sure was a lot of dust over those two days. Had I known I probably would have at least used a respirator or some kind of protection. I have one sitting on top of my toolbox 20 feet from where I was breathing this stuff in. If I ever have any asbestos related health problems I guess I will know where they came from. I'm 26 so looks like it has a while to kick in. I also would hate to know that I put my future wife in harms way. BE EDUCATED. Better safe than sorry. Always do your research when venturing into unknown territory on these trailers. A "gung ho" attitude can apparantly turn your fun project into something that can affect your health of that of those you love.
As far as the adhesive used to keep them attached to the subfloor, many of my tiles weren't glued down at all...just loose and sliding around. I didnt have any that presented a problem of any kind. So they must have done lots of different things over the years. You'll probably have to just find the method that works best for what they did on your trailer. Trial and error. Im using a slightly different method to replace the subfloor on the bathroom end of my trailer. I will post up some photos along with results once it is finished.

-I'll also post up any respitory illness I may or may not have in the future. I hope I have the same 9x9's as Globemaster.