Without knowing when the building was built and having the tile tested is there an easier way to find out if the VCT tile floor has asbestos in it? Are there certain characteristics to look for that asbestos tile has that newer VCT doesn't or vice versa? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
There is no way to tell without testing. 9x9 tiles are almost always asbestos containing, but the standard 12 x 12 may or may not be. It's also possible to have non-asbestos tile attached to a floor with asbestos containing mastic.
Your best bet is to have a sample taken and tested before performing any removal projects.
We are actually not removing any of the tile but we have been told that you don't really want to strip asbestos tiles down to bare tile. With that being said I was wondering if there was a easy way to figure this out without causing any health issues down the road.
My understanding is that tile with asbestos can be stripped as long as it is done wet. Wet stripping and thorough rinsing will keep any asbestos fibers from getting into the air. All slurry and rinse water needs to go into the sanitary sewer system. You cannot buff the dry floor. As soon as it is dry you apply your multiple coats of finish.
Ed- I was told the same thing that if you kept the floor wet that you shouldn't have a problem and that's what we have been doing especially if we don't know if it is asbestos or not. But there has been some question if when done stripping the floor and before the wax is applied if there can be a problem with the exposed tile or not? Thanks for the imput.
The problem is not "exposure." The problem occurs when asbestos fibers are dislodged during breaking, sanding, buffing, etc. They get into the air and people's lungs. In some cases building problems have gotten worse after remediation because asbestos was released that formerly had been encapsulated or intact.
Ed is correct that if tiles are broken and dust is present in thh air, you may be exposed to asbestos. While the floor is wet, there should be no issues with dust or exposure to asbestos. We always recommend to our customers that the floor be heavily coated (at least four coats) with a high solids finish to encapsulate the tiles.
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