Asbestos Tiles / Products

[PrettySquareGal]

In my new 1950's ranch house basement I discovered a box of deadstock 1950's floor tiles! They are really cool, and filled with asbestos. I won't take any chances so I won't use them.

Does anyone here still use asbestos products? Would you install a vintage asbestos containing product in your vintage house? Would you buy a house with asbestos shingles?

Undisturbed asbestos does not pose a risk...

 

[SamMarlowPI]

just a tad off track,

my school, a university built in 1929, recently had "crews" completely seal off the main administration building and the library b/c of tiles and tile glue containing asbestos...

i guess they had to be really careful and soak the tiles and glue with water before chipping it up and removing it to keep it from becoming airborne...that just shows the age of the school...

my father was on security while they were doing this and brought back an 'asbestos hazard' sign...the man is crazy...

but getting back to the thread, i would say no even as vintage as it may be, no asbestos containing products would be getting near me...just wouldn't want the possible risk...

 

[Viola]

Gotta say, for myself, there's a lot of other not-incredibly=in-demand retro stuff I'd want way more than asbestos anything.

Now, real true not-vinyl linoleum tiles - call me. lol

Fabric, wallpaper, linoleum, fittings, fixtures, even vintage windows: yes. Asbestos tile: not work the risk, and there's ways to get a similar look.

On the other hand, there's old Deco, pastel bathtubs in ridiculous colours (like lilac, or mint) in the area I see in houses that are for sale, sometimes tear-downs, and I seriously ponder making an offer on those, and the people who own the purple tub probably would think me just as crazy as wanting asbestos tile.

 

[Foofoogal]

my father died from mesothelioma caused by asbestos. not pretty. I am not sure how you will dispose of it safely. Call someone that deals with this. [huh]

 

[PrettySquareGal]

my father died from mesothelioma caused by asbestos. not pretty. I am not sure how you will dispose of it safely. Call someone that deals with this. [huh]

I won't dispose of them, I'll just leave them in the box where they've been sitting since 1950.

Sorry about your father.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Also, most pre-1980 linoleum has either asbestos or asbestos glue backing.

 

[Foofoogal]

How to Identify and Dispose of Asbestos Flooring
-----------------------------
thank you. If you do a search on Google you will see different places about this topic.
Tons of stuff was made of this product.

I am sorry as I am not sure how to answer you without sounding inappropriate but it only takes one tiny single fiber to get into a persons lungs. If possible I would suggest anyone get any asbestos as far away as possible.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

it only takes one tiny single fiber to get into a persons lungs.

and steve mcqueen used to dip his racing masks in the stuff...shakeshead

 

[Lily Powers]

Vintage or not, asbestos is just nasty and I'd urge you to reconsider keeping the tiles, even if they are intact.

 

[Joie DeVive]

Tons of stuff was made of this product.

I am sorry as I am not sure how to answer you without sounding inappropriate but it only takes one tiny single fiber to get into a persons lungs. If possible I would suggest anyone get any asbestos as far away as possible.

Foofoogal, I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad.

The exact level of danger posed by asbestos is actually still debated even by the scientists in the industry. (My father headed a lab that did a lot of analysis in this field.) Yes, one single fiber can cause health problems, but there are also people who were around asbestos for decades and had nothing come of it. As you pointed out, tons of things were made of it, and so really, most people of recently past generations came into some sort of contact with it, and relatively few have had health problems. That being said, I agree that this isn't something to take risks with.

Asbestos itself is seen in two different forms; friable and non-friable. Friable means that it can break off into small pieces and be inhaled, non-friable does not, and so causes little risk. Asbestos is found in many things. It is most commonly found in: old tile, old linoleum, old tile and linoeum glue, some exterior shingle siding, some old popcorn style ceilings, and insulation. However, remember that if it is undisturbed it is unlikely to pose any threat. It can actually be more dangerous to remove it than to leave it alone. Many people simply put new flooring directly over this stuff for just that reason. It seals it in.

There are many reputable analytical labs throughout the nation that can test samples for you. They will probably use what is called PLM (polarized light microscopy). I think that it runs about $75-$100 per sample for small orders. If you choose to collect a sample yourself, to be on the safe side, be very careful. Wear a protective mask, and some kind of disposable gloves. Put the sample (one inch square is more than enough) in a zip top bag. Wipe down the entire area well with wet wipes and throw out the used wet wipes, gloves and mask in a sealed garbage bag. You can also hire what is called an abatement company to do this for you. An abatement company is who you would call to remove dangerous materials including asbestos.

I should add that while I did a few summers work at the lab, and my father is a scientist, that I am not, and I'm not an expert. These are just the thoughts of a layman. You should always consult an expert if you are concerned.

 

[Warbaby]

I'd like to respectfully disagree with most of the preceeding posts. The asbestos scare was somewhat overblown in the popular media (like most "scares", including the current Swine Flu scare). Yes, asbestos was very dangerous for asbestos workers and is not something you'd want for home insulation, but the risk of asbestos tiles is prolly pretty insignificant by comparison. It's not like you have to call in the HAZMAT guys for a couple of boxes of asbestos tiles. If they were mine and I liked them, I'd use them. If I wasn't going to use them I'd just put them out with the trash.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

However, remember that if it is undisturbed it is unlikely to pose any threat. It can actually be more dangerous to remove it than to leave it alone. Many people simply put new flooring directly over this stuff for just that reason. It seals it in.

Exactly. What is frightening is when people rip out old linoleum not realzing it contains asbestos!

Almost every apartment or house I've rented had old linoleum, and now my new house's kitchen has it. We plan to leave it or if we want to use something new we will have it tested. If it does contain asbestos we'll just put flooring over it.

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html

 

[PrettySquareGal]

If I wasn't going to use them I'd just put them out with the trash.

It's actually illegal to put them in the municipal trash.

(Edit: maybe not where you are!)

 

[Foofoogal]

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbreg.html

This is one of those subjects that could get political very fast indeed but if someone wants to sell their home sometime in the future I would think it best to remedy the situation as best as possible.
I recently sold a home and bought a home.
One needs to disclose all kinds of things they used to not have to.
Like predators nearby, mold, drug activity on the premises, etc. etc.
It is something to think about.
I heard enough about this subject by experts in the field to last me a lifetime.
This is all I will say.

 

[Dixie_Amazon]

Personally I would find out how to dispose of it.

When I was in middle school (early 70's) we had asbestos squares to set our Bunsen burners on. We used to frisbee them at each other when the teacher was out of the room.

 

[carouselvic]

I have been schooled in asbestos abatement, Class I and Class II. The floor tile that you refer to are not very dangerous as is, but there is no safe level of asbestos. These tiles are double bagged and buried in an area that they do not plan to ever disturb again. I would never advocate using these tiles, but if I lived in a house that had them on the floor I would not be losing sleep over them.

 

[Warbaby]

Worth reading to put things in perspective:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,969251,00.html

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I worry about those newfangled mercury bulbs (compact fluorescent).

Check this:

Forty five (45) experimental trials where compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) were broken in a small/ moderate sized room were conducted in May through September of 2007. Eighteen (18) trials, three trials each of six differing scenarios, were originally planned for this study; however, additional trials were added to attempt to more fully address potential cleanup concerns. Broken lamps were either not cleaned up, cleaned up using Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) pre-study cleanup guidance, vacuumed, or cleaned up using variations of the pre-study cleanup guidance. The mercury concentrations at the five foot height (adult breathing zone) and one foot height (infant/toddler breathing zone)1 above the study room floor were continuously monitored. The most notable finding of the study was how variable the results can be depending on the type of lamp, level of ventilation and cleanup method.

The pre-study cleanup guidance was generally found to be sound, including the advice to not vacuum as part of the cleanup. However as a result of this study, the cleanup guidance was modified. The new cleanup guidance can be seen in Appendix E.

Mercury concentration in the study room air often exceeds the Maine Ambient Air Guideline (MAAG) of 300 nanograms per cubic meter (ng/m3) for some period of time, with short excursions over 25,000 ng/m3, sometimes over 50,000 ng/m3, and possibly over 100,000 ng/m3 from the breakage of a single compact fluorescent lamp. A short period of venting can, in most cases, significantly reduce the mercury air concentrations after breakage. Concentrations can sometimes rebound when rooms are no longer vented, particularly with certain types of lamps and during/after vacuuming. Mercury readings at the one foot height tend to be greater than at the five foot height in non vacuumed situations.

http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/cflreport.htm

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Worth reading to put things in perspective:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,969251,00.html

Thanks for this.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

AND...mold can be deadly and a lot of us are routinely exposed to it with collecting, plus it's in houses with moisture problems...

I'm not diminishing any dangers, just saying there are lots out there...

Not to mention radon!