Asbestos Linoleum?
I’m starting a renovation and the asbestos inspector will be coming soon. I have no pipe insulation of any sort, but am worried about asbestos in the linoleum and possibly in the old (1950s/60s) shower tile/grout. The linoleum in the picture is what I’m questioning. The stuff on the left peels up like paper -…
I’m starting a renovation and the asbestos inspector will be coming soon. I have no pipe insulation of any sort, but am worried about asbestos in the linoleum and possibly in the old (1950s/60s) shower tile/grout. The linoleum in the picture is what I’m questioning. The stuff on the left peels up like paper – very thin and is the top layer of flooring in the areas to be renovated. The stuff on the right (samples showing both sides) is underneath. It has a very tough top surface, but a fragile black cardboard-like structure underneath.
I also have some more recent linoleum, vinyl, in the basement from the 60s I think. It does not tear so easily.
Do you think any of this has asbestos? What does abatement run for flooring removal jobs? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
cdopher, did you find that any of the linoleum had asbestor? I am thinking of buying a home that has linoleum thruout and also 6″ up the wall and I want to remove it.
Any comments on this would be helpful.
It’s the 9″ squares that are the most likely to be asbestos containing. Also, I think a lot of the old adhesive had asbestos in it.
I’m no expert, but AFAIK real (pre-vinyl) linoleum didn’t have asbestos in it and the flooring that did have asbestos–vinyl-asbestos tile–came in 12″ squares and was brittle and shattered easily. I don’t think you have to worry about asbestos in this flooring, but I hope someone who knows more chimes in.