Asbestos in carpet adhesive?

I am considering buying a home that has wall-to-wall carpeting. The carpeting is old and needs to go. I checked under the carpet and saw the padding was glued to the unfinished wood floor throughout the house. I have read that before the 1980’s the adhesive used to secure the padding contained asbestos. I am wondering if anyone has had experience with this. Does the whole house need an asbestos abatement? There doesn’t seem to be a way to test for this but I don’t want to release asbestos fibers when the padding is removed. Thank you.

dalmatinka

in Carpet and Upholstery 10 years and 10 months ago

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naturallythebestdotcom | 10 years and 10 months ago

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Testing the carpet mastic will only require a small corner or area in a closet to be cut out and packaged for the lab, I always say the size of a dollar bill bulk sample size is usually sufficient. If you are worried about dust suppression and release of fibers, be sure the area is wetted (preferably with soap and water mixture). Asbestos that is intact or encapsulated (i.e. covered by carpet) is generally safe as long as maintained and not disturbed. When construction activities take place that is when you want to hire a professional to ensure fibers are becoming airborne. You can view more information on my website : www.naturallythebest.com Let me know if you have any further specific questions. Good luck. Steven Nardozzi

Green Mountain | 10 years and 10 months ago

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Of course you can test for Asbestos. If your new home is a coop, your management may require you to test, even if the area is too small to require mitigation. Check out this site for laws and links to environmental labs: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/asbestos/homeowners.htm Nice of you to ask. Asbestos is a hazard to both occupants and workers.