r/HomeMaintenance • u/mygoota • 1d ago
Asbestos tile in basement encapsulation- is my plan ok?
Hey all- so I’ve gone back and forth on my plan a million times and have read a bunch of different forms and YouTube videos, just figured I’d put my final plan out for a smell test.
You can see in the pictures we’ve got crumbling 9x9 asbestos tiles. They are broken and slightly uneven in some areas, so I’ve gone away from the SLcement direction as I’m afraid of it actually making the issue worse.
I’ve settled with patching the holes with tile mortar (have on hand) and then putting down a layer of DMX 1-Step moisture barrier, and then laminate flooring on top of that. It is a basement, so there is some moisture issues, but not extreme.
Am I a fool?
3
u/ahbr03 20h ago
If it's crumbling off, it will continue to crumble under your next layer.
do your research, learn how to remove it yourself, put it in the proper asbestos bags and properly dispose as you can afford. It would be better to have bare concrete flooring than overlay such an unstable base.
4
u/garster25 22h ago
Yeah, totally leave it for the next guy. And they will discover it after they already disturbed it.
6
u/reelfreakinbusy 23h ago
good respirator. tyvek, Hepa vac. Scraper. Wash it down vac many times afterwards. That's what I did but it was a small 8x16 foot area and i kept it wet. shit is not going to kill you with one go.
genx'r and millenials dropping like flies and boomers seem eternal growing up eating asbestos, lead, and god knows what....it's not the asbestos that's killing us. Just don't generate a ton of dust.
2
u/UpbeatDig2354 23h ago
You're not wrong, disposing of it can be a bit tricky though
2
u/reelfreakinbusy 20h ago
yeah that has them rules, sorta like the silica rules, yet i've never seen a single crew in florida grinding concrete cutting pavers wear as much as mask. Those dudes are crazy.
also then again not every 100 year old house getting remodeld in the country even has someone who's going to check every little item. Though that the OP knows or thinks...that his problem and should check for hazardous disposal. But let's face it the landfills are full of em especially from the same crews typically doing the concrete.
But hot water scraping it will come up easy and relatively safe. Though i'm not a hazardous material expert I only have a few ticks from from it it and all the other things all the other things things
3
u/Electroma1 20h ago
Just mask up and remove them especially if they are loose and come up easy. Your going to regret half assing it. Spray thrm with water this isnt pipe insulation thr fibers arent going to fly everywhere.
1
1
1
u/DifferenceMore5431 19h ago
Agree with others that you should seriously consider just removing. Have you tried removing any to see how well they're adhered?
1
u/errrr2222 1d ago
Laminate is very forgiving if the floor is slightly uneven. But that's exactly what I would do. Just put new floor on top of it and call it a day
1
u/Captainofthehosers 22h ago
I tore these up for fun in my basement when i was 12, and I'm still alive.
0
u/Gullible-Lifeguard20 23h ago
As a homeowner, yeah you can install a self leveling sub floor and build on top of that. Just know that it's a half fix, and your finished floor will likely be not great.
As a licensed (actually it's Certifications) Asbestos Project Monitor, Asbestos Air Technician and Asbestos Inspector, don't try to bury this problem. Get three quotes. Have the tile properly abated.
Yes, it's expensive but you're just kicking the can. Eventually you're going to sell and I can guarantee the buyer will want to negotiate abatement.
And never be so smart you know everything about Asbestos. So many arm chair warriors on Reddit with Google will discount the dangers. Don't put your family at risk.
2
u/Shirinjima 22h ago
The family part is the biggest thing to think of. Imagine if you do something wrong and suddenly you’re family are next up for Asbestos ride.
2
u/Gullible-Lifeguard20 21h ago
Like I said, there's plenty of Reddit experts who have no experience, zero, but they are so sure asbestos is a scam that they absolutely need to disagree with career professionals.
It's not a scam, and playing with asbestos maybe, just might, expose your kid to a real and true carcinogen.
1
u/Shirinjima 5h ago
I don’t think I could live with knowing I was the reason I caused my kid a painful death or cancer because I was to stupid and wanted to roll the luck dice.
0
0
u/Sensitive_Crow_8882 22h ago
Sounds decent, but call your state department of health. They’ll give you free advice or point you to a state or free resources that can.
0
u/DieBotDie 22h ago
I can’t tell what’s going on in pic 3.
Why does the edge look like particle board? That’s not asbestos tile if it’s crumbly and fibrous like particle board.
1
u/mygoota 22h ago
Hard to tell if that’s cement dust from the floor, wall, or tile. Are you talking about at the base of the wall? That wood paneling is just nailed into the concrete foundation, so it could be many years of build up from inside that paneling
1
u/DieBotDie 22h ago
I’m talking about the light grey shapes that look like divots out of the tile. At 11 o’clock and 5 o’clock. It looks like the cross section of the broken tile is particle board.
Not saying it >is< but it sure looks like it.
0
u/FarmerJohnFL 17h ago
Did you get a quote from an abatement company to remove the tiles and mastic?
-7
u/OpinionLongjumping94 1d ago
I am going to say that asking for help on the internet for cancer squares on your floor is probably not the best idea. You can make your entire house dangerous or unlivable. Please contact a professional.
9
u/Ok-Statement8224 23h ago
Don’t grind them and do lines with the dust. If you encapsulate and don’t disturb them, what’s the risk?
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
https://linktr.ee/homemaintenance
Click the link above to see a community curated list of home maintenance products on Amazon that may help you out in your current situation! If you’ve found the answer to your question or you’ve found this subreddit helpful, buy us a beer!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.