3 flooring ques

13 years ago

I really hope somebody can help answer our questions...

Please see photos: http://s1124.photobucket.com/albums/l561/Ira_Zoe/

1) Is that (stained) pine on the stairs?

2) Do these vinyl tiles contain asbestos and require special care to remove?

3) How can we get the black glue off the hardwood floor in order to refinish it?

Looking forward to reading your suggestions!

Here is a link that might be useful: wooden stairs and vinyl tiles

Comments (7)

glennsfc
13 years ago
Could be either asphalt asbestos, vinyl asbestos or rubber tile that was improperly installed with cutback type adhesive.

A professional would slice off the adhesive with sharp razor scrapers and then sand the remainder off. Does the adhesive contain asbestos? Probably. Is that a problem? Probably not, but you have to make that decision for yourself.
glennsfc
13 years ago
Your stairs look like oak treads and chestnut risers.
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jerzeegirl
13 years ago
What size are the vinyl tiles? If they are 9" x 9" there's a good chance they contain asbestos.
Ira_Zoe
Original Author
13 years ago
We were told our trim is gumwood... Could that be the wood on the staircase?

Also, the tiles are 9"x9". Is asbestos in the tiles, or in the black adhesive, or both?

The tiles seem to be pried up using a scraper quite easily without breaking, so is it ok to remove them that way? (I read somewhere they should be wetted down first.)

If there's asbestos in the tiles/adhesive, do we need to wear a special mask when removing them?

Thanks again for your advice!
jerzeegirl
13 years ago
The asbestos would most likely be in both the tiles and the adhesive.

What kind of a floor are you planning to install where the asbestos tiles currently are? If the tiles are not friable and are level, maybe you can leave them in place and install right over them?

You should were a mask for any kind of demo work regardless of whether you think there's asbestos or not. Breathing any kind of dust is not a good thing.
Ira_Zoe
Original Author
13 years ago
We believe there's hardwood (oak) under the vinyl tiles. So, we plan to refinish rather than replace... unless we get a nasty surprise.

I guess we should consider a plan B!

TX for responding, all!
glennsfc
13 years ago
It would be silly to give up on your hardwood, especially if it is very decent lumber to begin with. However, that said, you may want to remove it all and install new. It would avoid your having to deal with the asphaltic adhesive removal.