# removing old laminate flooring in kitchen concerned about asbestos



## sullivansfive (Aug 13, 2011)

Did you ever find out about the underlayment in your kitchen? Ours is the exact same way and am wondering about asbestos as well. 

Thanks,
Amanda


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

How old is the floor?

The black 'cut back' adhesive often contained asbestos---getting the floor tested is the best thing.


----------



## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

How thick is that plywood that is under whatever it is you are scraping on? Look in a floor vent or pry up an edge (if you can) and see how thick that plywood is before you go any further.


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

I was wondering why the thread title said laminate? I don't see any laminate.


----------



## sullivansfive (Aug 13, 2011)

The plywood is about 1/4" and appears to have had the paper/cardboard glued to it. I thought at first it was the backing to the sheet vinyl but the vinyl was stapled at the edges and only glued at the seams. Also the nails holding the underlayment down are on top of the cardboard so it was already on top of the plywood when installed. I just bought more plywood today and plan to go on top of it just in case it contains asbestos and so that I can adhere vct without worrying about the cardboard/paper peeling up in the future. Any other ideas??


----------



## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

> The plywood is about 1/4" and appears to have had the paper/cardboard glued to it.


Okay good deal, that's what I suspected and was hoping for.

The 1/4" plywood is a part of the vinyl installation. Take it out with the vinyl and you won't have to scrape or handle the vinyl that much.

Locate the seams in the plywood and cut along those seams with a utility knife. Then, pry up the plywood with the vinyl still attached to it. That's the way it is done.

It is never a good idea to heap flooring on top of flooring.


----------



## sullivansfive (Aug 13, 2011)

So,paper coated plywood and vinyl both need to come out? Is the paper asbestos based or just some kind of leveling paper? Looks like there is some kind of old Linoleum tile or something under the plywood. We still have original (circa 1940) Linoleum in the bathrooms so I'm guessing it's the same thing. 
I have three small children and am concerned about them walking on being around all this mess!



Bud Cline said:


> Okay good deal, that's what I suspected and was hoping for.
> 
> The 1/4" plywood is a part of the vinyl installation. Take it out with the vinyl and you won't have to scrape or handle the vinyl that much.
> 
> ...


----------



## CountryCare (Aug 8, 2011)

rusty baker said:


> I was wondering why the thread title said laminate? I don't see any laminate.


He is talking about the Vinyl Tile before Laminate wood flooring was popular. Laminate was a name used for rolls of vinyl tile.


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

CountryCare said:


> He is talking about the Vinyl Tile before Laminate wood flooring was popular. Laminate was a name used for rolls of vinyl tile.


Musta been before my time. I've only been installing since 1973.


----------



## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

> He is talking about the Vinyl Tile before Laminate wood flooring was popular. Laminate was a name used for rolls of vinyl tile.


*Okay this is beginning to get out of control.*

1.My first issue is with this comment:


> Laminate wood flooring


Not sure I know what that is. Sounds contradictory to me, but I'm not going to argue about some conjured terms.

2. My next issue has to do with:


> Laminate was a name used for rolls of vinyl tile.


I've only been in flooring for about thirty-five years so maybe I'm not knowledgeable enough or old enough to have heard this term (laminate) as it relates to flooring products used before it first came to be used about fifteen (or so) years ago in this country referring to plastic laminate fused to a wood core. Can't remember any flooring being referred to as laminate flooring before that time. At that time the first product I can recall was from a company known as Perstop and the laminate flooring product was named Pergo. Again...not going to argue.

3. One more issue I have is again with the statement:


> Laminate was a name used for *rolls of vinyl tile*.


And again maybe I haven't paid attention in the last three and a half decades in the industry but I don't think I have ever seen or heard of tiles coming in "rolls". However "rolls" of "tile" would be interesting. I personally view the above as hog-wash. Not going to argue about that either.

*Okay Sullivans...Back to your situation *and Moving Right Along, here's what I see in the photo.

I DO NOT see "paper coated plywood" and I don't think you do either.

What I do see is vinyl floor covering with its standard backing (sometimes referred to as "felt") that does give the appearance of a paper-like material. This vinyl floor covering with its paper-like backing is adhered to what appears to be a plywood substrate using a black tar-like adhesive commonly referred to as "cutback adhesive".

The installation I see is not from Mars or Jupiter or some other mysterious place with argumentative names, and it certainly isn't unusual in my experience. Based on what you (Sullivans) are saying about the time-frame the product probably does contain asbestos. So does the black adhesive. You can get as nervous as you care to that's your call but as long as you don't sand it or grind it or sniff at it or eat some of it or get the molecules airborne it is said (by all government agencies) that removal of the product isn't necessarily an issue. We all know how wise the government is these days. So it's your call on how you deal with it.

Each state in the U.S. has information about removal of this product on a website somewhere. Check it out for your location.

I have given you the up to the minute advice on removal as I know it coming from the flooring industry and dealing with this crap on a regular basis. You do whatever you are comfortable with.

My suggestion is you remove the plywood with flooring material attached and be done with it. If there is more old flooring below that flooring...remove it also. It is never a good idea to heap floor-coverings on top of floor-coverings.

END


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

CountryCare said:


> He is talking about the Vinyl Tile before Laminate wood flooring was popular. Laminate was a name used for rolls of vinyl tile.


Probably confusing laminate with linoleum.


----------

