# Problem with carpet glued to asbestos tile and want to replace...



## bobcaryh (Nov 29, 2011)

Hi all
This is my first post.

I have a basement floor in a house I owned for a few years now. It currently has a real thin berber type carpet in it.I was going to pull this and put down laminate. Anyway,I pulled some up and saw it was glued to a tile floor which was over the concrete. I had suspicions and sent the tile for testing,it is 10% asbestos.

So now I have a carpet over tile that I don't want to spend $2000 to have removed by an asbestos company, but I don't want the carpet.

Anyone have any ideas what I can do? I was thinking of just getting a new carpet and have laid over this one,but not sure if that will work or not. I can't put laminate down and I can't glue carpet tiles to the existing carpet.

I don't have a lot of creativity or experience with this sort of thing so am looking for ideas into other avenues I could try.
Thanks in advance.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

It's not really an accepted way to do it but, the carpet can be cut back around the edges, tack strip put down and the old carpet used for pad. If you can get an installer to do it. I have done it a few times and it does work. But it must be power stretched. It will not work at all if kicked.


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## bobcaryh (Nov 29, 2011)

Hmm. The floor under this is concrete,i really don't want to go busting into the floor with tack strips if I don't have to either. I am just not in a good spot here. I am half tempted to remove the old carpet and tile myself,it isn't powdering and appears to be either just laying there or stuck to the old carpet. But,I don't want to mess with asbestos if I don't have to. Thanks for the idea though,I will add it to the list.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

If the tile is down tight, the strip can be glued down.


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## bobcaryh (Nov 29, 2011)

deleted


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## bobcaryh (Nov 29, 2011)

The carpet over it is so thin and compact,I am considering just laying laminate floor over it. I am not sure what else to do unless I just up and pay for the removal which I really just don't want to spend 3000 on.I would rather just take a chance I think and go over the carpet. I pulled a bit more on the edge and the tile does appear to be really well glued down, the carpet was pulling it up which is why i thought it was just laying there.

I ordered a test box of cyber monday laminate from loses from 15 bucks and will lay it out on the carpet and just simply see what it is like.If it holds up,I will get some of the good 12mm stuff and put down.I think this is about my only option.I just don't want to try gluing carpet tack strips and have the asbestos tile pop up,plus I wouldn't want to be the poor installer wondering what I am working on.If I laminate over it, it will simply be encapsulated and no one including me and my family will be the worse for wear.If I have to replace the laminate floor after 10 years,so be it,they are so cheap anymore I will still be ahead and probably won't be in the house then anyway.


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## JazMan (Feb 17, 2007)

Laminate over the old carpet? You are kiddin right? 

What do you think will happen when you remove the carpet with tiles attached? Do you think the asbestos will ooze out and kill you? The asbestos is in the tile and will stay there unless you grind or sand it. It has to be friable and you breath it to possibly hurt you. Some say it would take many years of exposure to asbestos dust to hurt you. The harm might be to workers exposed for many years. However I don't suggest people get careless even for a one time exposure. Don't sand it and you should be fine. If in doubt, mist the area with water if you anticipate dust.

Many would say this asbestos abatement is a great racket though.

Jaz


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## bobcaryh (Nov 29, 2011)

Yeah I know about the years of exposure thing. But The tile is going to start snapping when i peel the carpet up thus it will be 300 sq ft of friable tile.Plus there is black mastic under it which is asbestos as well. Armstrong themselves have on their website that laminate can be put over 1/4" or thinner carpet.This carpet I have down is hard as the concrete under it and I simply don't see how it would be any different than me using a foam pad under laminate.It has absolutely no give and there floor is level. I just don't think it is worth the chance to start moving all this tile around if I can cover it with the same result as putting foam over concrete.


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