Dealing with asbestos tile can be either easy and safe or very difficult and dangerous -- it all depends on the individual situation.
Asbestos may be found in older tile in several instances, as it could be present in the mastic (what is used to stick ceramic and porcelain tiles down -- but what is more common is when asbestos was added to sheet flooring made from vinyl or other materials and installed like linoleum.
If older asbestos tile was installed so that it ca be removed largely intact, there is very little risk and it can be removed and abated relatively easily.
If the tile flooring is still very tightly stuck to the substrate and must be chipped away, it can be a very dangerous situation as asbestos fibers may be sent into the air.
Each installation will be different so there's no general rule of thumb that can be applied to asbestos tile situations.
One additional risk to be aware of is to take care if sanding floors after asbestos tile has been removed, as mastic can also contain asbestos fibers.
In many cases encapsulating and covering up asbestos tile flooring is the safest and most economical solution, with either new sheet flooring installed on top of it or backerboard and tile installed above any older asbestos tile floors.
Asbestos may be found in older tile in several instances, as it could be present in the mastic (what is used to stick ceramic and porcelain tiles down -- but what is more common is when asbestos was added to sheet flooring made from vinyl or other materials and installed like linoleum.
If older asbestos tile was installed so that it ca be removed largely intact, there is very little risk and it can be removed and abated relatively easily.
If the tile flooring is still very tightly stuck to the substrate and must be chipped away, it can be a very dangerous situation as asbestos fibers may be sent into the air.
Each installation will be different so there's no general rule of thumb that can be applied to asbestos tile situations.
One additional risk to be aware of is to take care if sanding floors after asbestos tile has been removed, as mastic can also contain asbestos fibers.
In many cases encapsulating and covering up asbestos tile flooring is the safest and most economical solution, with either new sheet flooring installed on top of it or backerboard and tile installed above any older asbestos tile floors.
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