Topic starter
A bit random but also people seem to know the most random answers to questions on here every time I ask so here goes.
We're doing a little renovation in our (rented) house which started with painting then we decided in the area we were painting we would take up the crappy linoleum floor as has been done in other parts of the house to reveal nice old original wooden floor boards.
We started doing it and took up several sections then suddenly thought (a little late I know) that there was a possibility it could have asbestos in it. Does anyone know how we would be able to tell? Or can anyone tell from the photos i've attached?
There is the original floorboards, then what we thought was a Masonite type board glued to this (which is the grey stuff you see in the photos) but we thought this could also maybe contain Asbestos? On top of this is the lino stuff which is pictured with the wood effect finish and we are also wondering if this could contain asbestos?
Current situation is that we've pulled up the lino stuff which was stuck to the (possible) masonite board underneath, in removing the lino it has also pulled up some of the masonite hence the grey colour you see in the photos. What we were planning to do next is take a scraper/knife etc to the grey stuff to reveal the floor boards and then sand these back to the nice wood.
So we're a little stuck in the middle, we've already made the mistake of taking up the floor without checking (to be honest we didn't even know the lino floor could contain asbestos) and now have the exposed masonite (asbestos) stuff we need to remove ore recover so a little bit stuck in the middle.
Any advice appreciated :).
If photos don't work then here is a link to them
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4714/39547646765_63932b5fe5_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4714/39547646765_63932b5fe5_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/23fG2yH ]DSC04011[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/98738265@N07/ ]Willy Gibson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4614/40399986002_bbc13ffcc3_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4614/40399986002_bbc13ffcc3_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/24y1ujN ]DSC04010[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/98738265@N07/ ]Willy Gibson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4709/40399985852_029df60f64_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4709/40399985852_029df60f64_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/24y1uhd ]DSC04009[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/98738265@N07/ ]Willy Gibson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4660/25572749357_cbc027c1ec_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4660/25572749357_cbc027c1ec_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/EXM2rF ]DSC04008[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/98738265@N07/ ]Willy Gibson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4611/38633434800_7179867678_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4611/38633434800_7179867678_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/21RUscs ]DSC04006[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/98738265@N07/ ]Willy Gibson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4762/38633434570_5f8352886b_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4762/38633434570_5f8352886b_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/21RUs8u ]DSC04004[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/98738265@N07/ ]Willy Gibson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4721/39547645395_0fd71835c2_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4721/39547645395_0fd71835c2_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/23fG2a6 ]DSC04003[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/98738265@N07/ ]Willy Gibson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4745/40399984692_1201a6fdd6_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4745/40399984692_1201a6fdd6_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/24y1tWd ]DSC04002[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/98738265@N07/ ]Willy Gibson[/url], on Flickr
Posted : 23/02/2018 8:09 pm
The lino will not have asbestos in it and the glue looks like lignum paste which is the old lino glue .
sorry I cannot comment on the felty looking stuff but it was normal to use a paper felt in the very old days as underlayment for lino .
the black glue should dissolve with water
and the backing of the lino is hessian .
Posted : 23/02/2018 8:34 pm
Trout I've had lino/vinyl that has had asbestos in it However removal guys said it's as low risk as it gets. A test is the only certain way of knowing.
Posted : 24/02/2018 1:35 am
yes you are correct but the stuff in the picture is old linoleum and as most of that has been removed allready then no point in testing .
not generic lino / vynil. which can contain asbestos
yes by all means test the fibrous stuff remaining
Posted : 24/02/2018 5:34 am
Two separate issues here...
Asbestos in the flooring informs the way that it's removed, and by whom. Flooring can be a low risk, but if it's breaking down then that risk is raised
Asbestos (if it's present) may have been released during the removal process. Don't vacuum up and do close the room off until you've got advice and had an analysis done, which is a laboratory job. If it's a) present and b) airborne further work will only spread the problem further and make the final bill larger
I got my analysis done by a local asbestos removal company, sampled, analysed and report within 24 hours. £72 for samples from two rooms (I took the samples, more if the company do it)
Posted : 24/02/2018 6:10 am
There are a few companies who let you take the samples and send them off to them for testing. Probably the easiest way can’t remember the company that I have used but google will reveal several.
Posted : 24/02/2018 6:38 am
The lino isn't asbestos. Asbestos vinyl lay never came in wood effect finish in my experience. Asbestos lino is quite brittle and almost has a felt finish to the underside.
Not sure what the stuff underneath is from looking at pictures. Is it a paper backing below the lay, maybe old insulation of some sort.
If it is paper then there is a possibility it could contain asbestos, but not found it in that location before, personally. You can send a sample in to a lab and it is Cheap to analyse.
I'm an asbestos surveyor.
Posted : 24/02/2018 7:22 am
Double bag a sample and send to TVS analysis: http://www.tvsanalysis.co.uk/
£12 for a 3 day turn around per sample
£18 24hr
IIRC
phone/email to let them know before you send
Posted : 24/02/2018 7:34 am
Or employ a couple of 60 year old handymen to pull it up.
They'll be dead long before they get asbestos related problems... 
Posted : 24/02/2018 8:53 am
I had a "parquet wood" floor that was in fact made of tiles with asbestos in- looked like yours.
Posted : 24/02/2018 4:53 pm
if you in a rental property should the landlord hold an asbestos report? they all should in commercial property, all the refurb and demo reports ive seen recently show asb in vinyl floor tiles, usually the hard/rigid glued down square tiles. if in doubt get tests done
Posted : 24/02/2018 11:38 pm
