How to lay laminate on uneven asbestos floor tiles

[Danny Hardy]

Hey all, I and my partner recently moved into a new house and when we ripped up the carpets found asbestos floor tiles below, they are all in great condition so we just want to cover them up, I've gone around the first room we want to lay the laminate flooring in to make sure it's flat, which mostly it is, however, there are about 3-4 small areas around the edges where there are slopes that cause about a 5mm gap of unevenness.

What's the best way to go about getting our laminate down over these tiles, any floor fitters on here that can give some advice?

Thanks

 

[MMarve]

Isn't it my partner and I?

 

[JP_]

Not a floor fitter, so might not be the best idea ... but could levelling compound work? If gaps to subfloor, then I won't, but if all sealed, and you're careful to add exactly the right amount (not like I did, and then frantically scoop up excess) then that should work ...

 

[Danny Hardy]

I've read about floor levelling compound and many strongly advise against putting the levelling compound over it for a number of reasons, mainly it not bonding and also when it dries it apparently can rip up the tiles if they are not 100% secure, they look it to me but I'm not sure I want to take the risk. With flooring, and levelling compounds you are also supposed to key the subfloor so it can grip and for obvious reasons that cant is done.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

With flooring, and levelling compounds you are also supposed to key the subfloor so it can grip and for obvious reasons that cant is done.

But what you can do is encapsulate the tiles with a layer of plywood, then lay down the SLC. I'd really like to know how the flooring guys deal with this issue as my understanding has always been that you shouldn't disturb the asbestos - which drilling and screwdriving clearly will

On the other hand the asbestos is probably chrysotile (the least harmful) and they may simply advise removal. That's the approach often taken on the commercial stuff I work on, in which case we always sub the work out to a specialist

 

[Danny Hardy]

We have had it tested, it is the white chrysotile asbestos which yeah is the least dangerous, I've also done a little research into the plywood option however I am concerned about the amount of height it would add to the room, plywood then underlay then 12mm laminate on top of the tiles?

When asbestos is in a non-friable state it's best just left alone from what I understand, it only becomes dangerous when it's handled or broken.

My other concern with the removal of the tiles is it would leave the black mastic on the floor which I believe asbestos removal guys just seal and you cant put floor levelling stuff over the mastic apparently, again it won't bond.

Plywood is sounding like the best option, especially if something like this would work, only 3mm

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Gen...IuuhZBTbgWqtuTuy02hoCHJQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

But yeah the question is how to secure it into place

 

[JohnD]

Isn't it my partner and I?

No, it was Danny and their partner.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

When asbestos is In a non-friable state its best just left alone from what I understand, it only becomes dangerous when its handled or broken

Correct. But in reality there are only two ways you are allowed to deal with it - encapsulate and document it OR remove it. I don't think that laying SLC directly over the top of it is either safe or legal (maybe a floorer versed in this could confirm?), and if adding ply puts 6mm on the floor height, what is the problem? Yes, the bottoms of the doors will need to be trimmed and you may need a door threshold or two, but what else? As a tradesman one of the worst things in the world is to start working on something (like your kitchen floor 20 years from now, long after you've sold the house) only to find that you have been cutting out a suspicious material which is undocumented and improperly encapsulated (so at best you've contaminated yourself)