Vinyl and thermoplastic floor tiles, and the black bitumen adhesive under them, are listed by HSE among common places asbestos is found in buildings built or refurbished before 2000 (HSE). They are often 9 inch (about 23 cm) or 12 inch squares, but size alone does not prove anything.
Leave, cover or remove?
- Leave them if they are intact and you are not lifting the floor.
- Cover them with a new floor laid over the top, without sanding or grinding the tiles first.
- Remove them after a sample test. Some short, lower-risk work can be non-licensed following HSE Asbestos Essentials (HSE); otherwise use a competent contractor.
Don't
Don't sand, grind, scrape with power tools or break up tiles you have not had tested.
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