Asbestos tiles were popular for their dimensional stability. Asbestos tiles could be used in houses because they were resistant to abrasion, chemicals and acids, qualities which were great for flooring. Asbestos tiles were also used as fire retardants and for insulation because they don’t burn and don’t conduct electricity either.

However, given the findings of all the health complications that asbestos could lead to, a lot of people are trying to get rid of asbestos from their house. Whether you should go for asbestos abatement in the form of demolition and renovation or simply encapsulation depends on the condition of the property and the tiles.

Asbestos tiles were used both for the floor and the ceiling. If the layer beneath the floor tiles is wood and you need to renovate it, there could be a few problems. On the other hand, asbestos tiles could always be covered with linoleum or some other non-asbestos containing material.

You need to be careful with asbestos tilesespecially when you are planning to remove them. Whether asbestos tiles are in the floor or in the ceiling, you need to wear a proper suit, safety glasses and other safety equipment to prevent the asbestos fibers from harming you.

Air circulation should be turned off and the floor and ceiling should be wetted with water. This makes the asbestos fibers heavy and prevents them from floating in air, where they could be inhaled. The floor, in case you are removing the ceiling asbestos tiles, should be covered with plastic, which will collect all the broken material.

In case of asbestos tiles heavy equipment which can break the tiles should be avoided. Damp rags are used to clean out the areas too. If you want to just cover up the asbestos tiles on the floor instead of an expensive renovation you can use a rubber based carpet, vinyl flooring, ceramic tiles or linoleum.