linoleum over hardwood floors

[uh-oh]

just bought house built in 1900. uh-oh! beautiful heart pine floors upstairs and down. In the kitchen there is a layer of sheet linoleum over heavily (and I mean heavily) nailed 1/2" plywood. Below the plywood is 12" vinyl tiles over some sort of black goop that is rock hard. Finally below all of this is beautiful pine flooring. How do I get to the bottom, literally, of this? Are these substances toxic?


scared & excited[?]

[Jimmer]

Debra,

Where you are dealing with a house that had work done prior to the 1970's I would be concerned about asbestos. Many types of building products and insulation materials made before the 1970s contain asbestos. These products include pipe and furnace insulation materials; asbestos and cement shingles, siding, and roofing; millboard; resilient floor tiles, the backing on vinyl sheet flooring, and floor tile adhesives; soundproofing or decorative material; patching and joint compound.

Proper handling is essential to avoid inhalation, you should have it sampled and analyzed by a qualified professional. Until you receive the results, treat the material as if it contains asbestos. Better safe than sick!

Good luck, Jim

'Just a handyman trying to help'

[nates]

I have heard all about the asbestose in the floor tile and thats the last thing i want to worry about, my grampa died of lung cancer from asbestose (mesothielioma sp?) and it was bad. i have been redoing the flooring in my new house now and i was wondering if i had anything to worry about? the house was built in '76. the only thing that isnt original is the a/c and the ceramic tile i laid in the bathroom.

nate