Sealing Asbestos Floor Tiles With Epoxy

Using epoxy paint to seal and keep an old asbestos containing tile floor is described beginning at asbestos flooring left in place we need to level spots where floor tiles were removed so that variations in the original floor surface don t telegraph up through a new layer of resilient sheet flooring to be installed.

Sealing asbestos floor tiles with epoxy.

Step 1 use the hammer and pry bar to remove the baseboards along the floor in the area that has the asbestos tile. Both these options will keep the asbestos trapped in the floor. No sealer is needed. You can also use an epoxy floor coating over asbestos tile.

Just keep in mind the asbestos will still be there if someone does demolition or renovation work in the future. That s enough to prevent the damage and wear that can release fibers into the air. After sealing the asbestos tiles you can install a new floor on top of the old one. You will need to repeat the coating from time to time.

Carpeting and a suitable pad will do the trick. Plan to add a maintenance coat of polyurethane every two years. Epoxy paint designed for floors holds up well to regular foot traffic. Let the paint cure for two or three days then apply three coats of clear water based polyurethane.

In many cases the best thing to do about vinyl asbestos flooring is put a new layer of flooring on top of it. About sealing vinyl asbestos tile floors especially in residential use where school or public regulations and public access worries don t apply i ve had great success using epoxy paints but you may find a shorter term less durable but safe coating using clear coating floor restorer products.