Please help me!

[Virginia P. Chick]

I have no idea who to turn to so I am hoping someone here can help me.

My husband, parents and I are renovating a house that was built in the 1950's. We came across a kitchen floor that was made from material that we thought was old linoleum. My stepfather took a piece of it and burned it and said that he didn't think it was asbestos since it burned.

Well, stupidly we all proceeded to strip the floor and the black "adhesive" down to the original wood. Now I am freaking out because I am wondering if it was indeed asbestos. No one used the proper masks, gloves or anything. I am sure asbestos fibers were flying all over the place, including into our lungs.

I honestly cannot sleep over the worry. Now I feel we all will develop lung cancer from breathing in this stuff.

Is there a way to determine whether that material was asbestos? The floor is pretty much clean now but could something in the surrounding area be tested for fibers? From what I read, it is very likely that it was asbestos, but I want to make sure.

Can someone suggest something here? I am sick from worry about the impact on all of us who worked on this floor!!!

[John McKenna]

Please read the following article and seek professional advise.

http://www.nachi.org/asbestos.htm?PH...a1bbb79de3720d

[Virginia P. Chick]

Thank you. What type of professional would you suggest?

[Joe Hugenroth]

Originally Posted by Virginia P. Chick

Thank you. What type of professional would you suggest?

Look under asbestos abatement or asbestos removal in your local yellow pages.

[Virginia P. Chick]

But the material has already been removed by us - stupidly. I am thinking that it was vinyl flooring made before 1978. It was in a big sheet, not tiles, but probably still had asbestos, correct?

Should our home inspector have caught this? The flooring was covered up by carpet at first.

[jwortham1]

Should our home inspector have caught this? The flooring was covered up by carpet at first.

It was concealed by carpet? Then no, your inspector shouldn't have caught it.

[Bruce M. Graham, III]

While some of the tiles do not contain asbestos some of the adhesives did. If you have any of the debris left you can always have it tested. Good luck.

[Greg Bell]

Look on the bright side, we are all going to die someday anyway.

[Carl Pennick]

Hello Virginia,

Call Mayhew Environmental Training Associates on 1-800 444 6382

I done my asbestos abatement training through them. They should be able help you

[Virginia P. Chick]

Bruce,

Can you believe it...my stepfather decided to completely finish taking off the adhesive somehow and didn't tell us until later. ugh.

The adhesive is the part that my husband worked with the most which is why I am concerned. I don't know how much exposure is harmful.

Do you think they could wipe down any areas around the floor to get samples? I do not know how much of a sample they would need.

[Bruce M. Graham, III]

See Carl's post above.

[Gerry Beaumont]

Originally Posted by Virginia P. Chick

Bruce,

Can you believe it...my stepfather decided to completely finish taking off the adhesive somehow and didn't tell us until later. ugh.

The adhesive is the part that my husband worked with the most which is why I am concerned. I don't know how much exposure is harmful.

Do you think they could wipe down any areas around the floor to get samples? I do not know how much of a sample they would need.

Virgina,

It is somewhat unlikely that you have released much in the way of asbestos fibres into the air. The fibres are of most concern when they can escape into free air (This is called friable) in all likelyhood any asbestos fibres in either the floor or the adhesive were fully encapsulated in the other materials used in the floor and the adhesive (in other words they were all stuck together and therefore not likely to be released) I would not wish to completely down-play the risk, but asbestos fibres in these materials is nothing like as dangerous as the typical asbestos insullation that we see.

Having said all that, the fllor would have been better left alone, or removed professionally, as this didn't happen I would contact a lab for testing. This can easily and cheaply be done using swabs, try the yellow pages in your area under enviromental services or call your city/county board of health or the local EPA office in your area who will be able to reommend a testing company and lab.

Regards

Gerry

[Carl Pennick]

The EPA guidelines for sampling of homogeneous sampling area is a minimum of 3 samples they do recommend 9 but that does not sound possible by what you have said.
Is there any way you can find out out the trade name of the material in question I do have a list of Trade names of asbestos containing products. I know you said the house was built in the 1950's but is this the original floor.

[James F. McKee]

Originally Posted by Virginia P. Chick

I have no idea who to turn to so I am hoping someone here can help me.

My husband, parents and I are renovating a house that was built in the 1950's. We came across a kitchen floor that was made from material that we thought was old linoleum. My stepfather took a piece of it and burned it and said that he didn't think it was asbestos since it burned.

Well, stupidly we all proceeded to strip the floor and the black "adhesive" down to the original wood. Now I am freaking out because I am wondering if it was indeed asbestos. No one used the proper masks, gloves or anything. I am sure asbestos fibers were flying all over the place, including into our lungs.

I honestly cannot sleep over the worry. Now I feel we all will develop lung cancer from breathing in this stuff.

Is there a way to determine whether that material was asbestos? The floor is pretty much clean now but could something in the surrounding area be tested for fibers? From what I read, it is very likely that it was asbestos, but I want to make sure.

Can someone suggest something here? I am sick from worry about the impact on all of us who worked on this floor!!!

Virginia
the odds of getting sick from the removal of one floor are truly small....the black "adhesive " you are talking about was probably part of the original backing of the floor and was much safer than the white one that eventualy replaced it...the tar content would have pretty much encapsulated any asbestos which was present and minimized any risk of inhalation...a good idea for the future though is if the floor was manufactured before 1986..leave it in place and cover it with the appropriate underlayment for the new floor...good luck with Your project....Jim

[Joseph Hagarty]

Originally Posted by gbeaumont

Virgina,

It is somewhat unlikely that you have released much in the way of asbestos fibres into the air. The fibres are of most concern when they can escape into free air (This is called friable) in all likelyhood any asbestos fibres in either the floor or the adhesive were fully encapsulated in the other materials used in the floor and the adhesive (in other words they were all stuck together and therefore not likely to be released) I would not wish to completely down-play the risk, but asbestos fibres in these materials is nothing like as dangerous as the typical asbestos insullation that we see.

Having said all that, the fllor would have been better left alone, or removed professionally, as this didn't happen I would contact a lab for testing. This can easily and cheaply be done using swabs, try the yellow pages in your area under enviromental services or call your city/county board of health or the local EPA office in your area who will be able to reommend a testing company and lab.

Regards

Gerry

I concur with Gerry.

It is not likely that you would suffer from a Long Term Health effect from a single exposure to a (Potential) asbestos substance.

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html