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replacing lead tile
Created: 7/22/2006    Updated: 7/22/2006

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Q   Hi, I recently learned that my vinyl tile contains lead. I am not trying to determine what to do with it. I would like to either remove it or replace it by putting a new floor over it. What is recommended? Are there any resources that might be useful? Thanks
A   Heather:

You can remove it yourself, but it can be a lot of work. First you will want to get a dust mask from Home Depot or some other store. I would not get the cheap ones with a rubber band, but a better quality one that fits well. Also, some disposable latex (or non latex gloves). Also, is the tile over wood or concrete. If it is over concrete, the tool used to the remove tile is quite heavy (about the weight of a sledge hammer - give ot take) and the blade must be periodically sharpened. Tile can be decieving because some parts will come easily making you think this is an easy job and some will take everything you have to get it off. If it is a large area and the tile is secure, I would probably go over it with another flooring. You probably need to check with the laws in your state regarding the removal and disposal of the tile because of the lead content. If you have small children, that should be a consideration. NEVER SAND TILE BECAUSE OLD TILE NOT ONLY CONTAINS LEAD, BUT MAY ALSO CONTAIN ASBESTOS. The older tile is secured with an adhesive referred to as "cut-back". It is essentially tar that has been thinned, or cut-back. Even after many many yearsm it can still be sticky and messy in places- s watch your shoes when you walk onto carpet. Heavy traffic areas, places where there was heavy furniture will most likely be the hardest places to remove.
If the tile is over wood, it would be a good idea to see if a "subfloor" was used during the installation. A subfloor is a thin layer of wood, now usually luan or thin plywood, that is fastened to the actual wooden floor structure of the house. The reason to use a subfloor are many including leveling and removal of squeaks and flex. If it is over a sub floor, the entire subfloor would be easier to remove than the tile over it. You can check to see if is over a sub floor a couple of ways. The easiest is to go into the basement and look to see if there a lot of little nails coming therough the floor. The second way is to go to an inconspicuous area (closet/behind frig)and using a sharp chisel, cut a amall two inch hole and see if the is a floor on top of another floor. If the tile is over the main wood floor itself, I would cover it with a subfloor and install over it. Good luck.
Patrick

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