jade_jenkins•1mo agoOG Member

Vent: Asbestos tiles under my kitchen floor

I was pulling up old laminate in my kitchen and found what looks like asbestos tiles. Safe removal costs way more than I planned to spend. I thought about just sealing it and forgetting it. My neighbor said his dad did that years back with no issues. Now I can't decide between being safe and not blowing my budget.

4 comments

4 Comments

blair2481mo agoMost Upvoted

Sealing it might seem fine now, but any future work will disturb those fibers. I had a friend who covered theirs and it caused issues when they went to sell. Save up and get it done properly for peace of mind.

kevinh101mo ago

Bad take, Blair. That "peace of mind" you talk about from full removal isn't an option for everyone. Sometimes the safe, professional seal-and-cover is the only realistic choice financially. It's not about passing the buck, it's about managing risk with the money you actually have. Acting like there's only one right answer ignores how the real world works.

leos891mo ago

Sounds like your floor is pulling the same stunt as my ex, showing its worst side only after you're already committed. Blair248 isn't wrong about the future hassle, my dude. I tried the seal-and-ignore method on some sketchy basement tiles once. Fast forward five years, a tiny crack in the sealant meant every time the dog scratched the floor I was low-key panicking about airborne death dust. If you ever need to run new wires or pipes, or if you sell the place, that covered problem becomes a huge negotiation headache. Honestly, checking if your city has any removal help programs saved my budget back then.

chen.parker1mo ago

Yeah, but the sealant itself degrades over decades. You might just be passing the problem and cost to future you.