Palm Springs, CA on Oct 29, 2011

I own a 1957 mobile home and I just pulled up all the carpet, padding and some linoleum (in the kitchen), now people

are tell me that there was probably aspestos(sp?) under all that and I could get very sick(feel fine). Is there any truth to this? Also, now all I have are the raw wood sub floor,should I replace it b4 I lay down anything new? I hope I haven't gotten in over my head,as I am doing this by myself with some help from friends! Thanks for any any and all advice

11 Comments

KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

Asbestos was used in some building materials...common items were pipe insulation for boilers, roofing and some flooring material. The "sickness" that people would experience is not an immediate thing, but more of a "cancer" type thing from long term exposure. If you have a small sample of the flooring left you could have it tested...but since all this work is completed it may only give you some peace of mind if it comes up clear. The danger of asbestos is due to inhaled minute "fibers" ...»
that become inhaled. One common treatment is called encapsulation were the offending material is sealed with a paint like product to keep these fibers from becoming dispersed.
for a bit more info you can read this article I wrote.
http://www.networx.com/article/roofing-asbes...

on Oct 29, 2011 · Like 0
Yamini LEED AP at Urbanmo... Duluth, GA

You could also buy a asbestos test kit at a home store and test it yourself.

on Oct 29, 2011 · Like 0
Woodbridge Environmental ... Colonia, NJ

Depending on the age of the flooring that you pulled up would determine or not if you have asbestos present.
As KMS stated your not going to get sick tomorrow. It may take year if at all for your health to deteriorate if it would at all.
Most of the time the concern with asbestos is when it becomes airborne not when it sits on a ...»
floor as a solid material. If you already have removed this material from the home, and have cleaned up all dust from the project. Be sure to replace the filters on the AC and Heat as well. There is little to do at this point. The probability of you having it is low, and much lower if you were exposed to enough of it to even make you sick.

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0
Myra B Palm Springs, CA

Thanks everyone, the only real reason I was worried about the asbestos(that I forgot to mention) is that I have stage 3 bladder cancer, I will call my Doc on Monday to get yelled at! lol

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0
Myra B Palm Springs, CA

I need a clarification about a response about replacing the sub floor, as there iis some problems with the very dry wood. Should I put down plywodd or just add backer board on top?
Thanks again for ALL thhe suggestions!

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

the flooring of most mobile homes is generally a little "lighter" in robustness compared to stick built homes...if you intent on installing tile then the stiffer the better...ply and backer if the height is not going to cause too much trouble

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 1
Myra B Palm Springs, CA

Thanks for the answers, but I'm still hoping for more ideas.

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

What is your plan for the final flooring?...tile...hardwood...laminate ...carpet again?.......this will dictate what you need to do

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0
Myra B Palm Springs, CA

I'm not really sure, as there are so many options. I know I DON'T want carpet (too hot in the desert) nor laminate or wood, since there is already so much wood. I am leaning toward Marmoleum since they have such a hugh selection of mid century. What would I need under that? The brochures don't really address that part. Thanks for all you quick replys, I wish you were in California!!

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

Palm springs is probably pretty nice right now...We woke to bitter winds and 34 degrees....
Personally I am a big fan of tile...whether this is a natural stone granite, marble or basic ceramic. Tile will provide a nice cool surface for your desert location and is about the best in terms of durability and ease of cleaning.
When it came time to select the floor covering for our little cabin I went with a basic ...»
ceramic tile for the floor and am using a granite tile to "highlight" the area by our small wood stove. In the summer our furry husky mix loves to soak up the tiles "coolness" while in the winter the our short haired wiener dog loves the warmth the tile has when exposed to the low angled winter sun.
on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 1
Myra B Palm Springs, CA

Hi, You are so right about the weather, it's about 94 here right now & georgeous!!!! I like the idea of tile, the only prob iis that it is somewhat heavy and I don't think this thin sub floor will with stand the weight. Also I REALLY want to keep the mid century look and tile is just too modern, but I sure my dog would love laying on it when it's 115!
Thanks for the ideas,
Myra

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0

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