Is this asbestos? Mold? Rot? Anyone have an idea?

Looks like roofing felt to me. Something that was used under flooring back in the day to prevent water damage to subfloors. A black tar based adhesive was used to glue it down. Pain in the butt to remove.

It has just gotten wet way to many times and the back of the tile has rotted. We saw this when we ripped up flooring in a house we have bought. Previous tenants ran a shower without a shower curtain.

William....how does one remove this??

If your house was built in the early 50's or earlier, there is a good chance that it is asbestos. I would take some bleach and pour over some of it - if it is mold, you will see the mold "disappear". In either case, asbestos or mold - particularly black mold needs to be handled by a professional. Handling either is very dangerous to your health. A "mold" or an "asbestos" re-mediator will be able to tell you for sure and give you an estimate. I can tell you that asbestos has a kind of a "pressed paper fiber" appearance and is generally an off-white - at least to begin with.

If your tiles are 9"X 9" square there is asbestos in them. DO NOT TOUCH THEM! Only a licensed asbestos company can remove and dispose of them properly. If they are in good condition and not degraded, you can legally cover them up with another flooring. If they are 12" square there is no asbestos. The black is felt roofing paper and in use up to the present. No danger of asbestos. If your tiles are not asbestos the only way to remove the felt paper and adhesive is scraping as much as you can, than sand with a power sander and coarse sandpaper to get down to raw wood. If the subfloor under the tiles is plywood, what I have done is cut down through the tiles and subfloor with a circular saw. Then I remove the subfloor in small sections. Then lay down new subfloor.

They are about 6 by 6....thanks everyone...

my fiancé wants to cut down past the plywood underneath and just put down new subfloor, but I kind of want to glue the tiles back into place and try painting the vinyl floor...have read where a lot of people say it can be done with proper prep work....and I would really like to try that before anything else...then there are a lot of people who say no to painting vinyl!

Your fiance has the best way to remove the floor! Make sure the underside of the tiles are clean for gluing. Use a good vinyl tile adhesive. Painting the tile is not a problem, Prep is the key.....http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-room-decor-how-to-paint-over-vinyl-floor-tiles-apartment-therapy-tutorials-200139 ***** http://homeguides.sfgate.com/paint-vinyl-floors-stay-painted-27855.html ***** http://www.viewalongtheway.com/2013/01/how-to-paint-vinyl-or-laminate-flooring/

as long as there isn a big difference between heights coming from adjoining floors, paint it. the worse senerio is that you will still have to eventually replace it.

scuff up the surface, prime, paint and seal it. Make sure you have several seal coats. Particarly where there are wear patterns. I've seen great jobs done on floors..

It is adhesive.

I'd make sure it's not asbestos before anything else.

Better safe than sorry. Have a professional come in in case it is mold. You can probably BING free mold inspection and your zip code.

Good luck!!!! Let us know how it goes!

It looks like black roofing paper, being it's under a bath room floor.

My husband is in charge of asbestos at his work and says you can't tell by a visual. The older the floor is then the more likely it does contain it. He suggests taking a sample to a lab for analysis- estimates the cost around $150-$200 for this- but then you know for sure and can alter your plans accordingly. Your health is important!

I would treat it as if was asbestos to be on the safe side. Use a good mask and gloves.

It looks like roofing felt, but those tiles may have asbestos. You need to handle them with care.