Customer had a solid wood floor installed (glue down) about 2 years ago in the living room and hall. Started to have a problem a while ago with the boards cupping and floor lifting in the middle of the room. He hadn't put the skirting boards on in the living room so I could see clearly there was no expansion gap. I asked if he had anyone back to look at it and he said the fitter had come back and told him it looked as if there was a damp problem, shrugged his shoulders and went. I told him he had a good case to get it put right but all he wants is the floor taking up, screeding, a dpm, if necessary and carpet in the living room and Karndean in the hall. Today I started to take up the floor to find it had been glued to thermoplastic tiles which are coming up with the adhesive attached to them. Worried about asbestos issues I've taken them for analysis and await the outcome which I should get tomorrow. Although the customer told me it was just a concrete floor, in the small area I have lifted the sub floor appears to be asphalt which has been pulled off the concrete by the wood floor movement and sounds hollow. I am now worried that if no asbestos is found and I carry on uplifting the wood that I may break up the asphalt. Has anyone had a similar situation and if so what did you do?
The last asphalt floor I came across I put Ardex na over it, 1k turbo dpm and went over it with vinyl tiles. The other I went over it with jumpax with dpm sheet under it. Both sounded hollow in most places but wouldn't of pulled off the floor.
Ashpalt does sound hollow, gone over it a lot round hear. It's acts as a dpm too, if you get a crack in it then it will wont work as a dpm John.
cross your fingers and hope the asphalt hasn't been damaged or it needs replacing and screeding over with NA or similar product first for carpet area as well
Thanks for the replies. Got the results back and the tiles do contain asbestos. This being the case the following applies: I cannot legally touch the floor now and must get an asbestos removal firm in to uplift and dispose of same or the customer can do it himself, get any old skip and chuck it in - no legal repercussions! If I get someone in the cost would be £500 to £600. The customer is going to do it himself.
