Hello! I am a single mom, maintaining a house (yes, with a LOT of duct tape), and many questions. I am wanting to have vinyl flooring laid over an existing floor. I was told by a salesman that because my existing floor tile has black adhesive beneath it, I have a potential asbestos problem. Yikes. I have 12 X 12 tiles which are the thickness of vinyl self-stick tiles but do not have shine to them at all. I am estimating they were laid about 38 yrs ago when the house was built. One tile came up and I can see black beneath it, and the floor is laid directly over concrete. I am very worried about this and wonder if anyone can shed light on how to evaluate whether there is asbestos in any of this flooring/adhesive. Any ideas?

A: Tom Silva replies: From This Old House

The best way to deal with old asbestos floor tiles is to cover them up. That's enough to prevent the damage and wear that can release fibers into the air; no sealer is needed.

Carpeting and a suitable pad will do the trick. In a basement I'd suggest a rubber-based carpet pad rather than a fiber pad. You could also cover the tiles with new vinyl flooring, linoleum, or even ceramic tiles.

However, as a favor to future owners of your house, make some note of the fact that asbestos tiles are under the new flooring. That way, no one will be endangered years from now when they start to rip up the new flooring and find asbestos tiles beneath.

Thank you very much for the response. I apprecate your help!