# Hardwood over Asbestos Tile



## 4yanx (Jul 23, 2007)

I am starting a re-do of a family room and living room for a woman who wants hardwood floors installed to replace nasty old carpeting. Come to find out, the carpet was laid over old 5/16 oak strip flooring in the living room but, in the family room, it is carpet laid over early-60's, 9" X 9" vinyl asbestos tiles (glued to wood underlayment). These tiles are remarkably flat, tight, level and in extremely good shape across the entire room (save where I expect a few cracks near the edges when the carpet tack strip is removed). Frankly, the floor is so even that I person could lay the hardwood directly on top of the tiles.

I suppose there will be different opinions on this this have been hashed over before but, in my mind, it would be far better and safer to cover these tiles than to try to remove them. My question is whether nailing 3/4" solid hardwood directly over the tiles is advisable or if something needs to sandwich between. Would plastic sheeting, like visqueen, be a good material? Tar paper? If there needs to be a barrier other than the hardwood, I need ti to be extremely thin, lest I cause myself issues due to floor height differential. Thanks in advance for all advice.


----------



## jamestrd (Oct 26, 2008)

yes, you can nail right over them and no, you dont need any barriers..


----------



## GO Remodeling (Apr 5, 2005)

maybe this would be overbuilt but i think i would explain that it needs to sheeted with 1/4 plywood to hold everything together underneath. I would just staple it enough to lay the sheet flat and lay in the felt.. when you nail in the wood it should draw everything down and seal it good.


----------



## Floorwizard (Sep 24, 2003)

> yes, you can nail right over them and no, you dont need any barriers..


Really?
What if the tiles were installed on particle board?


----------



## Evapman (Mar 28, 2007)

I've done this before and had no problems, layed red rosin paper down over the tile for squeek stoppage.


----------



## jamestrd (Oct 26, 2008)

depends on the thickness of the particle board.. assuming it was just an underlayment placed over the subfloor and no thicker that 1/2" then yes... 

2 inch cleats/staples will drive through all surfaces and enter the subfloor and will hold no problem.if the partcile board is thicker, that I will say not ,as there will be no entry to the subfloor and you will be relying on the particle board to hold nails, which it can not do sufficiently for wood flooring.


----------



## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

jamestrd said:


> depends on the thickness of the particle board.. assuming it was just an underlayment placed over the subfloor and no thicker that 1/2" then yes...
> 
> 2 inch cleats/staples will drive through all surfaces and enter the subfloor and will hold no problem.if the partcile board is thicker, that I will say not ,as there will be no entry to the subfloor and you will be relying on the particle board to hold nails, which it can not do sufficiently for wood flooring.


WRONG. Particle board is Not an approved or recommended substrate for a mechanically fastened floor.

Regardless of whats covering it...

Using geometry, tell me how much of a 2" fastener would be penetrating the subfloor in the scenario you state above, with 3/4" hardwood and even 1/2" pb (which I've only seen 5/8" used as an underlayment)?


----------



## Floorwizard (Sep 24, 2003)

> WRONG. Particle board is Not an approved or recommended substrate for a mechanically fastened floor.


But what if the cleats are long enough to penetrate deep into the subfloor?


----------



## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

PrecisionFloors said:


> WRONG. Particle board is Not an approved or recommended substrate for a mechanically fastened floor.
> 
> Regardless of whats covering it...
> 
> *Using geometry, tell me how much of a 2" fastener would be penetrating the subfloor in the scenario you state above, with 3/4" hardwood and even 1/2" pb (which I've only seen 5/8" used as an underlayment)?*


 This


----------



## jamestrd (Oct 26, 2008)

capt chaos..

its not a substrate, its an underlayment..

2" cleats penetrate through 3/4 HW and plywood by 1/2" so do the math... 3/4 hardwood 1/2" particle board -penetration to subfloor =3/4"

school is out


----------



## jamestrd (Oct 26, 2008)

"But what if the cleats are long enough to penetrate deep into the subfloor?"


thats what I said... yes, if nails will enter subflooring, then yes and using simple "geometry" and noting math never lies, then see above post...

if the nails will not enter subflooring, then absoultely not and it must be removed and never install over partcile board as a sole substrate....and believe it or not, i have seen it..


----------

