Expert: Stephen Hayes - 8/23/2006

Question
Our house has this horrible looking indoor/outdoor carpet in the lower level. It is a split level house. We want to replace it with vinyl flooring. One company gave us a estimate based on the prep work--ripping up the indoor/outdoor that is glued to the cement. Then scraping the rubber backing that is left, putting a coat of something down to level the entire surface, etc.
Then a place came over today for a estimate and tells me that it is not cement, it is asphalt tiles and the only thing I can put over them is carpet or hardwood floors--which are the 2 more expensive options, I might add.
Is that true that those are the only options we have--IF he is right about the asphalt tiles?
Then if he is, how come the other company never mentioned that. His quote was around $2200 on labor alone for 3 rooms--one over 42 square yards, the 2 others are over 14 each.

Answer
I have no idea why one Company never mentioned what the true underlayment was under the carpet.  If the underlayment is asphalt tiles, what size are they and are they old vinyl asbestos tiles.  If they contain asbestos, you have a real problem.  If they are all firmly glued to a flat concrete floor, and there are no adhesive residues bleeding up and becoming gooey or runny, then, no matter what type of floor covering you put down, the old carpet needs to come up.  If that carpet has a rubber backing, and the tiles are vinyl asbestos tiles, then you need to have the replacement done in accordance with local laws and for the protection of you and your family from the harmful effects of asbestos.  That usually requires the entire area being sealed with impervious plastic sheeting and the work being done by knowledgeable people wearing hazmat type suits and masks.  Then the concrete needs to be properly sealed, and then you can put down any type of floor covering that is rated for an installation below grade (below ground level such as a basement).  If the tiles are asphalt tiles containing no asbestos, then the carpet and tiles need to be taken up.  Old vinyl asbestos tiles and old asphalt tiles were usually installed with a black colored adhesive.  Since concrete is porus, that old adhesive does leach into the concrete, so before installing any floor covering, the concrete should be properly sealed.  Before installing any new type of floor covering over sealed concrete, below grade, check with the manufacturer of the floor covering you choose to see if it is rated to be installed in that location, if the sealed concrete is an acceptable underlayment, what type of installation should be done (carpet over a proper pad, laminate flooring glued or floated over a proper moisture barrier, vinyl composition tiles or sheet vinyl glued to sealed concrete, etc.).  Also, if any floor covering you choose that needs to be glued down, check with the manufacturer to make sure the proper adhesives are used.  Any wood flooring comes from trees, a natural souce, and is extremely suseptable to humidity factors, so make sure you do not have a moisture problem, in the basement.  If you choose hardwood or laminate, make sure the dealer conducts a certified moisture test before you allow the floor covering to be installed.