AboutJohn Michaels Expertise All questions pertaining to all indoor floor coverings regarding best products to choose, proper installation techniques, and proper maintenance techniques.
Experience We are a nationwide floor covering inspection service. We inspect all types of indoor floor coverings in every city and town in all 50 States and in all the Provinces of Canada. We see where errors in choice of product, improper installation, and improper maintenance lead to complaints being registered and we are then called upon to inspect those products and issue certified reports indicating from where those complaint issues eminate. We have done this type of work for over 40 years.
Education/Credentials Carpet, vinyl, and hardwood manufacturing, installation, and maintenance, prior to just inspecting, and a division of our Company specifies proper floor covering choices for residential and commercial uses.
Question John,
I have a cutback question. We have a basement that had old tile (1952) in it, the tile has been removed. We now have hardened cutback left, it is not gooey. We want to tile (ceramic) the floor, what do we need to do to get the tile to stick to the cutback.
Thanks for any help
Answer Hi Tonya; We answered your question in the email you sent to us on our website, however in that question, you did not indicate the age of the tiles. Two more things. There is a good bet that that those old tiles, if a vinyl or asphalt type, did contain asbestos, and unless you had a professional hazmat company remove them, you may have a very serious health problem. Asbestos containing material should only be removed by a certified asbestos removal company who also has the responsibility of properly disposing of those products and not making them become someone else's problem. You might also want to consult with your attorney in case someone discovers that those tiles did contain asbestos, that they may have a health problem because of any improper removal and disposal, and traces them back to you. I certainly do not want to sound like an alarmest, and I am NOT an attorney so I can't give you any legal advice, however we are a nationwide floor covering inspection service and have a certified testing laboratory, so we have been called to testify in some cases where that senario has occurred.
The 'gooeyness' occurs due to a NORMAL chemical reaction between the products used to manufacture the old cut back, and the products used in any adhesive and some sealers directly applied to that old cut back.
