Covering an asbestos floor

Despite a formal ban, asbestos-contaminated floors are still present in many buildings in France and can lead to serious illnesses when people are exposed to them.

If you are in charge of a building with asbestos-contaminated floors, you have a legal obligation to deal with them without delay so as to protect the health of occupants from the effects of this extremely harmful product.

Expertise

Asbestos, dangerous yet ubiquitous

The presence of asbestos in buildings has been strictly prohibited since 1997 because of its highly toxic characteristics. Nevertheless, it can still be found in many old buildings. For example, the floor tiles used in sports halls, hospitals and schools are very often asbestos-contaminated, since most of these buildings were built before 1997.

To understand the extent of this situation, you need to know that in the past, asbestos was used extensively in the construction industry: its dangers were not yet understood, and it had excellent thermal properties and resistance to heat. At the time it was considered to be a real "miracle material", and was used from floor to ceiling in the construction of countless buildings. It wasn't until the 1990s that its dangers were finally revealed.

Today, when a diagnosis indicates the presence of asbestos in the floor of a building, it is essential to react as quickly as possible. We now know that exposure to asbestos fibres increases the risk of developing cancer or chronic lung disease. The higher the level of exposure, the greater the risk, so you need to act quickly.

What can be done about floors with asbestos tiles?

The detection of asbestos is generally a source of anxiety for managers of both public and private facilities because asbestos removal is reputed to be very expensive. In fact, it can sometimes cost as much as €1,000 per m², not to mention that the premises are not operational the during the removal. Also, private companies having to close down premises inevitably endure additional financial loss..

Covering: the ideal alternative

In the case of asbestos specifically present in floorings, the situation is much less serious because they can easily be covered with another flooring.

This method is the ideal alternative for treating asbestos-contaminated floors: not only is it highly effective, but it also saves you the trouble of having to carry out major asbestos removal work and having inaccessible premises for a long period of time!

The best solution for covering an asbestos floor is PVC flooring

PVC flooring is very easy to install and can cover the entire asbestos floor so that asbestos fibres can no longer be inhaled from the air in the room. In fact, all our floor coverings can be loose laid, and do not require adhesive. There is no risk of asbestos migrating from the glue to the surface covering!

Any questions?

Do I have to remove asbestos floor tiles?

Asbestos issues should not be taken lightly and the owner of each building identified with the problem has a legal obligation to treat asbestos-contaminated floors to protect the health of its occupants.

However, owners can choose between two methods to renovate a floor and do not necessarily have to have the asbestos-contaminated sheets removed.

The first option is to get rid of the asbestos by removing the asbestos-contaminated floor materials or by encapsulating them to make them inert. This is a major operation, and as mentioned above, it is very expensive.

The second option is to treat the asbestos materials without removing them, simply by covering them with PVC flooring. This operation does not require the asbestos to be handled directly so it is easier to implement. However, glue-down installation is forbidden because the original floor must be accessible for inspection after covering.

PVC is available in rolls or strips and is the perfect material for covering asbestos: it fully complies with current regulations, and prevents the fibres from escaping. It also prevents the risk related to tearing the asbestos floor while removing it.

PVC, a solution tailored for very specific needs

Gerflor, the world leader in flexible floor coverings, has the necessary expertise to advise you and has already achieved renovation work on different types of buildings to cover asbestos-contaminated areas. Our products meet very high standards and certifications and have systematically been validated by the competent authorities. In particular, we have been awarded international Cradle to Cradle certification, which is a thorough assessment of the toxicity of the materials used.

So when you choose a covering, you can be sure that you're getting a floor that's perfectly suited to your needs, and is healthy, environmentally friendly and looks great too!

In schools and nurseries

Education and early childhood facilities are particularly affected by the asbestos problem, as the building permits date from before 1997 for usually at least one of the buildings. In all, 40% of them have an asbestos technical file stipulating the presence of asbestos in their premises, but are currently still in use.
The ideal solution for these buildings would be to remove all the asbestos from the premises but this is very difficult to implement. It is very costly, and would require the building to be shut down for a lengthy period of time.
Gerflor’s modus operandi to return the premises to a healthier state is to cover asbestos-contaminated floors using an installation system approved by the relevant authorities. Ecological, hard-wearing and easy to treat, our floors come in a wide range of colourful designs that are sure to delight children!

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In sports areas

Sports surfaces are also affected by the asbestos era, and just as for schools, it is difficult to imagine how to make them completely asbestos-free.
Gerflor covers asbestos-contaminated floors on outdoor and indoor sports surfaces, using solutions specifically adapted to this type of floor. Approved by the competent authorities and compliant with current regulations, this solution costs up to 13 times less than conventional asbestos removal, and only requires a quick operation to cover the floors.
A wide range of loose-lay or semi-loose-lay covering solutions are available for fitness centres and gyms with a result that guarantees comfort and safety.

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In residential buildings

Some apartment blocks may also be affected by asbestos. Our solutions allow you to renovate asbestos-contaminated floors with confidence, while complying with current regulations. There are many advantages of our floor coverings for owners and contractors:
- Work can be carried out in occupied premises
- Renovation of bare asbestos floors or floors already renovated by the user can be carried out
- The work can be carried out without protective respiratory equipment
- The solutions are very economical compared with asbestos removal
- Subsequent renovation is easy and possible in sub-section 4.
Many suitable loose-lay and semi-loose-lay products are available for renovating asbestos-contaminated floors.

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Our floor coverings, wall solutions and finishing elements are designed to last as long as possible, to make life easier for users, and to preserve their health. They are also environmentally friendly, both in the way they are designed and in the options available at the end of their lives.

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