Here you see examples of all the flooring types we dealt with (except carpet, which I ripped out before we moved in). Green VCT, brown VAT, beige VCT, and a couple different types of mastic.
Here are a couple shots taken before moving in that show the carpeting.
Here you see the process of removing tile and mastic from the master bedroom. I will say that after I put down the bean-e-doo, and all the mastic became a liquified oil slick, I was a little worried. I almost retreated to the abatement company bids. But after a couple rounds of the degreaser, it came out really well.
And here's the same process in the living room:
So, the sad part is it's still not done... once the kitchen is demoed there will be more green VCTs to remove. They are the worst.
6 comments:
Did you work from a "how-to" somewhere? or do instructions come with the product? My job won't be this big, but I have some mastic that I would like to tackle myself!
I just followed the instructions that came with the product. After applying you let it sit for an hour or two. Then you squeegee it up... I remember squeegeeing it straight into a dust pan and dumping the liquified mastic from the dust pan straight into a heavy duty trash bag. Then you mop with a degreaser and squeegee that up. Good luck!
Hi Matt...I hope this message finds you, but did you find any asbestos in the mastic?
josh
Hey Josh - was just thinking about adding a new post to this blog and saw your comment. Yes, there is asbestos in the mastic. (it's also in the floor tiles and in the duct insulation). From what I've learned, Bean-e-doo (or a similar technique) is the safest way to remove mastic that contains asbestos. The mastic becomes liquified, and any asbestos fibers stay trapped in the sludge, letting you safely dispose of the mess. I've heard of others having the mastic ground down during the polishing, which to me sounds like the most dangerous way to do it. https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=25083
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the info on the Bean-e-doo. Since there is asbestos in the mastic as well as the tiles, what precautionary measures did you and your wife take. For instance: did you guys wear masks and full zip up protective clothing? Just curious because we might be headed down this route ourselves. Once more question if you don't mind...how did you dispose of the cleanup?
Thanks Josh
Hi Josh – If memory serves we did wear basic respiration masks. No tyvek suits. The tiles were able to be popped up with minimal breakage, so they were not what would be considered friable. Tiles came up whole or in a few pieces. I am a DIYer and cannot really advise on what route you should take. I did my research and came to the conclusion that this would be limited and low risk exposure. If I were to do it again, I would probably wet down the tiles as another precautionary measure. For disposal they were bagged up and taken to a local waste management facility. Side note, we also have asbestos in our ductwork insulation that is a greater risk, as it can be easily torn and is generally just less stable. When I have that removed I will likely use an abatement company.
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