The black mastic on my concrete floor is 10% asbestos. Is it safe for me to try scraping it off ?

Question

I do not know how high the asbestos percent should be to call in the pros.

Answer 1

asbestos abatement  (removal by guys in moon suits) is very expensive. i would tile over the area to seal it.

Answer 2

It depends on what you are doing with the floor.

If you are carpeting, don't worry about it.

If you are tiling, you do need to get it up.

We softened ours with paint thinner, and just mopped it up.

Edit:

I'm not trying to say the asbestos thing is a scare, but for most of us, there are more important things to worry about.

Example: They replaced asbestos brake pads with silicon ones, only to find out they are just as harmful.

If you worked in a asbestos mine,  or was a brake and front end mechanic most your life, you are screwed.

But in normal everyday life, you are not exposed to enough asbestos to harm you.

Second edit:

They claim asbestos floats in the air for now on. That's why it's dangerous and will infect a lung.

But  OSHA allows a worker to be exposed to it to a measurable number for a allotted amount of time. Go figure.

I did labor work for a general contractor for a time.

It leads to a bad feeling when you spend days wreaking out a room, rooms, hallways, even story floors. Get it all shoveled up into the dumb trucks and hauled off. Then, three days later, the abatement crews come in to clean up whatever you might have left.

It's overkill. At least I hope it is.

Talk to anyone that has worked abatement. It's tons of money for them, and they sure don't seem concerned about their health.

Answer 3

You should have left the tile that was down in place, and tiled over it with a minimum 1/8" thick vinyl tile.

The asbestos is only harmful when it is in dust form, and you can inhale it.

Answer 4

As long as you wear a breather mask, you'll be fine. You can go with disposeable surgical style paper masks, but the best is a rubberized nose and mouth mask with a replaceable, or at least washable filter. You can buy them in most hardware or paint stores.