Vinyl floor tile from the 1950s through the 1980s is the most common asbestos-containing flooring in residential and light commercial work. The 9×9 inch tile is diagnostic of that era — though lab confirmation is still required, since color and dimension alone are not proof. Sheet vinyl from the same era often used asbestos paper as backing, which is even more friable when disturbed.
What most homeowners miss: the tile itself is usually non-friable, and the mastic — the black adhesive bedded under the tile — is the dominant fiber source when sanded, ground, or scraped during removal. Pulling tiles up cleanly is often less risky than sanding them in place.
We test both layers, plan removal accordingly, and keep the work wet, contained, and HEPA-filtered start to finish. Disposal goes out manifested, and the floor is cleared before any new finish is installed.
Durham combines historic-district housing with mid-century ranch neighborhoods and a substantial older commercial inventory. All three of those building eras commonly contain asbestos materials in the places renovations want to touch.
Each of these is something we've cleaned up for homeowners after a DIY refinishing project went sideways.
A drum sander or orbital sander on suspect material is the worst-case scenario — high-energy mechanical disturbance, no containment, and an instantly contaminated work area. Sanding is explicitly prohibited under OSHA Class I/II practice for ACM.
Tiles that come up clean are not friable. Tiles that snap release respirable dust at the break. Without a wet-method approach, those breaks compound over a single afternoon's work.
Diagnostic dimensions and date of construction together flag material as suspect — but lab analysis of both tile and mastic is the only basis for a defensible scope. Skipping the lab is skipping the legal cover.
Floor abatement is a slower, more methodical job than most people expect. The protocol exists to keep mastic dust airborne for the shortest possible window.
We sample the tile and the mastic as two separate analytes. Each is run by PLM at an accredited lab. The combined result drives whether we plan a wet pry-up, a wet scrape, or both.
Critical barriers, HEPA filtration, and amended-water misting. All work is conducted under negative pressure with the HVAC isolated to the work area.
Tiles are pried up wet, mastic is scraped wet under continuous HEPA vacuum at the source. No sanding. No dry scraping. No high-energy mechanical action on the substrate.
Material is double-bagged with proper labels, manifested to a licensed Class II landfill, and the work area is cleared by air sampling at AHERA levels before the new floor finish goes in.
Real reviews from homeowners and contractors across North Carolina.
“We bought a new to us 1964 home last December and to no surprise, we had asbestos popcorn ceilings. We decided to remove the ceilings altogether versus just scraping them. To complicate things even more, we had a plumbing leak in a room that had previously been encapsulated, so we had to deal with insurance to cover a portion of the asbestos removal. Rusty and the whole team at Remtech were such a help from the first moment we spoke! They were responsive, flexible, and knowledgeable. They helped us get insurance what they needed. They even worked with us to do the removal work while we had to be out of town. Asbestos removal and dealing with insurance, especially as we were brand new to the home, was incredibly stressful. Working with Remtech was the opposite – they were helpful and easy to work with that I barely had to think about the work being done. It was a nice break for my brain! They also did a great job. We came home to a CLEAN house with no ceilings! While I’m hoping we never have to go through such a big project again, I know we’d be able to handle it because we can rely on Remtech.”
“Very fast, professional and responsive. Did floor asbestos abatement for our house for a very reasonable price and they were very quick to schedule to keep us within our very close timeline.”
“As a General Contractor specializing in Bathroom & Kitchen remodel, we complete in excess of 250 bathroom upgrades each year. Regardless of our remodeling and construction experience and capabilities, when it comes to addressing the unforeseen hazardous and environmental conditions posed by mold, asbestos, and lead paints, we have a responsibility to our customers to partner with the best abatement specialist possible, and as proficient in abatement as we are kitchen and bath remodeling. Remtech has proven to be that reliable and trusted partner for both our customers and company. We highly recommend the Remtech Team.”
“A few months ago I used Remtech Envir. to remove asbestos from the ceiling of my home, and to this day I’m still amazed with their service that I’ve been meaning to write a review, and today’s the day! The whole process went through so smoothly because of their professionalism, punctuality and care. At the end of each day I received an update from Rusty who was the project manager which was super helpful, and because of their expertise I knew the job was getting done correctly. There was a lot of asbestos to remove, and they showed up and delivered hard work to get it done within the time frame that was initially discussed. So grateful we used their services! I would highly recommend!”
“Our church basement flooded and the old asbestos tiles curled up and had to be removed. Jeff Brewer came over to look at our problem, explained what they would do. He furnished a quote very quickly with a fair price. After checking with two other companies, Jeff’s instructive conversation, ease of manner, willingness to help and a fair price won him the work. As a former contractor, I know how backed up companies can be in their schedule. He told us of a target time about 4-6 weeks off, which was fine. He called a couple of weeks later and had an opening in his schedule and wanted to come earlier. That was great. Their staff arrived on time and delivered a very quick, professional and clean project. This allowed us to get our Fellowship Hall floored and back in operating condition prior to the start of the school year. It is a pleasure to work with a company that communicates well and delivers their service in a superior way.”
“I have spoken with Bryan on many occasions about growth strategy. He has always been open to communicate. I look forward to future conversations.”
“Remtech came in and did a removal of asbestos when our home developed a leak and the sheetrock ceiling had to be removed. Got right to work, kept us informed every step of the way and did a great job of cleaning up. Would use them again in a heart beat!!”
“The cost was higher than expected, so I did not move forward at that time. I will use Remtech when I am ready to have the work done. They are very professional and take the time to answer any questions. The rep arrived on time, explained the process and provided the estimate. A very positive experience.”
The conditions that surface asbestos in one material often overlap with other materials and other environmental concerns. We address them under one roof.
Two decades of work on Durham-area properties produces the same handful of questions. Here are the short answers — the long versions are a phone call.
If the home was built before 1981 and the tile is 9 inches square (rather than 12 inches), it's a strong candidate. The honest answer is always lab analysis of a small bulk sample of both the tile and the mastic — most labs return PLM results within 24 to 48 hours.
Sometimes — encapsulation is allowed for stable, intact, non-friable tile in a low-traffic area. It's the wrong call if the subfloor is being repaired, if any portion of the floor is damaged, or if the project will require sanding adjacent areas to depth. We'll tell you which side you're on.
The tile is bound vinyl that doesn't release fibers easily. The mastic is a softer adhesive with much higher friability when disturbed. Sanding mastic in place is the single most common OSHA violation we see on residential refinishing projects — and it's the source of most contaminated-room calls we get.
A single room of 9×9 tile with cooperative mastic is usually a one-day job. Heavy mastic adherence, large open spans, or multiple rooms can stretch the project to three days. Clearance is the last step and it's same-day with the final scrape.
We handle the abatement and the clearance. Many of our customers have their own flooring contractor lined up and bring them in the day after clearance. We can also recommend reliable installers we've worked with for years.
If you're refinishing or replacing a pre-1981 floor, the first call is the lab, not the demo crew. We'll handle both.
A photo of the existing floor and the year of construction is usually all we need to put a starting scope and a bulk-sample plan together.