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  • Cleaning asbestos floors is not the a bio-hazard situation, as long as you are not scratching the floor or breaking tiles in the process. In fact, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection says that with proper caution, asbestos floors can even be stripped and waxed. Asbestos floors are quite common. Most floors manufactured before 1980 have asbestos in them.

    Strip, seal and wax the floor.

    Asbestos is dangerous when it becomes airborne as particles, therefore the best strategy is one that will keep the asbestos on the ground, where it belongs. A good coat of floor sealer, followed by several coats of floor finish or wax will give the floor a sound base to be cleaned without further fear of asbestos contamination. First, strip the floor of old wax and dirt with a standard floor stripping solution. Use a low-speed buffing machine--175 to 300 rpm--and a wet vacuum with a HEPA filter, if available. Use more liquid on the floor than normal to keep dust from flying during stripping. Never dry strip a floor that you suspect may have asbestos. A black stripping pad is the most aggressive. To keep from scratching into the asbestos tile consider using a less aggressive pad, such as the green pad.

    Daily Maintenance

    Once the floor has been sealed and waxed, there is little to worry about concerning asbestos contamination. Sweep and mop the floor daily to remove dust and grit that can wear away the wax coating. Buff the floor and apply fresh coats of floor finish at regular intervals, depending on the floors traffic, to build a strong base to withstand wear.

    Source:

    Guidelins for Maintenance of Floors with Asbestos

    Vinyl Asbestos Floors

    Resource:

    Educating About Asbestos

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