I am looking at a home from 1939. i know asbestos was used from like the1970's back very often.i want to lay down different flooring in the kitchen,however i do now want to mess with the removal of the crap(asbestos)is there a way to put flooring down without having to get all this professional removal done. and no i don't want to mess with doing it myself either.
Sure, Just cover it with Ply-wood and re-tile over it
If the floor is in good shape, and there no local ordinances about removing the previous tile why not. If there is asbestos in the flooring, which I doubt, It is safer to leave it where it is and seal it under a new floor. Pry up a corner and look to see how many layer you have though. It may be that things are getting kind of tall in that kitchen in relation to the adjacent floors. If there is damage in the old floor and gaps between tiles you will want a filler product and check to see how level the floor is too. You may have to level it if it has deformed appreciatively over the years. Check some of the DYI sites here on the web some have very good tutorials and product recommendations.
Depending on the type of new flooring you are wanting to put in. If you don't want to deal with the removal aspect you can install any floating floor over the existing such as laminate or cork. You can also install a new sub floor directly over the existing flooring then install your choice of new floor product such as sheet vinyl, ceramic etc. The asbestos content in flooring is only a concern if it becomes an airborne dust particle, therefore sanding the existing flooring is a not recommended and removal should be left to trained people for liability issues. You can also have the flooring checked for asbestos content would should cost between $75 and $100 from any local asbestos abatement company. They would require a small piece of the existing flooring to examine.
