“Flip or Flop” (HGTV) really flopped on “Breaking Up” (Episode 407), which featured the remodel of a modest 1950s cottage in Torrance, California. The flooring throughout the small home, from stem to stern, was the original 9-inch floor tiles.
Nine-inch floor tiles + 1950s = this possibility: Asbestos.
Had the old tiles been left undisturbed, this would not have been an issue. They were not left undisturbed. They were picked at, busted up, chiseled, chipped and sawed through.
Asbestos, a naturally occuring fibrous mineral, was used in flooring materials from the 1920s to the 1980s (and maybe even beyond). In addition to its fire-resistant qualities, it also made flooring more durable, and substantially increased its longevity. In rooms with minimal foot traffic (such as basements), you can still find 1950s and 60s 9-inch tiles that retain much of their original luster and beauty. Encapsulation on this type of asbestos flooring is easy: Padding and carpet.
Asbestos is not good for your lungs, but it was not without merit in early 20th Century building materials. And I am the last one who’d suggest that we should all run around in a panic about asbestos, however…
It’d be prudent to show some respect for this mineral that can wreak such havoc with human lungs.
Throughout the 30-minute Flip or Flop program, not one word was spoken about testing the flooring for asbestos.
Not one word.
This is Torrance, California, which has two asbestos-testing labs less than three miles away. For a fee (less than $50), labs will examine a piece of floor tile using “polarized light microscopy” or PLM. Results are usually returned in less than 24 hours.
Perhaps the tiles had been tested off camera and it was determined that no asbestos was present in the tile or the mastic. If so, that should have at least been mentioned and discussed – if only in passing.
It was reckless and irresponsible to show this flooring without providing any mention at all about the age (1950s) and the size (9-inch tiles) and the black mastic being among the MOST likely flooring materials to have asbestos content. That means that this material should have been treated as PACM (Presumed Asbestos Containing Material).
Shame on HGTV.
Here’s a good site that explains why you shouldn’t freak out when you find asbetsos.
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Episode #407 featured this small cottage in Torrance.
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In this episode, the shows' hosts (Tarek and Christina) talked with their contractor (Israel) at length about the best way to correct the flooring problems, and yet there was no mention of the potential health risks.
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Throughout the house, the original 1950s 9-inch floor tiles were still in place.
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Intact floor tiles present no health hazard. It's when they become "friable" that the problem arises. For testing, you only need a small piece (1-inch), and results are usually returned in less than 24 hours.
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I literally winced when I saw an "expert" picking at the edges of the tiles. This is a beautiful example of what you do NOT want to do with these tiles. In the 1950s and 60s, asbestos-based mastic was also prevalent, so it's not just the tiles that present a health risk, but the glue as well.
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Yes, he's sawing through the tiles and mastic. If you look to the right of this image, you can see it fades out a bit. That's a cloud of dust behind these two guys. And you see they're all wearing nuisance masks? If this was asbestos, those masks would be wholly inadequate. The tiny asbestos fibers pass right through this type of face mask.
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The mastic under the tile appears to be black, which is indicative of asbestos content. When testing these materials, both the tile and the glue would be suspect.
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And when not using saws, they used jackhammers and sledge hammers.
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In the 1950s and 60s, these tiles were all the rage.
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It was the infusion of "Vitamin A" that gave these tiles their strength and longevity.
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This floor that looked so snappy in 1959 would be a homeowner's headache today.
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This graphic from Patagon Inspects (www.patagoninspects.com) shows that the mid-century flooring material is more likely to be at risk of containing asbestos.
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"Flip or Flop" gets an "F" for being so flippant.
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Here’s a good site that explains why you shouldn’t freak out when you find asbetsos.
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Wow. excellent post. I think I grew up with that stuff.
I vividly remember that tile in my Aunt’s house. In this day and age I’m amazed that such an obvious thing would be overlooked.
So now they will be selling a health hazard.
The episode is a fantastic example of why you need to look EXTENSIVELY at a flipped house.
Thanks Rosemary.
They should have demo’d the house. It’s ugly.
@Dale Wolicki
That was my first thought. That’s one very simple little house with a whole lot of problems.
Wow, great article Rosemary! We had the 9″ green speckled tiles in front hallway of our 1928 Sears kit house, and then had them removed and put in custom tile work.
Also removed the same type from the kitchen.
Our pipes in basement were wrapped in asbestos, and it was proudly labeled as such by the manufacturer!
Also had the pipe wrap removed before moving in/during renovation.
I must say though, it was in very good shape for being that old. As you said, it did have it’s merits!
And people wonder why we left the tiles alone in our kitchen and applied new vinyl tile over them! (They were level, good shape, just ugly and dark and scuffed!)
It’s not just the 9″x9″ tile. They routinely scrape acoustic ceiling, remove linoleum sheet flooring, transits pipe, silver roofing mastic and drywall joint compound.
Every one of those items is a suspect material per South Coast Air Quality Management Department.
Now, add in the lead paint they scrape on older homes and the lead soil surrounding the roof line.
These two just do what ever they feel like with reckless abandon.
We had a contractor in Maryland who knew the tiles were asbestos, but smashed and cracked them and made them friable.
Never got approval, never told us they were going to damage them.
The owner wrote us that hey they were loose and old and that would happen.
Thing is, they werent loose, because that mastic sticks forever.
I dont understand how people can be so cavalier about it.