Need help ID'ing this vintage flooring material - dangerous?

[Msupsic]

I'm in the process of doing a kitchen remodel on our 1946 contemporary style home. Removed the (relatively new) tile flooring and cement underlayment and found this old flooring underneath. It's very thin, and in places where there was a nail or screw, the surface material breaks off almost like cork or paper. It's laid down in sheets that appear to be about 27" wide. It doesn't look like linoleum, more like pressboard or paper. Wondering if it's worth removing or if I should just leave it alone? Thanks.

 

[bud16415]

What are you putting back down and what is below this old stuff?



It looks like the old time linoleum to me that has become dry and brittle. It may or may not have some asbestos in it so stay clear of the fibers where it is flaking. I would probably wet it down and scrape it up bag it and be rid of it wearing a n95. The proper thing would be to get it tested and then deal with it.



Depending on what you are going for in a finished floor will play a big part. I had a built up floor like that in my kitchen and I went over the tile and base and what ever was under that with a new laminate flooring. Doorways had to be altered a bit, but that was less work than ripping all the layers down.

 

[slownsteady]

Thinking it might be old Celotex or something similar. Not what I would expect an asbestos product to look like. But the time frame puts it right in that era.
What would be the subfloor under that material? Are there any moisture issues? If there are, then I would say remove it. But if it has been down since the 1940's with no moisture/swelling, it's probably not going to start now. Whoever worked on that before you must have been puzzled (cautious) enough to want to cover it with cement board.

 

[Msupsic]

What are you putting back down and what is below this old stuff?



It looks like the old time linoleum to me that has become dry and brittle. It may or may not have some asbestos in it so stay clear of the fibers where it is flaking. I would probably wet it down and scrape it up bag it and be rid of it wearing a n95. The proper thing would be to get it tested and then deal with it.



Depending on what you are going for in a finished floor will play a big part. I had a built up floor like that in my kitchen and I went over the tile and base and what ever was under that with a new laminate flooring. Doorways had to be altered a bit, but that was less work than ripping all the layers down.

The subfloor is right below it. Old hardwood planks. I'm putting "Luxury Vinyl" over top. Which is only 8mm thick so it's going to cause a slight step down from the hardwood in the dining room. I was thinking about putting down 1/8" plywood or maybe even cork underlayment to bring it up flush with the hardwood. If it is old Linoleum there's a chance the backer has Asbestos. Not sure what I'll do.

 

[Msupsic]

Thinking it might be old Celotex or something similar. Not what I would expect an asbestos product to look like. But the time frame puts it right in that era.
What would be the subfloor under that material? Are there any moisture issues? If there are, then I would say remove it. But if it has been down since the 1940's with no moisture/swelling, it's probably not going to start now. Whoever worked on that before you must have been puzzled (cautious) enough to want to cover it with cement board.

Thanks for giving me a name to work with! I looked up Celotex. I'm also tearing out some walls and apparently they're all Celotex fiberboard covered in plaster. This would be in keeping with the era and construction of the house. The original plank subfloor is directly beneath it and there are no moisture issues. I actually need some extra height to bring the new flooring up flush with the hardwood in the dining room, so I may just leave it. Thanks for the help.

 

[bud16415]

I would take it up if for no other reason you are so close to the original hard wood I would want to see if it could be saved.



I have seen Celotex used as a lath substitute for plaster around that time frame but never knew of a flooring product. There may well be such a thing. My dad covered our 50s home in Celotex and then put metal lath over that then a double layer of plaster.



IMO the thin flooring materials going over an old wood plank floor needs an underlayment to smooth it out. I used a filler floor leveler compound on the old floor and then an underlayment. Even if the buildup is a little higher a transition strip can be used.

 

[PJB12]

I had a 1940's house that had the same looking pink stuff under the old-timey asbestos based flooring. The guy next door, who built the house, was a big shot at a lumber chain and also called it Celotex, although I've seen many products with Celotex on it. Most today are foil-foam boards.

Maybe keep it damp while scraping so fibers & dust won't go airborne.

Also, be careful with the adhesive. From the photo, it looks like cutback. That is bitumen based, so if you use a solvent, be sure to ventilate and wear gloves. Dry it is (allegedly) safe to handle.

Paul