Dry Ice and Floor Tiling

Tile

• Do NOT remove floor tile that contains asbestos if it's friable, meaning you can crumble it with hand pressure. You can remove non-friable tile as long as you do so carefully. The whole goal is to get the tile up with the minimum of breakage. If the tile is friable, or if you are concerned about your ability to remove it safely, you should contact a licensed asbestos abatement contractor in your area.

Dry Ice

• Dry ice is extremely cold. When you place it on the tile, the intense chill causes the tiles to shrink slightly and detach from the floor and adhesive beneath. At that point, you can pry the tiles loose with a simple wide-blade tool -- and hopefully keep the tiles more or less intact in the process. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this approach to removing floor tile is somewhat rare, but definitely effective as long as you do it properly.

Techniques

• You can buy dry ice at your local supermarket; call ahead to make sure they have the amount you need available. Apply the dry ice by breaking it up, scattering it across the floor and covering it with an insulating blanket to slow the rate at which it sublimes. You do need to be careful about how you handle the dry ice, and not just because it's so cold. As the dry ice sublimes, it creates a region with a high local concentration of CO2. Over time, the gas will diffuse away, but it's possible to asphyxiate yourself if you try to work in an area with a high CO2 concentration -- by sticking your head in an ice chest full of CO2, for example.

Considerations

• Dry ice is not the only approach you can try; solvents, heat and water are some of your other options. If the floor tile becomes friable during removal, it's no longer safe for you to work with it yourself. Removal of friable asbestos-containing floor tile is typically governed by state regulations and they may vary in different states, so you'll need to contact state authorities to determine what steps you should take next.