Asbestos in tile adhesive, floors and bathrooms: testing and removal

When was asbestos used in tile adhesive and floors?

Tile adhesive, filler and floor glue were mixed with asbestos until around 1980. The same goes for vinyl tiles and sheet vinyl, where the backing in particular can contain asbestos, and for the black or dark brown glue they were laid in. Magnesite floors and old screeds in utility rooms, basements and workshops can also contain asbestos.

Asbestos was banned in Danish construction in 1972, but with exemptions, and the last ones for indoor use only ended in 1986. If your bathroom or kitchen is from the 1960s or 1970s, assume the adhesive may contain asbestos until a sample shows otherwise. If it was renovated in the 1980s, it cannot be ruled out.

What does asbestos tile adhesive look like?

Tile adhesive with and without asbestos looks the same, usually grey or greyish white and hard. Asbestos fibres cannot be seen with the naked eye, and we cannot see them in a photo either. Black glue under old vinyl is a well-known place to find asbestos, but black glue is not the same as asbestos.

Only an asbestos sample analysed at a laboratory can show it. What an analysis covers is explained on the asbestos survey page.

What to do if you suspect asbestos in the adhesive

1. Leave the tiles in place. A hammer, chisel and tile scraper are exactly what release the fibres, and the dust settles throughout the home. If tiles have already been knocked off, close the door to the room, and do not sweep or use an ordinary vacuum cleaner.
2. Have a sample taken. We arrange a sample of the adhesive and of the glue under the vinyl and a laboratory analysis. You get the answer in writing for each material. If your tradesperson already has a result from a sample, we work from that.
3. Decide based on the answer. If there is no asbestos, your tradesperson can get started. If there is, you get a fixed written quote for the removal.

Can you remove tiles with asbestos adhesive yourself?

As a rule, no. Since 1 January 2025, demolition of asbestos-containing material requires an authorisation. Brief demolition work of a minor nature is exempt, and the Danish Working Environment Authority’s example is a few tiles that break when you drill into them. Even then you must wet the material, avoid sanding or breaking it, pack it tightly in labelled packaging and hand it in as your municipality directs.

A whole bathroom or a vinyl floor laid in glue is not a small job, and a job may not be split into small ones to avoid the requirement. What you may do yourself is in the guide to the asbestos rules.

How we remove asbestos in tile adhesive and floors

We notify the Danish Working Environment Authority before we start. The room is sealed off with an airlock, and we put it under negative pressure so air only flows into the room and out through a filter. A bathroom is small and poorly ventilated, so a mask on its own is not enough.

Tiles and adhesive are removed with tools connected to an asbestos vacuum. We do not sand asbestos glue, and we clean the concrete or floorboards so your bricklayer or floor fitter can start afterwards. By agreement, we carry out a clearance measurement of the air before the room is used again.

The waste is wetted, packed in sealed, labelled packaging and taken to the approved waste site your municipality directs. You get the receipt with the rest of the documentation. If the work covers more than 10 m² or produces more than 1 tonne of waste, you as the client must also notify the municipality of the waste. We help with the details.

What does it cost to remove asbestos tile adhesive?

The price depends on the area, how firmly the adhesive is bonded, and whether pipework, a toilet or other fittings are in the way. Floor tiles in a small bathroom are the smallest job. Tiles on floors and walls in several rooms, or vinyl laid in glue across the whole ground floor, are a bigger one.

You get a fixed written quote based on your details, and if anything is unclear, we come out and look at it free of charge. If we find more along the way than the quote is based on, you get a new quote before we continue. More on prices for indoor removal is on the pricing page.