The only way to know for sure is to have it tested but that's a double edged sword. If you have it tested, then you have to reveal the results of that test when you go to sell the house. The other alternative is to treat the material as if it contains asbestos and take the appropriate steps to remove it. Understand that most of the people that contracted asbestos related diseases did so after many years of exposure. It's kind of like cigarettes, smoking a few packs (or even cartons) isn't very likely to give you lung cancer.

Many floor tiles AND adhesive from the 70's and before contain asbestos. You don't have to remove the tiles if they are in good shape. It's damage to the tile that allows the asbestos to become airborne. Just covering them is perfectly acceptable.

They are in excellent condition with no flaws. They have been painted over semi recently. (Within 5-10yrs) we just didn’t know what covering them would look like because the wall we are taking out is in that room and the living room (smooth ceiling) so we didn’t know how to match them.. we don’t plan on moving ever so we aren’t against testing. If it contains asbestos we will get rid of it (professionally) if something ever came up where we had to sell..

I'm not seeing any cork underneath the carpet (at least in the photo). I can see OSB, but not cork. Even if there is cork, it traditionally was installed using something OTHER than cut-back adhesive.

You are correct to be worried about disturbing asbestos and lead (lead based paint was available until 1978; asbestos containing material was available until the mid/late 1980's). Your home is RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of the Asbestos/Lead era. Asbestos is/was a GREAT INSULATOR. It was also a GREAT fire retardant. It was used in EVERYTHING to do with "building a house". It was used to wrap pipes, electrical wires, HVAC runs, drywall, ceiling tiles, floor tiles, adhesives, wall insulation, exterior cladding, plaster, etc. Over 150 different "housing materials" contained asbestos at the HEIGHT of the "Asbestos Era" (which is right when your home was built).

Lead based paint is also a HUGE concern. I would assume the first 3 layers of paint (assuming they painted ever 10 years) contain lead. And that is especially true for TRIM work. Baseboard, ceiling, window, stair railings, etc.

The good news is, the abatement companies are able to deal with asbestos, lead and mold. All three require the same level of "containment" and disposal. That means you can get a 3-in-1 deal if you find mold as well. Consider your abatement company a "one stop shop" for a renovation.

Needless to say, the ceiling tiles may just be the tip of the iceberg. I would assume every surface you disturb (walls, ceiling, flooring) has some form of contamination that requires abatement. It will probably be the easiest way to deal with your renovation.

My 1961 tract home has asbestos in the popcorn ceilings, the drywall, and the vinyl mastic, and getting it professional removed has been expensive. A few suggestions:

a) Call a company that does only testing to come out and take the required samples. This company should be different than the abatement company that does the actual removal. You will get a detailed report. At least in the state of California, the abatement removal company must submit that report before doing the work.

b) Make sure that you get at least three estimates. A couple of years ago, I had the popcorn removed from three bedroom ceilings. I received the following bids: $3,500, $5,000, and $7,000! I chose the lowest one, and was very pleased.

Hello! i know this was from years ago but just wondering if you happened to get these tested? i have these in my kitchen and not sure what to do.

We have them in our home in all rooms. We found a lab in Ontario (Canada) that does testing. Their website had instructions on how big the samples needed to be and how to label them. We removed small amounts from under the light fixtures (so we could hide the spot). We sent them off and got a lab report back. We were lucky none of our tiles were asbestos containing. It was fairly inexpensive to have the peace of mind. There were 3 different 12 x 12" ceiling tiles in the house and I think it was around $100 to $150 for the testing.

Does yours happen to look like this? we have someone coming out to test them soon but just trying to do some research for peace of mind and hoping they are not asbestos!

No. None of the 3 were smooth like that IIRC. But don't worry too much yet. As long as you aren't disturbing the tiles before your test than it should be fine. My sband removed two rooms of ours and drywalled the ceiling. The remaining rooms have a bit of texture on the tiles.

Thank you Deb! crossing fingers they are not. They are in great condition but we have 2 small kids and just want to be extra safe.