I would remove all old linoleum flooring before putting down new vinyl planks.

Thanks so much for the detailed answer. The house was built in 1950 but I have no idea when the floor was put down. I posted some pics below

No one can tell if flooring has asbestos in it without testing a small sample at an accredited lab. Having said that, I will venture to say that I would be suspicious of that whitish, fibrous layer you are showing in those last pictures.

The tiles appear quite thick. And they are individual tiles glued side by side. I'm guessing they have a raised or textured surface. And it looks like they were supposed to get a 'fake grout' along the edges to make it look more like ceramic tiles.

Is the middle of the tile (not surface...not bottom) a fibre board of some sort? Who thick are they?

How large are the tiles? Traditionally we see asbestos associated with 9" x 9" vinyl tiles (that look very different from what you have). That doesn't mean you are free and clear. But they do not have a typical 'asbestos tile' look. Again, this is nothing to go by.

The adhesive is the other place to look.

All I can say is the 'look' isn't commonly associated with asbestos. The fake grout lines are a newer invention and not normally associated with the 50's, 60's or even 70's. I believe these became available in the 1980's...but maybe someone else with more experience and a longer memory than mine will help.

I paid a company to get rid of some old hard asbestos tiles in this house and it was expensive. Hoping to not have to do that again. Would it be safe to get a full respirator and pull up?

I would like to see $100 spent on the test for the adhesive. And maybe another $100 spent on the tile. With both coming back negative (for asbestos) you can do what you want without guessing.

Yeah I'll probably go ahead and do the testing. Cost me about $220 last time, it's worth

Mike A-

There's more to it than putting on a respirator and pulling it up. Personal protection for asbestos abatement people is the easy part. It's all the other things you do to prevent the spread of fibers throughout your house and ductwork, and then properly disposing of everything. If you've never done this before, you should realize that it can be a challenge to get things completely removed, including the flooring adhesive that may also have asbestos in it. And, you often need a permit ot undertake this. Here is some guidance from a State environmental agency on DIY:

Asbestos containing flooring

Sometimes the best approach is to not disturb it, but to simply nail down a thin subfloor and then put your new material directly on that.

I'm on concrete slab so I can't Nail down a subfloor. Do you think I could tile over it?

If the existing flooring is fairly well-adhered, the subfloor could be glued down on top of it. You would spread adhesive on the floor, lay down a sheet of, say, good quality (meaning no voids in the plies), 1/4" plywood, or thicker, and go over it with a heavy roller, like you use when laying down a seamless floor. You might want to spread weights around the edges -- like paint cans -- to insure that it doesn't curl slightly while the adhesive sets up.

Thank you, if I end up deciding to tile would a membrane like ditra over the existing vinyl or linoleum be ok? Or self leveling concrete? Just considering all options.

Any of those could work, I think, but I'm not a professional in this area so I'm going to suggest an on-site evalutation is appropriate, particularly to assess how well the existing floor is adhered.

If you want to do a permanent floor = ceramic or porcelain tile then your project just became a WHOLE LOT more difficult. As in 100% more difficult.

Personally I would float a LAMINATE floating floor over top (laminate is sturdier than vinyl and can handle a wonky tile like this...although you will lose all warranty) and be done with it.

Yes I agree. Porcelain or ceramic tile is going to be lots of work. I've been looking at vinyl because I want to bring the floor into the bathroom too and vinyl is waterproof. I havent looked at laminate at all yet. I will. Thanks

Is it a wet bathroom (shower used daily)? Or is it a half bath (no shower/tub) or is a bathroom that will only have shower used occasionally (every 3-4 months)?

It's our only bathroom, me and my two sons. So a very wet bathroom.

Got it. I would spend the money on the bathroom floor (tile). Yes it is expensive but it is for a small space. Save the money and float laminate everywhere else.