# Forum Home Renovation Asbestos  Does black glue contain Asbestos?

## CJA

Hi,
I purchased a brand new townhouse without flooring in 2014. I had defective tiling installed on my ground floor and staircase. Just had the tiling removed and noticed a tar black glue on the staircase. The tiler will not tell me what glue they used there. The tile stripper told me this black glue is called Blackjack. After searching online Blackjack glue may contain asbestos. I am concern about my family at risk with asbestos now? I am getting pieces of the black glue for testing. Does anyone use this kind of glue on the staircase?

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## johnc

If this glue was laid in 2014 or later there is no way it could contain asbestos, there are instances of some imported products containing materials they shouldn't so by all means get it tested for peace of mind. Perhaps your tiler simply does not know what the glue is, that is not the same as refusing to tell you.

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## cam_jim

Wouldn't think it would be a problem even if the glue contained asbestos. Unless the glue turns to dust there shouldn't be any asbestos particles flying around to breathe in. Scrape it off,  don't try to sand it off.

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## Bloss

> Wouldn't think it would be a problem even if the glue contained asbestos. Unless the glue turns to dust there shouldn't be any asbestos particles flying around to breathe in. Scrape it off,  don't try to sand it off.

  This looks like a 'hit & run' to me. 
In any case new townhouse will not have any asbestos containing materials, but your advice is wrong. Any material that contains asbestos has the potential to be dangerous so should be treated according to the well known guidelines - all available on this forum as stickies or in the Library. The main things is to wear mask & goggles & gloves when doing reno work where any dust of any type might be created - including 'scraping' and use water etc to keep dusts at bay.

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## CJA

The tiling was installed by a tiler I had engaged it's got nothing to do with the builder. I have dispute with the tiling company and they are refusing to tell me what glue they used on my staircase. On the tax invoice it has rubber glue. I don't think rubber glue should look black. The tiling was so defective with missing, inadequate grout, more than 20 drummy tiles, uneven tiles, lippage and various joint width. I cannot live with this so I had stripped the tiles and getting laminate. The tile stripper told me the glue the tiler used was blackjack glue. The black glue is already removed.

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## David.Elliott

> If this glue was laid in 2014 or later there is no way it could contain asbestos, there are instances of some imported products containing materials they shouldn't so by all means get it tested for peace of mind. Perhaps your tiler simply does not know what the glue is, that is not the same as refusing to tell you.

  Not out to pick an argument, but, there was no way the new ceiling panels just installed in the Perth Childrens Hospital should have contained asbestos either... Asbestos found in $1.2b Perth Children&#039;s Hospital, says WA Health Minister - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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## johnc

> Not out to pick an argument, but, there was no way the new ceiling panels just installed in the Perth Childrens Hospital should have contained asbestos either... Asbestos found in $1.2b Perth Children&#039;s Hospital, says WA Health Minister - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

  That is the reason for the qualification about imported materials, it is of great concern that our import systems are allowing this stuff in, he remains low risk on black tiling goo but you can't dismiss the fear entirely.

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## cam_jim

> This looks like a 'hit & run' to me. 
> ....... but your advice is wrong. Any material that contains asbestos has the potential to be dangerous so should be treated according to the well known guidelines - all available on this forum as stickies or in the Library. The main things is to wear mask & goggles & gloves when doing reno work where any dust of any type might be created - including 'scraping' and use water etc to keep dusts at bay.

  "wear mask & goggles & gloves when doing reno work" is good advice. You may well be correct but asbestosis is caused by microscopic asbestos particles floating in the air being breathed in and scarring the lungs. Not too sure how you would get the microscopic asbestos fibres floating freely out of a solid glob of glue though. Even if you sanded it the asbestos particles would still be attached to the glue particles and would be too large to clog/scar the lungs.

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## Bloss

> "wear mask & goggles & gloves when doing reno work" is good advice. You may well be correct but asbestosis is caused by microscopic asbestos particles floating in the air being breathed in and scarring the lungs. Not too sure how you would get the microscopic asbestos fibres floating freely out of a solid glob of glue though. Even if you sanded it the asbestos particles would still be attached to the glue particles and would be too large to clog/scar the lungs.

  But there is no easy way to be sure what that glue or anything else you disturb mechanically in a reno might contain. If you had read my posts you would see I am far from being a scare monger on asbestos, but I do bang on about all dust being dangerous if ingested (not equally of course) and that consistent safe work practices are the best prevention. We too often get posts that ask questions about safety _after_ the action has already been taken. Fortunately most bad impacts require multiple exposures at high levels (as asbestos does too with only a very few number of exceptions where the exposure is unknown or thought to be at very low levels - and then often with smokers).

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## CJA

The tile stripper cracked two of my tiles and made three of my steps loose. It sounds squeaky when been walked on and feels unsafe. They are not taking any reliability for the repairing of the steps. When they grind the black glue off they must of loosen the timber steps. There were no squeaky sound before their grinding. Do they need to be liable? The cracked tiles they said they will reimburse me.

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## mudbrick

Now you've lost me, did you expect to get all the old tiles up without breaking them?
If your stairs are now squeaky it's probably an indication that the staircase was built to the same standard as your tiles were laid.
how did they lift the old tiles? Levering them with a Crow bar could have lifted the flooring or stair treads a bit but this could be renailed quite easily.

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## CJA

The tiles were removed by grinding. The timber staircase was not squeaky when the tiler first laid the tiles but after the tile stripper came to do their job three steps are now squeaky. There is no access under the timber staircase to repair the steps.

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## Bloss

A brand new townhouse in 2014 is still under the statutory warranty for 'major defects' and spending on date of completion/ occupancy certificates maybe for minor issues too, but given the DIY work you have done any attempt to claim on that would be fraught Dealing_with_building_defects

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