See attached image. These tiles are in the common area of my apartment building. As you can see, there is significant cracking. My building was built in the 60's, I know that the 9-inch tiles in my apartment contain asbestos, and I suspect these 12-inch tiles in the common area also contain asbestos. The dark area on the right side of the image is stain from where a rug normally is.
If these tiles contain asbestos, how dangerous at present are they with the state they are in?
Best Answer
Asbestos is only dangerous when it becomes airborne, which happens when whatever contains it is turned into dust. For example it would be a very bad idea to remove these tiles by breaking them into bits with a rotary hammer, and even worse to cut them with a diamond disc grinder. The mortar/glue below may also contain asbestos fiber as reinforcement.
However in their current state, they are not dangerous, as the asbestos fibers won't become airborne.
If the building contains asbestos though, you might want to check the fireproofing and/or insulation. These are the most dangerous, as they are spray-on fibers and tend to degrade with time, releasing the asbestos into the air.