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I'm hoping to install a kitchen island in the near future. However, my home was built in the 70s and thus asbestos is a concern. It appears the previous owner removed the old kitchen tile and installed a vinyl floating floor, but the black mastic which held the old tile remains. Based on the results of testing I had done on tile in the basement, it would be safe to assume the mastic contains asbestos, as well.

Google has informed me that installing an island on top of a floating floor would be a poor idea. Regardless, if I pull up the vinyl or not, screwing down the island into the mastic doesn't sound like a great idea. Even if the mastic was encapsulated, I'm not sure how safe it would be to screw an island down.

All that to say, is there a safe way to securely anchor a kitchen island to the subfloor in the above conditions?

Thank you in advance for the help!

CaptainGouda
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If you try scraping, sanding or cutting the mastic, then you risk creating asbestos dust. But it doesn't sound like you're planning to do any of that, so I wouldn't worry. Remove the floating floor, and screw the island down. Wear a mask, and vacuum the area with a HEPA filter while you're working - this is mainly to deal with any hazardous dust that might be there already.

Depending on how thick the floor next to the island is, you might want to put some wood under the island, to keep the counter height reasonable. Also, don't assume that the floor is level; you might have to shim the island to get the counter top level.

Mike Baranczak
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