What happens if old tile has asbestos in our Hunt Club unit?

If old tile or its black mastic adhesive in your Hunt Club unit may contain asbestos, have it tested before any grinding, shot-blasting or removal work begins. Asbestos is a designated substance in Ontario, and the owner has duties before the project starts.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, section 30(1), before a project begins the owner must determine whether any designated substances are present and prepare a list. Section 30(3) requires that list to be given to every prospective contractor before a binding contract is signed. O. Reg. 490/09 lists asbestos among the designated substances. Under section 30(5), an owner who fails to comply is liable to the constructor and every contractor and subcontractor who suffers losses from a designated substance the owner ought reasonably to have known of.

Practically, this means you have the tile and mastic tested before you get floor coating quotes, not after, so every prospective contractor sees the results. If asbestos is confirmed, its removal is governed by its own regulation (O. Reg. 278/05), which we did not research; get advice on it before any floor work is booked.

A few other points worth keeping in mind for your Hunt Club unit:

• The floor coating contractor should provide Safety Data Sheets for every product they plan to use. OHSA section 38(1.1) requires that SDS copies be readily available to workers who may be exposed; if your own staff will be on site during the work, ask for the SDS before work begins and read Section 2 for hazard information.
• Ottawa Public Health asks to be notified when a food premises is being significantly renovated. If your unit is a food premises, ask OPH whether the project, including abatement and re-flooring, triggers that notification before you book anything.

When you have two written floor coating quotes in hand, set them side by side and compare: which products are specified and do the data sheets and Safety Data Sheets come with the quote; what prep method is proposed and what surface profile does the data sheet call for; is a moisture test included and what happens to the price if the slab fails it; how many coats or what thickness does the data sheet require and does the quote match; is cove base included and at what linear footage; what anti-slip texture is specified; and what closure window does the contractor commit to based on the data sheet, not a verbal estimate.