Concrete floor & 1970s brown tiles - to hardboard or not?

[fabgav]

Hi all,

sorry if this is a daft question but most of google just answers for wood sub floors.

Downstairs living room is a concrete floor with horrible 1970s brown tiles which about about 3mm thick, not sure that they are but all the edges have broken and crumbled up.

We are gettin carpet fitted which is a good quality one and cloud9 underlay.
I have put some hardboard down and covered the floor mainly to please the eye at the moment but should I leave it there for the fitters?

If I leave it down should I no-nails it?

If I leave it down, smooth side or rough side up?

If I take it up...........does any body want 4 sheets of hardboard?

Also, I've got to supply gripper......will this just nail into the concrete floor?

Cheers all

 

[OwainDIYer]

The tiles are probably asphalt asbestos laid on bitumen. Probably best to lift them all. Mine popped off fairly easily when I put a scraper under them. Depending on how smooth the concrete floor is underneath you can then put a levelling screed over or re-hardboard.

You will need to establish whether you have a damp proof membrane in the concrete but if this is a 1970s house you probably do.

 

[fabgav]

Time scale just doesn't allow for lifting them.
They don't seem asbestos based, I'd say more bakerlite maybe?

 

[OwainDIYer]

They might not contain asbestos, but many did.

http://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Floor_Tile_ID.php

(primarily a US site but British products appear similar)