Old bitumen adhesive and underfloor heating

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Hello! We are about to renovate our 1960s home and need some expert advice on how to plan the new kitchen floor.

The current floor is composed of 9x9 asbestos vinyl tiles adhered to a concrete foundation with an asbestos containing bitumen.

The kitchen is very small so we'd like to remove the radiator to maximise cabinet space and put in an electric underfloor heating system.

There's also parquet flooring in the adjoining hallway that is currently flush with the kitchen tiles. I suppose there's no way for the new flooring to stay flush with the hallway but we'd like to minimise the height difference.

Is it best to remove the bitumen adhesive before laying the new floor?

The removal company said the process could involve chipping the concrete foundation so it would be slightly uneven. I don't know if this is an issue or if the installer can level the floor again.

I've read here and elsewhere that it's best not to screed over bitumen adhesive but some say it's fine. I'm not sure if the added heat will compound the issue and soften the adhesive and/or the bond between the adhesive and screed.

As you can probably tell, I know hardly anything about building and flooring but I am currently coordinating the process with the builder and removal company. If this isn't the right forum or if you can recommend a place to get professional advice, that would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
 
There are apparantly 4 grades of flooring bitumen/asphalt.
3 are fine but 1 is a real problem (and caught me out!)
I would call Tilemaster technical helpline or BAL technical for guidance.

It may be that you can simply use a grip primer and then 5mm or so of fibre-reinforced smoothing compound to keep the heat off the bitumen.
 
We have to prime and self level to encapsulate any bitumen on the floor in void property's of 50,s 60,s and 70,s.
 

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Old bitumen adhesive and underfloor heating
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Tile Adhesive and Grout Advice
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