Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - What is this black stuff on my cement?

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lyndelld
06-07-07, 08:02 AM
We are wanting to stain our cement inside.

When I pulled back the carpet I saw this black stuff. It does not completely cover the floor so I don't think it's a sealant. The carpet is tacked down so I'm not for sure if it is an adhesive.

I can scrape some of it up with a scrapper.

I'm also conserned if it might be asbestos based.
The house was built in the 50's.
Any Ideas?

Smokey49
06-07-07, 08:50 AM
It's might be an adhesive, but I'd be surprised to find it under carpet. I normally find that stuff under old vinyl tiles. Is it on the back of the carpet as well? Is it sort of like a fairly hard tar looking stuff or is it more like a sort of foam, like a very thin pad? Lots of that old glue down carpet had a thin, black, foam pad on the back of it. Over time, it got beat down even flatter and became hard and brittle. When removing the carpet, some of it will stay with the carpet and some will stay on the floor. For the inexperienced eye, it can sometimes look like adhesive or something. It's also possible that it's some sort of sealer. Was there ever vinyl tile on this floor? It could be the adhesive from that where someone else pulled the old tiles up and carpeted over the old stuff without removing it. Too many variables without seeing it.