Asbestos in Linoleum before the 1970's?

I read on Google that that linoleum flooring from before 1970 may have asbestos in the adhesive. We’re going to have to get it tested before being able to remove it.  A minor bump in the road, and a reordering of priorities that now includes asbestos.

We hope to make many updates and restorations to this old home. That’s why we called our beloved wedding photographer, Alexandra Friendly, to ask if she’d be game for doing a “before the renovations” photo shoot.  And she was! 

Home Reno: Getting Started

Maybe the hardest part about renovating is looking at this giant project and having no idea where to start. We have a month before we move in, so we created 1^st month priority list:

1. Inspect the chimney                    

2. Electrical updates

3. Install fire alarms

4. Sand and stain hardwood floors

5. Kitchen:

                - remove flooring

                - install new flooring

                - add kitchen cabinets

                - add kitchen counter space

                - buy a stove & remove broken one

6. Upstairs bathroom:

                - caulk shower/tub

                - unclog the drain

                - storage space

Getting our kitchen in working order is the #1 priority. I watched a YouTube video about how to remove old linoleum – and though I’m not sure if the kitchen floor is linoleum- I decided to buy a heat gun on Amazon. I think it will come in handy on this project, and lots of others from the description:

“Just plug the gun into any household outlet, turn it on, and select the appropriate temperature to restore furniture, strip funky-colored kitchen cabinets, or remove paint from hard-to-sand wood trim. The gun is also great for heating up plastic film to insulate drafty windows, defrosting freezers, drying plaster, forming and bending plastic pipe, and more!”

Homeowners!

It’s official! Ben and I are DC homeowners!

We fought our way through the fierce real estate market and won against all odds competing with 9 other bids in the 4 days this house was on the market. Aside from our realtor’s outstanding negotiation skills, part of the reason we won is because we were able to move through closing at the speed of light. It’s all been a whirlwind, but we settled & were given keys on Tuesday, January 29th. 

Neither of us know much about renovating a big old house, and neither of us consider ourselves to be very “handy,” but we plan to do most of the work ourselves. Our current strategy is to scour Pinterest and watch YouTube videos. Let the games begin!