Old Vinyl Flooring Asbestos

Asbestos containing sheet flooring or resilient flooring product identification.

Old vinyl flooring asbestos.

Vinyl tile is an excellent option for sealing in asbestos tiles. The old tiles are relatively thin around 1 8 inch thick so installing new flooring on top. One of the best ways to deal with asbestos tile is to leave it in place and cover it with new flooring. Our photo left shows armstrong excelon 12x12 vinyl asbestos flooring made in 1972 identified in our floor tile photo guide asbestos floor tile identification photos 1949 1959 detailed photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles and resilient flooring produced in 1900 1980.

Manufacturers have been using asbestos for decades so asbestos containing tiles come in a vast array of colours styles and sizes. Like floor tiles vinyl sheet flooring is a long lasting and economical material and it also offers more aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste. Removing vinyl flooring with asbestos requires special safety clothing and breathing respirators. If the flooring was installed between 1952 and 1986 your vinyl flooring might contain asbestos.

9 9 vinyl tile and mastic. We describe sources of asbestos in older forms of sheet flooring including felt backed flooring rubber backed flooring and vinyl cushion backed resilient flooring products. Asbestos vinyl flooring was a durable and economical material that offered many aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste. One of the biggest factors of installing a new floor over the old is thickness.

Asbestos vinyl floor tiles were far from rare. Asbestos tiles were popular widely advertised products found in all parts of the u s. When vinyl asbestos flooring is crumbling or damaged it is considered friable. Professionals will not remove the flooring if it is dry.

Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. If you aren t removing the old floor you may be creating a new floor that is too thick for doors to open and shut or for thresholds to have clearance. Asbestos was used in vinyl wallpaper from the 1920s and in the vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring that rose to prominence in the 1950s. But when vinyl asbestos flooring is in good condition it is considered nonfriable.

Identifying asbestos tile flooring by date. Vinyl tiles with asbestos are all 12 12 or 9 9 tiles with asbestos. In this case it needs to be removed very carefully to avoid asbestos exposure. Removing old vinyl flooring with asbestos.