Old Vinyl Flooring Asbestos

One of the best ways to deal with asbestos tile is to leave it in place and cover it with new flooring.

Old vinyl flooring asbestos.

Manufacturers have been using asbestos for decades so asbestos containing tiles come in a vast array of colours styles and sizes. 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. This article describes sheet flooring products known to contain significant levels of asbestos. Identifying asbestos tile flooring by date.

Removing vinyl flooring with asbestos requires special safety clothing and breathing respirators. 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. 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. Vinyl tiles with asbestos are all 12 12 or 9 9 tiles with asbestos.

Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. Vinyl tile is an excellent option for sealing in asbestos tiles. An example would be a floor slab made from asbestos cement. But when vinyl asbestos flooring is in good condition it is considered nonfriable.

The old tiles are relatively thin around 1 8 inch thick so installing new flooring on top. Professionals will not remove the flooring if it is dry. 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. Asbestos vinyl flooring was a durable and economical material that offered many aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste.

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. Asbestos vinyl floor tiles were far from rare. Removing old vinyl flooring with asbestos. Asbestos tiles were popular widely advertised products found in all parts of the u s.

Asbestos containing sheet flooring or resilient flooring product identification. Whether your tiles are 12 12 9 9 or any other size they are all equally likely to contain asbestos. One of the biggest factors of installing a new floor over the old is thickness. In this case it needs to be removed very carefully to avoid asbestos exposure.