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Asphalt asbestos floor tile (C) Daniel Friedman1960s Armstrong & Other Asbestos-Suspect Flooring
Identification Photos 1960-1969 +
1960s Floor Tile Asbestos Test: 6% Chrysoile

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about how to identify brands & types of vinyl & vinyl-asbestos floor tiles & sheet flooring & about the asbestos content of these products

Photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles, 1960-69

This article provides a guide to identifying asphalt-asbestos flooring in styles and colors sold between 1960 and 1969.

We provide: identification photographs, product names, styles, colors, and vinyl-asbestos floor patterns, and colors for asbestos-containing floor tile products made between about 1930 and 1986 - flooring materials that are reported to or have been confirmed to contain asbestos in asbestos fiber or asbestos powder-filler form.

These flooring products typically contain chrysotile asbestos, and possibly other asbestos forms.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Asbestos Test Results: 1960s Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles

Gray tan and green vinyl asbestos floor tile installed in 1962 in a northern Minnesota home, tested for asbestos (C) Daniel Friedman EMSLBottom line: Asbestos-containing sheet flooring in good condition in a residential environment is not a high risk of causing airborne asbestos hazards as the material is not friable.

The safest as well as least-costly course of action is to leave such flooring in place, and to cover it over with other flooring material.

Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air. - US EPA

However if such flooring installed in North America before the early 1980's is in very poor condition or if it must be demolished as part of building renovations, it should be treated as presumed to contain asbestos and handled accordingly.

Flooring adhesives or mastics also may contain asbestos.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Photo above: a gray, green, and light tan asphalt-asbestos floor tile installed in a northern Minnesota home in 1962.

Using a certified asbestos testing laboratory we had this sample tested for asbestos and we report the results below.

Friable and nonfriable asbestos are defined

at ASBESTOS DEFINITION & COMPOSITION

1962 Floor Tile Sample No. 03

First, why do I call this an "asphalt-asbestos" floor tile rather than "vinyl-asbestos" or just "vinyl" floor tile? Let's look at the back of this tile.

Cloes-up of 1960s asphalt asbestos floor tile pattern face (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

That gray color with cracking is characteristic of an asphalt-based floor covering rather than a vinyl one.

Take a look at our next photograph below, showing the edge of this 1960's floor tile.

Asphalt asbestos floor tile edge showing black matrix of constituents (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

The edge view of this tile showing the rather homogeneous makeup of the tile except for its colored face means this is most-likely an asphalt-based tile. However, though it's reasonable to treat such flooring as presumed to contain asbestos, without an expert test one cannot be certain of the floor's asbestos content.

For example, some Armstrong 1960s floor tiles were made without asbestos in their matrix.

Cloes-up of 1960s asphalt asbestos floor tile pattern face (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com Cloes-up of 1960s asphalt asbestos floor tile pattern face (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

Above: additional photos of this 1960's flooring sample under our stereo-microscope, showing the tile's face and the texture of its back or "bottom" surface.

Asbestos floor tile sample #03, lab photo illustrationg asbestos (C) InspectApedia.com Daniel Friedman EMSL

Above: Floor Sample No. 03, a gray, tan & green floor tile installed in a Two Harbors MN home ca 1960 was tested for asbestos using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) by EMSL. The lab found

Below: an excerpt from the EMSL lab report on this flooring sample.

Asbestos flooring tested for asbestos using PLM (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com sample No. 03 EMSL

1962 Floor Tile Sample No. 04

Cloes-up of 1960s asphalt asbestos floor tile pattern face (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com Cloes-up of 1960s asphalt asbestos floor tile pattern face (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

and here is a closer look at this floor tile sample pattern under our stereo microscope.

\Cloes-up of 1960s asphalt asbestos floor tile pattern face (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

Below: Flooring sample #04 under polarized light in a PLM microscope.

Asbestos floor tile sample #03, lab photo illustrationg asbestos (C) InspectApedia.com Daniel Friedman EMSL

Floor Sample No. 04, a floor tile installed in a Two Harbors MN home ca 1960 was tested for asbestos using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) by EMSL. The lab found

Below: an excerpt from the EMSL lab report on this flooring sample.

Asbestos flooring tested for asbestos using PLM (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com sample No. 03 EMSL

ca 1965 Sample Floor Tile No. 06

1960s floor tile in a NY home tested for asbestos (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com EMSL

From a Poughkeepsie New York House built ca 1965, this floor tile and mastic on its back surface were sent for analysis via PLM NYS 198.6 (<1%) & TEM NYS 198.4 (<1%).

Phase 1 Examination for Asbestos: Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM)

1960s floor tile tested for asbestos, PLM image (C) InspectApedia.com Daniel Friedman EMSL

Above: Sample 06 New York floor tile examined by PLM.

Result

Below: Sample 06 New York floor tile asphalt-based tile mastic adhesive, also examined by PLM.

1960s floor tile tested for asbestos, PLM image (C) InspectApedia.com Daniel Friedman EMSL

Phase 2 Examination for Asbestos: Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

1960s floor tile tested for asbestos, PLM image (C) InspectApedia.com Daniel Friedman EMSL 1960s floor tile tested for asbestos, PLM image (C) InspectApedia.com Daniel Friedman EMSL

Above: photos of mastic removed from the back of our tile sample No. 6, by TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope)

The non-organically bound samples were analyzed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) at approximately 20,000 X magnification. Asbestos structures are identified by a combination of morphology, quantitative elemental chemistry via Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDXA), and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED).

Result:

Really? This is a surprising result; the only rational explanations I can come up with for an asbestos level greater than zero but less than 1% might be that the lab is not going to risk guaranteeing zero asbestos in the sample if that's a level of asbestos below that that their procedure can detect, OR the flooring has slight asbestos in its matrix from cross-contamination.

Also we don't know if the lab is looking only for characteristic and comparatively large asbestos fibers or if the procedure also detects shorts or fines of asbestos widely used as filler in asphalt-asbestos and vinyl-asbestos floor tile. To be clear, there were some 1960's asphalt- or vinyl-based floor tiles that did NOT contain asbestos.

Asbestos Test Lab Reports for The Samples Above

 

Armstrong Floor Tile Photo Identification Guide 1960 - 1969

Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles Product History and Product Name List

Asphalt asbestos and vinyl-asbestos floor tiles were produced in 9" x 9", 12" x 12", and even 18" x 18" as well as in decorative strips, and in thicknesses of 1/16", 3/32", and 1/8", also in 0.08 gauge.

This photo guide to asphalt asbestos & vinyl asbestos floor tiles for each year shows at least one color photo of each floor tile style or pattern in an example color. A list below each group of photos includes the names of and links to additional photos for other colors of these styles.

Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air.

Below we provide an extensive photo-dictionary of resilient flooring, floor tiles, and sheet flooring, with focus on older floor coverings that are known to contain asbestos.

For a quick check and five easy questions that can help tell you if an unknown floor covering contains asbestos, try

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

How to Find Your Floor Tile or Sheet Flooring in this Flooring Reference Photo Guide

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

[Click to enlarge any image]

Asphalt asbestos and vinyl-asbestos floor tiles were produced in 9" x 9", 12" x 12", and even 18" x 18" as well as in decorative strips, and in thicknesses of 1/16", 3/32", and 1/8", also in 0.08 gauge. Some sheet flooring or resilient flooring also contained asbestos, as did floor tile mastics.

This photo guide to asphalt asbestos & vinyl asbestos floor tiles for each year shows at least one color photo of each floor tile style or pattern in an example color. A list below each group of photos includes the names of and links to additional photos for other colors of these styles.

Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air.

1960 - Armstrong Excelon Floor Vinyl Plastic Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9" & beginning in 1960 available in 12" x 12" size

Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Tiles were produced in both 9" x 9" and for order quantities over 9,000 sq.ft. also in 12" x 12" size. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.

EXCELON CORKSTYLE was sold in all three: Light, Medium, Dark shades - Colors: (See the corkstyle color images from 1956, 1957, 1958)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

EXCELON DESIGNER TONE-on-TONE colors 9" x 9" x 1/16" (some patterns) & 1/8" , shown above

These Excelon designer floor tiles by Armstrong were sold in MINT GREEN 760, SAND BEIGE 762, ECRU 767, KASHA TAUPE 769 - new (See 1957 - 1958 for other color photos) all shown above.

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

EXCELON IMPERIAL l 9 x 9 x 3/32 & 1/8" floor tiles, shown above were sold in the following

Colors:

MINT GREEN 871,

PEBBLE BEIGE 872,

GULL GREAY 873,

DUSTY CEDAR 874

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

EXCELON METALLIC SPATTER pattern vinyl-asbestos floor tiles shown above were NEW in 1959-1960 9" x 9" x 1/16" vinyl asbestos flooring (only in 1/16" "service gauge" for this pattern).

These floor tiles include metallic accents, metallic highlights in gold, silver or bronze dispersed through the pattern.

Colors: Metallic spatter patterns (shown above) were provided

in BEIGE GOLD 300,

MINT GOLD 301,

SLATE GOLD 302,

PINK GOLD 303

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

EXCELON METALLIC STRAIGHT GRAIN floor tiles shown abovewere NEW in 1959-1960 9" x 9" x 1/16" vinyl asbestos flooring (sold in both 1/16" service gauge and 3/32" gauge)

These tiles also include metallic accents, metallic highlights in gold, silver or bronze dispersed through the pattern.

Colors for the metallic straight grain series included:

BLACK GOLD 351 above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

REDWOOD GOLD 353, above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

GRAY SILVERGOLD 354, above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

TAUPE BRONZE 355 above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

EXCELON SPATTER floor tile pattern, shown above (distinct from the Metallic spatter pattern above) in 9" x 9" x 1/16" service gauge (for light commercial and residential interiors only)

Colors: produced in a wide variety of shades incuding

CHELSEA WHITE 731

and MERIDIAN TAUPE 747.

(See same tile pattern & color photos from prior years.)

Excelon Straight-Grain 9" x 9" x 1/16" & 1/8" gauge floor tiles, not the metallic series, were sold in these

Colors: Seneca White 770, Mohawk gray 771, Apache Red 777, Osage Green 780, Iroquois Tan 783, Mohave Charcoal 786

(See same tile pattern & color photos from prior years)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

Excelon STYLETONE series vinyl-asbestos floortiles , shown above (similar to Cork patterns + monochromatic colors)

Colors: Sandtone 830, Mintone 831, Rosetone 834, Cedartone 835 (See same tile pattern & color photos from 1959 for color photos)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

Excelon WOODTONE floor tile pattern, shown above

sold in these colors: Light Woodtone 788, Red Woodtone # 796, Dark Woodtone 799 (See same tile pattern & color photos from 1958 for color photos)

1961 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9", 12 x 12, Patterns & Color Guide

For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Tiles were produced in 1961 in both 9" x 9" and for order quantities over 9,000 sq.ft. also in 12" x 12" size.

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CENTENNIAL SERIES floor tiles, shown above include ovate spots on a soft background, with pearlescent/metallic highlights (above left)

Colors:

SONATA BEIGE 800,

ALLEGRO WHITE 801,

POLKA GRAY No. 802,

BALLET TAUPE 803 (also shown above),

OVERTURE GREEN 804,

CONCERTO WHITE 805,

PRELUDE IVORY 806,

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

METRO TAUPE 807 - above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

Corkstyle floor tiles for 1961, shown above - as in prior and subsequent years - see "Dusty Cedar 874 in the thumbnails above.

Colors:

see LIGHT CORK 840 from 1963, also

see MEDIUM CORK from 1965

and DARK CORK from 1962

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

DESIGNERS SERIES vinyl asbestos floor tiles, shown above

Colors:

MINT GREEN 760 in 1/8" & 3/32", above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

SIENNA COPPERr 765 1/8" gauge only,

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

ECRU 767 sold in all gauges,

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

KASHA TAUPE 769 in 1/8" & 3/32" - above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

IMPERIAL pattern vinyl asbestos floor tiles for 1961 sold as 9" x 9"x 3/32 or 1/8" gauge, shown above [Click to enlarge any image]

Colors:

PASTEL GRAY 870, shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

MINT GREEN 871,

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

PEBBLE BEIGE 872,

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

DUSTY CEDAR 874

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

METALLIC series floor tiles for 1961, straight grain, shown above

Colors:

BLACK GOLD No. 351, shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

IVORY GOLD 352 above

REDWOOD GOLD 353,

WHITE GOLD 356

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

SPATTER series floor tiles, shown above

Colors:

ANDOVER WHITE 735,

MERIDIAN TAUPE 747, shown just above

WORCESTER GRAY 749

STANDARD STRAIGHT GRAIN pattern Armstrong flooring tiles 1961, shown above

Colors:

ALGONQUIN GREEN 704,

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

ACOMA BLUE 705 shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STYLETONE floor tiles 1961, shown above

Colors:

MINTONE 831,

ROSETONE 834,

BEIGETONE 839 shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

WOODTONE vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1961 as shown above

Colors:

LIGHT WOODTONE 788, shown above

DARKWOODTONE 789

Feature Strips and Insets solid color vinyl-asbestos flooring were sold in 1" x 24" c 1/8" gauge; also "die cuts" 18" x 18" solid color tiles

Also see ARMSTRONG DIE-CUT FLOOR TILES

Also see KENTILE DIE CUT & THEME FLOOR TILES

Colors: (Black 790, White 791, Red 792, Yellow 793, Green 794, Brown 795)

(See the strip guide at 1956, also see this installed SOLID TILE & FEATURE STRIP FLOORING EXAMPLE using the same image as was still sold in 1971.)

1962 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9", 12 x 12, Patterns & Color Guide

For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.

Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Tiles were produced in 1962 in both 9" x 9" and for order quantities over 9,000 sq.ft. also in 12" x 12" size.

Nikita Kruschev banging his shoe on the table at the United Nations, shouting "We will bury you", the Cuban Missle crisis nor the Kennedy Assassination did not deter the production of the wide variety of vinyl-asbestos flooring products described below for 1962.

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CENTENNIAL style vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1962 (above)

Sold in these Colors:

POLKA GRAY 802, [click to see]

RHAPSODY GREEN 815,

LARGO WHITE 818,

CODA BISQUE 819 above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CORKSTYLE floor tiles - vinyl asbestos tiles that resemble cork flooring.

Colors: DARK CORK STYLE 842 shown from Armstrong's 1962 tile catalog, (above) (see other colors, photos earlier years)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

EXCELON IMPERIAL style vinyl asbestos floor tiles in 1962, sold in

this wide range of floor tile colors:

ANCESTRAL WHITE 861 - shown above,

MAPLEWOOD 863,

PILGRIM TAUPE 864

COPPERTONE BEIGE 865,

Corsair Black 867 Armstrong asbestos-containing floor tile (C) IAP

CORSAIR BLACK 867, shown above (1962)

MINT WHITE 868, Ivory Tan 869,

PASTEL GRAY 870,

MINT GREEN 871,

PEBBLE BEIGE 872,

DUSTY CEDAR 874,

WILD HONEY 876,

NUTMEG BROWN 877,

GRANITE GRAY 878,

AUTUMN GRAY 879

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

METALLIC style flooring tiles shown above

Colors:

Ivory Gold 352,

WHITE GOLD 356

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

SPATTER style floor tiles shown above, sold in these

Colors:

ANDOVER WHITE 735,

MERIDIAN TAUPE 747,

WORCESTER GRAY 749 - shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STANDARD STRAIGHT GRAIN Standard and Woodtone (below) were the most popular selling vinyl asbestos floor tile patterns in 1962 according to Armstrong.

Colors:

WACO SAND 702 above

Isleta Blue 711 aspalt or vinyl asbestos floor tile (C) InspectApedia.com

ISLETA BLUE 711, shown above from 1962

DAKOTA WHITE 713,

CAYUGA BROWN 715,

MINT GREEN 760,

SILVER GRAY 761,

SAND BEIGE 762,

ROSE TAUPE 763,

SIENNA COPPER 765,

Ecru 767,

MINERAL GRAY 768,

KASHA TAUPE 769, and quite widely popular

Seneca white standard straight grain Armstrong tile - very popular (C) InspectApedia.com

SENECA WHITE 770 standard straight grain Armstrong floor tile, shown above.

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STYLETONE floor tiles were sold in these colors:

MINTONE 831,

IVORYTONE 833,

ROSETONE 834,

BEIGETONE 839 - shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

Woodtone vinyl asbestos floor tiles in 1962 sold 9" x 9" x 1/8" & 1/16" thicknesses

Colors: Light Oak 850, MEDIUM OAK 851, Dark Oak 852 (see the 1961 photos)

Feature Strips solid color vinyl-asbestos flooring accent strips were sold in 1", 2", and 3" widths and 24" in length, in solid colors in vinyl-asbetstos flooring for 1962, in 1/16" and 1/8" gauge thicknesses.

Colors: (See the strip guide at 1956, also see this installed SOLID TILE & FEATURE STRIP floor example from 1971.)

1963 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9", 12 x 12, Patterns & Color Guide

For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Tiles were produced in 1963 in both 9" x 9" and for order quantities over 9,000 sq.ft. also in 12" x 12" size.

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CENTENNIAL style Rhapsody green 815 shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CORKSTYLE

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

LIGHT CORK 840 from 1963, also see MEDIUM CORK from 1965 and DARK CORK from 1962

CUSTOM style shown,

HAMPTON BLACK 1106 vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1963

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

IMPERIAL style (shown Wild honey 876)

METALLIC - (see 1960-1962 photo examples)

SPATTER - (see 1956-1960 photo examples)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STANDARD straight grain floor tiles - (shown ECRU 767)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STYLETONE floor tiles - shown GLACIER 838, above

Woodtone - (see the 1961 photos)

Feature Strips- (see 1956 examples of solid color feature strips)

1964 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9", Patterns & Color Guide

For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. We have found records only of 9" x 9" vinyl asbestos floor tiles for 1964, in 1/16", 3/32" or 1/8" gauges.

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CENTENNIAL style (Nocturne black 817(above left),

LARGO WHITE 818,

MINUET WHITE 814)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CENTENNIAL II style sold in Metallic white 1191 1/16" only

Corkstyle

see LIGHT CORK 840 from 1963,

also see MEDIUM CORK from 1965

and DARK CORK from 1962

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

DRIFTSTONE style (Maya glow 1163) vinyl asbestos floor tile photo library from 1964

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

IMPERIAL style (Ivory tan 869)

METALLIC floor tile patterns, (see 1960-1962 photo examples)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

SPATTER style (Stratford ivory 729)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STANDARD straight grain (Catawba yellow 712)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STYLETONE floor tiles in Mossstone 827, PEACHTONE 837

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

TRAVERTEX style (Frost white 1131)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

WOODTONE style (Medium oak 851)

Armstrong vs. Congoleum-Nairn vs. Linoleum vs. Lincrusta

Armstrong sheet flooring (C) InspectAPedia.com

This photograph of sheet flooring was identified by a reader in a 1964 home. She found remnants in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet on which was imprinted "Armstrong".

While the reader referred to this as "Armstrong Congoleum sheet flooring", Armstrong and Congoleum are separate individual companies.

The sheet flooring shown at left is identified as an Armstrong resilient flooring product.Another reader had a sample of this resilient flooring tested and confirmed a 70% asbestos content.

Details about asbestos in this marble-chip resilient flooring are

at MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS.

Dont' mix up product names. Armstrong is a separate company from Congoleum-Nairn.

Linoleum is a term invented in 1860 by Frederick Walton to describe sheet flooring.

Original linoleum products were made using linseed oil as an ingredient, often with a jute (burlap or fabric) backing. Descendents of Linoleum include Anaglypta and Lincrusta (many writers spell it "Linocrusta or linacrusta", an embossed patterned covering used on walls and ceilings.

NOTE: Armstrong, although an enormous producer of flooring, was by no means the only manufacturer of floor covering products that contained asbestos as fibers or asbestos powder filler.

Below we provide photographs and descriptions from a variety of flooring manufacturers, followed by a detailed list of floor tile product names we've been able to collect. You'll note that the Armstrong product list extends from 1954 to 1980.

Other asbestos-containing flooring products from various manufacturers were produced between around 1920 to 1986.

1965 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9" & 12" x 12", Patterns & Color Guide

Shown below: Armstrong Standard Excelon Tile - straight striations (available in 16 colors)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CENTENNIAL vinyl asbestos floor tile images from 1965 (above left)

CENTENNIAL II

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CORKSTYLE MEDIUM, also

see LIGHT CORK 840 from 1963, also

see MEDIUM CORK from 1965

and DARK CORK same as this example from 1962

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

DRIFTSTONE - above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

EMBOSSED PARQUET

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

EMBOSSED PEBBLETTE - above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

IMPERIAL

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

ISLETA

SPATTER (see 1956-1960 & 1964 photo examples)

STANDARD Excelon floor tiles, example colors:

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

APACHE RED,

OSAGE GREEN, also see this lab sample fragment of vinyl-asbestos floor tile tentatively identified

as ARMSTRONG APACHE RED

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STYLETONE

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

TRAVERTEX

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

WOODTONE


Armstrong Commercial products in 1965, Patterns & Color Guide

Armstrong Custom Imperial

Imperial

Standard

Travertex

Travertine Embossed

Woodtone

1966 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9" & 12" x 12", Patterns & Color Guide

For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CUSTOM IMPERIAL style flooring tiles (White sea gray 1112, above left) floor tile images from 1966

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

IMPERIAL style Coppetone beige 865, Terrace white 880

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

IMPERIAL MODERN style vinyl asbestos floor tiles

Fleece white 1850,

MELLOW SAND 1851,

SHADOW BROWN 1853

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STANDARD GRAIN vinyl floor tiles - White bayberry 710 shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

TRAVERTEX style (Teal green 1136) shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

TRAVERTINE EMBOSSED asbestos floor tiles (Vetralla 4221) (also see 1965 Embossed styles)

1967 no data

1968 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9" & 12" x 12" (Residential), Patterns & Color Guide

For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CALIGULA style (Dianna white 51202, above left) all vinyl asbestos floor tile images from 1968

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CENTENNIAL style (Largo white 56818)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

COASTAL STONE style (Castle beige 51793)

CUSTOM EXCELON (See 1963 photo example)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

CUSTOM SHALESTONE flooring (Tioga beige 57001)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

DRIFTSTONE style (Amazon white 51866)

EMBOSSED EXCELON(See 1965-1966 styles of embossed floor tiles)

EXCELON FEATURE Floor Tiles

FEATURE style (colid color floor tiles & strips - color chart)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

IMPERIAL style Mint green 56871, shown above

MEDIUM CORK 51855

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

IMPERIAL MODERN style (Shadow brown 51853, above left, not produced in 1973)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

MARBLE style (Quartz ivory 54231)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

METRIC CHIP (Palma beige 54281) [Compare with Shattered Stone - 1973] See details

at MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

OLYMPUS style (Dianna white 51200)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

PALATIALstyle (Royal rouge 51600, also in lighter colors, 7 colors total)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

PARQUET style (Light oak 54240)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

POLISHED MARBLE vinyl asbestos floor tiles (Meadow white 54193, above)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

POMPEII style shown in Dianna white 51201 - above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

RANDOM MOSAIC style Terra cotta red 54262 shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

STANDARD STRAIGHT GRAIN vinyl asbestos flooring (Smooth Surface) (Bayberry beige 56721) above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

SWIRL CHIP style floor tiles (Rheims beige 54272) above. See details

at MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

TIDESTONE style asbestos vinyl floor tiles (Malibu beige 51764) shown above

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

TRAJAN style (Dianna white 51293, above)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

TRAVERTEX style (Briar tan 51130, Mist white51135

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

TRAVERTINE style (Ponzano 54222)

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

WOODTONE (standard tile, wood tone: Light oak 56850)

EXCELON FEATURE STRIPS


Armstrong Cork & Vinyl Cork Floor Tiles 1968 - features, Patterns & Color Guide

Custom vinyl cork floor tile ingredients: raw cork & vinyl resins (literature does not cite asbestos)

Cork floor tile ingredients: raw cork, resins

Patterns: CORK FLOOR TILES

and CORK PARQUET floor tiles, in both material types

Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photo U.S. Library of Congress

Also see the 1960's Armstrongs red and white brick flooring patterns illustrated

at SHEET & TILE FLOORING ASBESTOS ID-BRICK PATTERN ID

Motif Floor Tiles Etched-Colored Pebble People Floor Tiles

1968 Motif 1973 Motif floor tiles Pebble People floor tiles (C) Inspectapedia.com Tammy 1968 - 1973

The 1960s & 1970s motif floor tiles shown above have been reported by readers in homes dating from 1968 and 1973 and are also shown at

ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE ID REQUESTS 1960's

and

ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE ID REQUESTS 1970's-2

Armstrong Commercial Use Flooring in 1968

Excelon Feature

Standard Excelon

Imperial Excelon

Imperial Modern Excelon

Travertex Excelon

1969 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, Patterns & Color Guide, 9x9 & 12x12-inch

Vinyl asbestos flooring from 1969For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.

Standard 12" x 12"

Embossed (9 x 9 & 12" x 12")(See 1965-1966 styles of embossed floor tiles)

CUSTOM SHALESTONE (Bushkill white - left) 12" x 12" x 1/16" floor tile images from 1969

Imperial Modern (9 x 9 & 12" x 12") (see 1968)

Excelon Feature (9 x 9 & 12" x 12")

Travertex (9 x 9 & 12" x 12" )

Asphalt asbestos floor tile (C) Daniel FriedmanImperial (9 x 9 & 12" x 12")

This 12 " x 12 " vinyl asbestos floor tile found in a 1969 home. Testing for asbestos was completed on a fragment of this flooring material.

The asbestos test lab found 3% chrysotile asbestos in this floor tile sample. Actually we suspect the total asbestos content of the floor may be much greater.

Thanks to reader R.M. for the photo and test information.

This flooring has not been identified for sure, but it resembles an Armstrong tile (See the Armstrong Craftlon Collection 12" x 12" Adelphi II Aalst54431 (showing a second color, Aalst).

CONTACT us if you can identify with certainty this floor tile image and brand.

1969 - Armstrong Self-Adhesive Floor Tiles

Armstrong Peel-and-Stick Floor vinyl floor tiles were introduced late in 1969.

As we discuss at PEEL & STICK SELF ADHESIVE FLOOR TILES

Some self-adhesive floor tiles made by Armstrong also contained asbestos. Armstrong introduced peel and stick tiles in late 1969. The company stopped manufacturing these tiles with asbestos in December of 1982.

Not all adhesive floor tiles produced during this period contain asbestos. It is necessary to know the flooring product model number or collection name of a tile in question, or to submit a sample to an asbestos test laboratory to make a final determination. - information courtesy of Armstrong Corporation.

If you can identify your floor tile collection name or model number, laboratory testing of the sample to screen for asbestos may be unnecessary.

If you do not know the brand name of your flooring you can take a quick look at example photos of the product line of each manufacturer given in the list of photo guides found at CONTINUE READING below.

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2021-04-08 by (mod) - concerned that white brick pattern sheet flooring may contain asbestos

@Maria,

Sure, glad to: take a look at SHEET & TILE FLOORING ASBESTOS ID-BRICK PATTERN ID where you'll see more of that white brick pattern sheet flooring.

Also on this page you'll see a link to RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE

There you will find a whole library of photos and descriptions of various kinds of "sheet" flooring including linoleum.

On 2021-04-08 by Maria

Hi,
I can see tile pictures and tile information about asbestos. Can someone point out to me asbestos information about linoleum "sheets"? My understanding is that they may also contain asbestos but I am surprised I have not seen any pictures other than for tiles of different sizes and glue. I am concerned in particular with asbestos in the sheet flooring shown in the picture. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

On 2020-11-22 - by (mod) -

Treat that floor tile as presumed to contain asbestos or have a sample tested

On 2020-11-22 by Jared S.

12x12 texturesd. pre 1983. Can’t seem to find anything similar on here

Hello. Trying to renovate a basement bathroom, and came across some flooring I’m unsure of. I’ve gone over the site, and looked at a lot of the samples and can’t quite point a finger at it. The home was built in ‘66, and I am fairly confident t

On 2020-10-14 by Steve

Has anyone ever seen this flooring is almost like paper. There’s no sheen. It pulls apart like its paper is only about 1/16 of an inch thick. Looks like it was all 1 piece. Thanks

 


...

Continue reading  at ARMSTRONG FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1970-1972 or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see ASBESTOS FLOOR IDENTIFICATION FAQs 1960-1969 - questions & answers & ID photos of 1960's era flooring suspected of containing asbestos, posted originally on this page.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

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1960-1969 ARMSTRONG EXCELON FLOOR TILE GUIDE at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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