Photo guide to Armstrong Corlon® vinyl floor tiles & sheet flooring, 1974-1979.

Does Armstrong Corlon flooring contain asbestos?

This article series provides a guide to identifying asphalt-asbestos flooring & vinyl asbestos floor tile sold & installed in North American from 1974-1979.

Armstrong Corlon Floor Flooring - 1955 - present

Bottom line: Armstrong's 1970 resilient floor catalog includes illustrations of the company's Sheet Vinyl Corlon and Coronelle flooring that used Hydrocord Asbestos-Fiber felt backing.

Therefore it is reasonable to assume that at least some Armstrong flooring, including at least some Corlon flooring contained asbestos in at least the flooring backer even though the company made perfectly clear (in 1979) that the wear layer of the floor did NOT contain asbestos.

Article Contents

• 1950s ARMSTRONG FLOORING ASBESTOS
• 1960s ARMSTRONG FLOORING ASBESTOS
• 1970s ARMSTRONG FLOORING ASBESTOS
• 1975 ARMSTRONG FLOORING ASBESTOS
• 1976 ARMSTRONG FLOORING ASBESTOS
• 1978 ARMSTRONG CORLON ASBESTOS
• 1987 ARMSTRONG FLOORING not Asbestos
• CURRENT ARMSTRONG CORLON FLOORING not Asbestos
• ARMSTRONG CORLON FLOORING RESEARCH
• ARMSTRONG NYLEX FLOOR & WALL COVERINGS

Difference between Vinyl-Asbestos Tile (Armstrong Excelon) & Vinyl Composition Tile (Armstrong Corlon)

Armstrong's 1979 flooring catalog described Vinyl-asbestos tile and Armstrong's Vinyl Corlon Tile, a vinyl composition tile from which we excerpt:

1.3 VINYL-ASBESTOS TILE - contains asbestos

As the name implies, this type of flooring is in tile form and is composed of vinyl resins and asbestos fillers.

Because of its outstanding physical properties and relatively low cost, it is the most widely used of all vinyl floors. Exceptional durability and ease of cleaning result in low maintenance costs.

Performance is excellent over suspended subfloors, on-grade slabs, and below-grade concrete with conventional low-cost adhesives.

Resistance to alkalis and grease is exceptionally good. The Armstrong brand name for this type of material is Excelon (vinyl-asbestos) tile.

1.4 VINYL COMPOSITION TILE - no asbestos

This development in resilient tile technology is called Supreme Vinyl Corlon Tile. It meets all of the performance specifications for vinyl-asbestos tile without the use of asbestos.

The elimination of asbestos fibers from the formulation results in a cleaner, clearer background for the pigmented chips which make up the color and pattern.

This results in avery dense, smooth surface which current tests indicate will soil less, retain its gloss longer, and be easier and less expensive to maintain than tiles manufactured with a vinyl-asbestos composition.

1950s Armstrong Vinyl Corlon Flooring Illustrations & Advertisements

These magazine advertisements for Armstrong Vinyl Corlon flooring dat from the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Armstrong Corlon vinyl flooring was sold world wide; some of these ads appeared in the U.K., Australia, and other countries.

Above: Armstrong resilient flooring: Left: Montina Vinyl Corlon and Right: 1959 Armstrong Vinyl Corlon advertisement

Also see ASBESTOS PRODUCTS in AUSTRALIA

Below: Armstrong Corlon floor ad from May 1959.

Below: Armstrong Montina Corlon advertisement from the 1960s.

1960s Armstrong Tessera Corlon Flooring Asbestos

Armstrong Tessera Corlon Sheet Flooring from 1961

This mini square chip pattern sheet flooring above, found in a northern Minnesota home built in 1961, contains asbestos in its backer - as confirmed by testing discussed

at MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS

This Armstrong Tessera Corlon sheet flooring was still in excellent condition and in daily use in this home in 2021!

Above we show the original installation bill from May 1961 (Johnson's Tile and Linoleum, Duluth Minnesota) along with a flooring sample provided by the contractor, and in a second image given below, the asbestos-containing back surface of the flooring.

 

Reader Question: Can You Help Identify This Armstrong (?) Floor Tile from the late 1960's? Possibly a Corlon product?

The attached photo shows some 12”x12” tile from a locker room (building built 1927, locker room renovated 1954-55).

Sections of the floor have been severely discolored by leaking steam pipes under the floor and the whole floor is probably going to be replaced. 

Would you be able to help point us in the right direction to help determine the original manufacturer of this tile?  The tiles are about 1/8” thick with beveled edges and don’t show any kind of marking on the underside.  We’re also not sure if it’s vinyl asbestos tile or linoleum.

Any help you could provide would be much appreciated.

- M.O. 4/10/2013

Reply:

Linoleum is a separate product, sheet flooring, not tile.

I don't recognize this specific design, but it's detail suggest something more recent than the 1950's.

At 1960-1969 ARMSTRONG EXCELON FLOOR TILE GUIDE: VINYL PLASTIC ASBESTOS, 9" x 9"

you'll see a 12x12 with some fine line details (but a different pattern) that did contain asbestos.

You can try sending photos to Armstrong to see if (by luck depending on who answers your mail) they know the pattern. They made analagous patterns such as

Finally if you agree I'll publish your photo to solicit input from other readers.

Reader Follow-Up:

Thanks for your response!  Although the only dates I have for renovation of the locker rooms specifically are 1954-55 there was work on bathrooms elsewhere in the building in 1969. 

They installed Armstrong Cushion Vinyl Corlon “Cambrian” in the other bathrooms so I’d be surprised if they had also installed a different tile in the locker rooms at that time as well. 

You have my permission to publish the photo on your site.  I’ll also pass this photo on to the folks at Armstrong to see if I get anywhere and look back in my files to see if any renovations were done in the mid-1970s since the tile patterns from that era look more similar to what I have.

Reply: About Armstrong's Corlon Cushion Cambrian flooring

Armstrong introduced its Cushion Cambrian as a flooring with a foam vinyl backing to provide a "cushioned" surface. (Popular Mechanics September 1966) first as Cambrian Vinyl Corlon flooring, Catalog #80002) - but this was a sheet flooring product, not floor tiles.

A product type the company still produces (see https://www.armstrongflooring.com/flooring/site-search.asp?q=cushion%20step)

I take it from your original message that you quite sure the flooring you're asking about is individual tiles. We've posted your floor tile photo and invite reader comment.

1970 - Example of Armstrong Sheet Flooring Containing Asbestos

[in process, photos wanted]

1975 - Armstrong CorAire® vinyl sheet flooring contains asbestos

Photo above: Armstrong CorAire sheet vinyl flooring from a 1975 Canadian home.

Reader Ejk who provided this photo reports that a test confirmed "55% chrysotile asbestos" in a sample of this Canadian flooring.

Ejk asked:

Found in a home in canada built 1975. Would this contain asbestos?

This Q&A were posted originally at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1974-1979

Moderator replied:

@Ejk, quite possibly given the age and pattern of flooring;

For other readers,

Reader follow-up:

Testing confirmed 55% chrysotile asbestos - Ejk 2021/03/26.

More Canadian flooring asbestos discussion is

at DOMINION & Other CANADIAN FLOORING ASBESTOS

 

1976 - Asbestos in Armstrong Hydrocord Vinyl Flooring Backer

Armstrong Montina Vinyl Corlon "Hydrocord" Asbestos -backed sheet flooring. Hydrocord® Backed flooring imprint example is shown below. Hydrocord®, an alternative to traditional asphalt-impregnated felt flooring backer, was a bottom or "backer" layer used on sheet vinyl flooring produced by Armstrong and was composed of foamed vinyl and and asbestos fibers. (Armstrong Floors Catalog 1976).

Some sources such as a 1970 Armstrong flooring catalong incicate that the Hyrdocord® backer on some Corlon sheet flooring contained asbestos, though the exposed or wear-layer surface of the floor was specifically formulated without using asbestos.

Hydrocord backer served as both a cushion and strengthener for the pattern and wear layer of the resilient flooring to which it was bonded and also as a moisture barrier that permitted installation of these flooring products on any grade level including slab on grade and basement slabs.

Question: how much asbestos was in Corlon® & Excelon floor tile & Hydrocord Backer?

How much asbestos did the Armstrong Excelon Standard 12"x12" tiles contain - Loretta D 12/21/11

How much asbestos did the Armstrong Excelon vinyl asbestos floor tiles contain (12"x12", 1972/1973)? - Loretta 12/22/11

Hi! Would you expect the armstrong corlon resilent flooring with the hydrocord backing from the mid 1960s to contain significant amounts of asbestos? I am trying to find some information on it as I think that may be what is in our home.

the only info I can find is that the backing probably did contain an asbestos and latex composite.

I am wondering how likely the composite material would become easily friable if we attempted to remove it... - Kate 2/16/12

Reply:

Loretta, lacking hard science facts I have to give an OPINION that the material is high in asbestos content because in addition to asbestos fibers that gave strength to the tiles, many such floor tiles included a high level of asbestos filler - very ultrafine particles. We'd need to have a sample for specific testing to obtain an content level measurement.

The Armstrong Corlon flooring line wear layer was described by the company as NOT containing asbestos, but the Hydrocord backer on that flooring DID contain asbestos fibers.

Watch out: depending on just what procedure an asbestos testing lab uses, the percentage of asbestos in vinyl or asphalt asbestos floor tiles has been reported as varying enormously, from just a few percent to as much as 70% asbestos. I think that's because some lab procedures focus ONLY on the detection of long asbestos fibers, finding those in low concentration in some flooring products.

Yet asbestos shorts - very small asbestos fragments - were used in powder form as a filler in a number of asphalt and vinyl flooring products, raising the percentage asbestos content to a high level. In sum if you don't look for those particles - that may be in the micron or even sub-micron particle size range - you won't find them .

Meanwhile you should treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos.

Friable and nonfriable asbestos are defined

at ASBESTOS DEFINITION & COMPOSITION

1978 - Armstrong Corlon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, Patterns & Color Guide - asbestos

Shown here: Armstrong Supreme Vinyl Corlon Tile, 12" x 12", 1/8" gauge thickness, # 56593 M237 D

Photos contributed by reader Omar Haque, posted originally at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION FAQs

Edge view of Armstrong Supreme Vinyl Corlon Tile showing the 1/8" thickness.

Above and below, packaging details on the Armstrong Supreme Vinyl Corlon Tile box.

Armstrong Supreme Vinyl Corlon Tile, 12" x 12", 1/8" gauge thickness, # 56593 M237 D

Above: Packaging details identify Supreme Vinyl Corlon® Tile by Armstrong, giving all of the product information, tile dimensions, thickness, and a 45 sq.ft. coverage per box.

Bottom line: This Supreme vinyl Corlon® floor tile form 1978 should be treated as presumed to contain asbestos.

Does this 1987 Armstrong Corlon® flooring contain asbestos?

2019/08/10 Kathy Kifer said:

We installed this Armstrong Corlon vinyl in 1987. I can't find it on your lists. Do you think it has asbestos?

This Q&A were posted originally at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PRODUCT NAMES

[Click to enlarge any image]

Reply: probably not not but watch out

Thank you for asking, Kathy. Armstrong Vinyl Corlon flooring was widely sold in North America beginning in the 1950s, as illustrated in some Armstrong Corlon floor ads later on this page.

At least in a 1979 catalog cited above, , Armstrong specifically described Amstrong's Supreme Vinyl Corlon Tile as NOT containing asbestos.

Watch out, however: in general, some flooring installed in the late 1980s could have been "new old stock" flooring that was manufactured before the company stopped using asbestos in its flooring products. Therefore it would be prudent to either treat late 1980's vinyl flooring as "PACM" (asbestos-containing) OR if you cannot avoid making a dusty mess of the floor, have a sample tested before disturbing it.

More details are below.

A number of readers have asked whether or not Armstrong Corlon flooring, appearing as vinyl floor tiles and as vinyl sheet flooring contains asbestos. For asphalt or vinyl flooring made before 1985 and sold in North America, unless you have had a sample of your Corlon flooring tested and confirmed asbestos-free by a certified asbestos testing lab, you should treat the floor as "PACM" Presumed Asbestos Containing Material.

Generally it's best to leave such flooring in place, covering it over with new material. Such properly-covered flooring will not present a risk of asbestos release into the building.

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.

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?

Articles giving details about safe removal procedures if you must remove this flooring are listed at the end of this page.

Vinyl flooring in both sheet and tile form that was manufactured in the U.S. after 1986 is not likely to contain asbestos.

Current Armstrong Corlon Flooring - does not contain asbestos

Armstrong's current flooring line includes the Corlon Hetrogeneous Sheet flooring, a commercial flooring product illustrated , retrieved 2019/08/10, original source: https://stwww.armstrongflooring.com/commercial/en-py/products/het/decorart-corlon.html - this contemporary sheet flooring material, available in 21 shades, would not contain asbestos.

Example below: Armstrong Corlon sheet flooring in color/pattern "Desert Sand"

This Corlon flooringproduct is available in six-foot widths up to 82 ft. long, complying with ASTM F1303 and ISO 10582.

This excerpt, showing just a few of the colors and patterns of this commercial flooring is from the sheet flooring catalog cited just below.

• Contact Armstrong commercial flooring: 1-888-Armstrong Website: www.armstrongflooring.com OR ArmstrongFlooring.com/commercial Tel: 1-888-276-7876
• Armstrong DecoArt Possibilities CORLON® Hetrogeneous Sheet Flooring Catalog - color guide [PDF] (2017) retrieved 2019/08/10, original source: https://www.armstrongflooring.com/pdbupimages-flr/219057.pdf
• Armstrong DecoArt™ Corlon® INLAID SHEET FLOORING PRODUCT SPEC SHEET [PDF] retrieved 2019/08/10, original source: https://www.armstrongflooring.com/pdbupimages-flr/215396.pdf

Research on Armstrong Corlon Floor Tile Asbestos

Below: Armstrong Brigantine Vinyl Corlon®, shown in this advertisement portraying an installation of Armstrong Corlon at Lowell General Hospital, appearing in Progressive Architecture, October 1975. Armstrong: 306 Watson St., Lancaster PA 17604 - retrieved 2019/08/10 original source: https://www.usmodernist.org/PA/PA-1975-10.pdf

This same magazine issue, on p. 116, in a description of major materials suppliers for buildings featured in this issue, the use of Vinyl-Asbestos floor tiles by Armstrong, used in the Mott Park housing, Omaha Neb., p. 70.

...

Armstrong Nylex Floor & Wall Coverings

Other Armstrong flooring products in the issue, besides the Brigantine Corlon flooring illustrated in that issue, included a poured gym floor (Robert Crown Center, Hampshire College, Amherst MA p. 86)

• [1] Armstrong ® Residential Flooring - Website 05/15/2010 https://www.armstrongflooring.com/ lists current flooring products provided by the Armstrong Corporation,
  
  including Armstrong's current vinyl floor tile products at https://www.armstrongflooring.com/flooring/products/vinyl-floors
• [2] Armstrong Corporation, Corporate History - www.armstrongflooring.com/corporate/corporate-history.html - Web Search 05/19/2010, dead link 2019/12/13 see instead https://www.armstrongflooring.com/corporate/en-us/about/heritage.html
• Armstrong-Nylex: Poly-Flor, Excelon Tiles, Nylex-Vinyl-Corlon sheet flooring, and Armstrong Nylex Vinyl Wall Covering were describedf in the advertising page shown here
  
  - excerpted from Cross-Section, University of Melbourne, Department of Architecture, Issue. No. 201, July 1969 Retrieved 2019/08/10
  
  original source: https://digitised- collections.unimelb.edu.au/ bitstream/handle/ 11343/24063/289620_csec00531.pdf?sequence=7&isAllowed=y
• [6] "Asbestos Floor Tile Removal", the University of Minnesota's advice on removing VAT (vinyl asbestos or asphalt asbestos floor tile) can be read in detail at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/floortile/index.html
• [7] ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOME - U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
• [9] Inspiring Interiors from Armstrong 1950s from Armstrong, [Paperback], Schiffer Publishing (March 1998), ISBN-10: 0764304585, ISBN-13: 978-0764304583
• [1] Interior Solutions from Armstrong the 1960s from Armstrong, [Paperback], Schiffer Publishing (March 1999), ISBN-10: 0764307002, ISBN-13: 978-0764307003
• [14] EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
• [18] "Plastic Flooring Spreads Through the House", Jackson Hand, Guide to Home-Improvement Materials, Popular Science, April 1969, p. 154-158

...

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

This CorAire flooring from a 1975 Canadian home contained 55% chrysotile asbestos

Found in a home in canada built 1975. Would this contain asbestos? Yes:

Testing confirmed 55% chrysotile asbestos - On 2021-03-21 by Ejk

Reply by danjoefriedman (mod) - 1975 Armstrong CorAire flooring

@Ejk,

Thank you that's very helpful; we'll be sure to keep your asbestos test result with your photos of 1975 Armstrong CorAire flooring

Corlon #184111 H138 Yorktowne red brick pattern self stick tiles in my kitchen contain asbestos?

I have Corlon self stick tiles in my kitchen #184111 H138 yorktowne red brick pattern Can you tell me if these contain asbestos? My e mail is gerbasimary@yahoo.com - On 2018-05-23 by Mary -

IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod

Reply by (mod) - 1960s Corlon flooring by Armstrong in red brick design

Mary

Corlon floor tile was an Armstrong brand flooring sold as early as 1946 and extending to the present.

We have found asbestos in self-stick floor tiles sold in the early 1970's.

So if you do not know the age of your specific floor tiles, you should treat the

(Armstrong) Vinyl Corlon Tile Weathered Brick Yorktowne Red No. 48111 RFG 4138 (from the packaging information) as PACM - presumed asbestos containing material.

That does not mean the flooring is dangerous - it's not radioactive - but if it is sawn, ground, sanded, or otherwise demolished or made into friable dust there is a potential asbestos hazard.

If you have to disturb the floor or demolish it (covering it over is safer and less costly) you may want to have a sample tested.

You can find a list of ASBESTOS TEST LABS in the live link titled ARTICLE INDEX to ARTICLE INDEX to ASBESTOS HAZARDS above on this page.

Corlon remains contemporary Armstrong brand described by names such as Armstrong Coronelle Vinyl Corlon floors and Armstrong Deco Art Corlon sold as sheet flooring and as floor tile, including self-adhesive floor tiles.

Shown here is a 1964 ad for Corlon flooring

...

Continue reading at DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS? or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ASBESTOS TEST RESULTS for TILE & SHEET FLOORING - confirmation by lab tests or documents
• ARMSTRONG CORLON FLOORING
• ARMSTRONG SOLARIAN NO-WAX FLOORING HISTORY
• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1974-1979 - asbestos containing flooring from the same era as Armstrong Corlon floors
• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE - home
• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION COLOR KEY - home
• ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
• ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INDEX - all brands, all years
• ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE
• ASBESTOS PRODUCTS in AUSTRALIA
• ASBESTOS PRODUCTS in PUERTO RICO
• ASBESTOS RISK ASSESSMENT
• ASBESTOS TEST RESULTS for TILE & SHEET FLOORING
• ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST
• DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos -
• FLOOR COVERINGS: 1900 - 1949
• MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS
• RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE

Suggested citation for this web page

ARMSTRONG CORLON FLOORING at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to ASBESTOS HAZARDS

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