Frequently-asked questions about how to identify asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles - 1900-1986

Questions & answers about how to identify early patterns, colors, brands of asphalt asbestos or vinyl asbestos flooring. These flooring products typically contain chrysotile asbestos, and possibly other asbestos forms.

This article series provides guides to identifying asphalt-asbestos flooring (1917 - ca 1960) & vinyl asbestos floor tile (ca 1952 - 1986): 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.

Asphalt & Vinyl Asbestos Floor Floor Tiles 1951-59 FAQs

These questions & answers about identifying asbestos-containing floor tiles from the 1950's to 1960's were posted originally at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1949-1959 - be sure to see the identification keys and help given at that page.

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.

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.

Reader question: Can I keep and use old floor tile "as is" ?

Thank you for your informative site, I started in your mold section and just happened upon your asbestos section and after reading believe it's possible there might be some asbestos in the tile under a carpet I'm pulling up now in the bedroom (my condo was built in 1982 and just i purchased it within the last year).

The light shaded gray 12" tile is intact and in good shape and i would like to just keep it as is and use it instead of recovering it (i am a senior citizen so an asbestos risk for me many years in the future would be minimal).

I don't plan to test the tile as i'd have to remove a fully intact tile to send for testing and what i can see of the adhesive used for the tile it is brown, not black.

What do you think of my idea to keep and use the tile " as is"? Thanks! Beth - On 2021-12-18 by Beth -

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - Yes, here's a link to the instructions

@Beth,

It's legal, and safe to leave good-condition asbestos materials in buildings in most situations, particularly floor tile as it's not friable.

But you'll perhaps want to clean and clear-coat it.

See details at

ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE

Reader question: Asbestos in brown 12x12 floor tiles in a UK Home?

UK sheet tiles brown 12 x 12. Green backing like cardboard. Not sure of year. Plastic clear type material under tile - On 2021-11-28 by Carola -

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Carola,

see

ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION 1950's or LATER in the U.K

Reader question: Duped by claim house had no asbestos: look at these old floor tiles and piping insulation

Bought a house claiming to have 0 asbestos in it during the rush of this spring and I’ think I may have been duped

here is the floor. Also, lots of piping that was hidden in closets.

Here are some of the pipes.

On 2021-10-02 by Joe -

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Joe,

All we can see on the piping is an encapsulating cover, so we have no idea what material is used for insulation. Look for an end view of the insulation.

The floor is in poor condition and could contain asbestos - if so it probably needs professional cleaning up of the hazard.

It would be helpful to know the country and city of location and the age of the building.

Reader question: How do I know if these old floor tiles are asbestos?

I pulled out my carpet in my bedroom and I have these old tiles. How do I know if they asbestos - On 2021-09-16 by Ana -

Reply by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Ana,

Those look like vinyl-asbestos floor tiles but NOBODY can say from just the photo alone. We at least need to know the building age and better, the age of the floor tiles themselves.

You can make a reasonable *guess* at whether or not your floor contains asbestos by following the few easy questions found at

IDENTIFY ASBESTOS CONTAINING FLOORING - 5 easy steps to help decide

inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php

Reader question: Does this white floral-bordered floor tile of unknown age have asbestos?

I don't know the age of this tile, but was hoping someone might be able to tell from the pictures if is has asbestos.

Here is the picture from the back side

- On 2021-07-03 by jennifer -

Reply by mak.church (mod)

@jennifer,
You can make a reasonable *guess* at whether or not your floor contains asbestos by following the few easy questions found at the link further below in this response.

IDENTIFY ASBESTOS CONTAINING FLOORING - 5 easy steps to help decide

https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php

Let us know if you have additional questions.

Reader question: Asbestos in flooring in a Lubbock Texas House built in 1959?

My home was built in 1959. It is located in Lubbock, Texas. Is this asbestos?

There were vinyl squares placed on top of this flooring which appears to be the original and is in a sheeting form. -On 2021-06-02 by 1776 -

Reply by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@1776,

No one can tell for certainty by looking but from the age of your floor it's quite likely to contain asbestos. Asbestos was often used in the backing of sheet vinyl flooring. It's not dangerous if left in place and not being demolished or damage.

The best approach is to leave it in place and covered with new material. You'll read more detailed advice in this article series.

Start at

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Hazard-Reduction.php

 

Reader question: Is there asbestos in old Armstrong Quaker Linowall on our kitchen walls: Lab says it's Asbestos Free - can I trust the lab?

Removing some Armstrong Quaker Linowall from our kitchen walls.

Although I had it tested and the lab said it was asbestos free, I have this eerie feeling. Are lab results generally accurate?

Do you guys know anything about linowall? - On 2021-04-24 by Paul -

Reply by danjoefriedman (mod) - Asbestos test labs must be certified -

History & Ingredients in Armstrong Quaker Linowall

@Paul,

In general I would trust any certified asbestos test lab you used.

So are there reports of asbestos in Armofelt backing ? We provide what we know about ArmoFelt at

https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Sheet_Flooring_Non_Asbestos.php SHEET FLOORING NON-ASBESTOS EXAMPLES

There you will see tables from an Armstrong catalog that describe the composition of the company’s materials.
Asbestos-containing product is explicitly listed separately from a non-asbestos linowall product.

See this table in enlarged form

https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Armstrong-Flooring-Backers.jpg

More Linowall Ingredients Research added in response to your question:

the following is excerpted from this ARMSTRONG FLOOR & WALL CATALOG 1950 [PDF]
https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Armstrongs-Floors-and-Walls-1950.pdf

Linotile is cited as containing asbestos.

Linowall, in this catalog does not mention asbestos in its description from which I except the 1950 catalog below:

Armstrong’s Linowall

Armstrong’s Linowall is a registered trade-mark for a linoleum-like wall covering with a resilient composition keyed to a flexible backing. It is approximately .050" in total thickness. This assures greater durability than other materials with a film finish only a few thousandths of an inch thick.

Durability — Linowall is resilient and does not chip or crack when bumped. It withstands moderate settling of walls without cracking or buckling. Surface moisture does not injure it, and the seams can be waterproofed.

The colors do not wear off because they go through to the back of the material.

Colors and Patterns — Linowall is made in fourteen marbleized patterns and in a single gauge (.050").

It has an Armofelt backing.

----
Finally, for non-friable material where you haven't made a dusty mess and where you're not facing a costly dusty messy demolition, it's reasonable to suggest that the worry about asbestos may have worse health effects for you than the linowall itself.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Followup by Paul

@danjoefriedman, thank you! This answers a lot and I think you are right. Thanks for taking the time.

Reader question: How do I glue down loose floor tiles?

What glue do you use to replace loose tile - On 2021-04-23 by Janice -

Reply by (mod) - use a thin set floor tile mastic adhesive

@Janice, any thin-set floor tile mastic adhesive will work to re-glue a loose floor tile.

Clean the space where the tile will be re-glued, vacuum it out using a HEPA vacuum cleaner or just damp wipe and let the space dry.

Be sure there are no high bumps or lumps on the surface - or on the back of your tile; scrape off those surfaces a bit if needed.

Then use a notched trowel to spread adhesive to close to the edges of the opening; don't over-do it or you'll have a lot of adhesive to wipe off as it oozes out of the joint between the loose tile and her neighbours.

Wipe off any excess or oozed adhesive. If your adhesive was water-based (latex) you can probably do this with just a damp paper towel or cloth;

Set a weight atop the tile to hold it down (and keep people off of the floor) until the adhesive has set - often that's 24 hours.

Reader question: Asbestos in Armstrong 5590 linoleum sheet style flooring installe din 1960?

I have a home where what appears to be linoleum sheet style flooring was installed in 1960, I cant find the image here. it may possibly be Armstrong 5590.

It is a sheet not tile flooring, The design looks like parquet with 6 faux wood strips. I don't have the picture with me now. but can add one later.

I'm trying to determine if it is known to contain asbestos - On 2021-03-18 by Jeremy -

Reply by (mod) -

@Jeremy, you might want to take a look at

LINOLEUM & OTHER SHEET FLOORING https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Linoleum_Flooring.php

where we include a discussion of: LINOLEUM ASBESTOS CONTENT?

Reader question: 1950s Ontario home sheet flooring - need help identifying it

I’ve found this original sheet flooring which is below other layers of flooring. It’s a vinyl sheet with what appears to be either felt or asphalt and a red backer. I can’t find any stamps on the back of the vinyl due to its adhesion to the compressed fiber board beneath it.

Can you help identify and advise as to whether it contains asbestos?

It is worth mentioning that the house was built in Ontario in the early 1950s and I have identified another sheet vinyl (Armstrong splatter pattern) used in the house using your resources (Thanks!) - On 2021-03-14 by Rory -

Reply by (mod) - asbestos-suspect 1950s Ontario home flooring

@Rory, DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos can help make a better guess - beyond that lies testing for asbestos.

I would treat that floor as presumed to contain asbestos.

 

Reader question: This tile looks like a foam and crumbles to dust

Typical asbestos tile looks like vinyl composition tile. This is like a foam and crumbles to dust.

Since the house was built in the 40's and I can't identify the product was going to have someone test, but hoped someone could identify what exactly this is. - On 2021-03-03 by Jeremy -

Reply by (mod)

Jeremy - treat that floor as presumed to contain asbestos.

Sorry but from the photo I can't see enough to know what is installed nor even if it's tile or sheet flooring.

I do see signs of moisture damage and spalling concrete below the floor.

Reader question: How do I know if it's necessary to remove old asbestos-suspect flooring when I'm putting down new vinyl? Danger during carpet removal?

I'm hoping to redo the flooring in my basement, but when I went to look at what's under the current carpet, I found these tiles. Ideally, I'd like to just rip up the carpet and put new vinyl on top covering everything underneath.

I'm just worried about any potential danger during carpet removal if these tiles contain asbestos.

The house was built in the early 1970s, and I'm not sure when the basement was finished, but it was potentially in the 90s. Any idea if these tiles look like they'd be of the asbestos-containing variety?

If so, would we need to hire an asbestos abatement company to remove the carpet (including partially glued down pad and nailed down tack bars) in order to put down new flooring over the tiles?

In what situation would removal of the tiles be necessary?
Thanks for any insight! - On 2021-02-25 by Anne -

Reply by (mod) -

@Anne, That "shattered stone" Armstrong pattern is likely to contain asbestos.

Also see

DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos

...

Then see ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION - steps to take to reduce the asbestos hazard

Followup by Anne

Thanks for your response!
I'll operate under the assumption of asbestos. It looks like the boards with the carpet tacks are nailed into the tiles, and the carpet pad is partially glued down in places.

Do you have any insight on whether those carpet things would be safe to remove either by myself or with the help of a contractor/handyman?

I'd like to avoid doing any asbestos abatement and just cover the tiles with new waterproof vinyl.

Reply by (mod) -

@Anne,

In my OPINION - which is certainly nothing more - if that were my floor I'd pull up the tack strips, use a solvent to get up glued-down padding, damp wipe, HEPA vac, and leave the flooring alone and intact as long as it's well-adhered.

Take a look at the live links for these Recommended Articles

ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES

Also see ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION - steps to take to reduce the asbestos hazard

Reader question: Does this 1961 floor tile look like it could contain asbestos?

Just bought a home built in 61, found this under the carpet downstairs. A lot of it is cracked and busted up. Does this look like something that could contain asbestos? - On 2021-02-02 by Michveil -

Reply by (mod) - yes

Mich

It would be proper to treat that floor as presumed to contain asbestos; if you face a costly cleanup then have a sample tested (and let me know what you're told);

I can't see extensive damage in your photo; generally it's best to leave such a floor intact and to cover it over.

There are some broken floor tiles and you don't want to have to demolish or remove the entire floor it is often possible to cover the floor nevertheless by putting down a simple barrier such as rosin or building paper followed by a laminate or engineered wood flooring that rise over top and that will not be deformed by the vacancies were bits of floor tile have been lost.

Conversely, if you insisted on installing a thinner laminate or a sheet flooring you would need to either fill in or otherwise be sure that the voids in the existing floor or a smooth and the remaining tiles adhered.

Reader question: Does this hourglass floor tile pattern contain asbestos?

Do you know if this one contain abestos? Thanks - On 2021-01-17 by Alexandre Bernier -

Reply by (mod) -

There were indeed floor tiles made in that pattern that contained asbestos but it's entirely possible that the pattern was continue later without asbestos. So you would need to know more about your floor, such as its age or brand, or have it tested.

 

Reader question: Multiple layers of vinyl flooring, unkonwn age: does it contain asbestos?

I am pulling up old flooring from my 1929 homes kitchen.

Seems there are multiple layers of vinyl flooring under current wood.

No idea when any of it was installed.

Could you tell me if it may contain asbestos.

I'm pulling up multiple layers of flooring in my 1929 home kitchen.

Can you tell me if these tiles may contain asbestos?

Seems there are two different layers under the current wood flooring.

I have no idea when any of the layers was installed. - On 2020-07-02 by Win1929

Reply by (mod) - treat 1970's era vinyl floor tile as presumed to contain asbestos - or test it

Win:

That looks like 1970's era vinyl flooring - I'd treat it as presumed to contain asbestos, or have a sample tested.

As you are removing the floor be sure to read

ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES

 

Reader question: Identify the linoleum rug pattern in this photo?

I am researching my family history and came across an old photo. I am trying to identify the pattern name/design in the flooring of this photo.

I think it was between 1930-1940 as that is when they lived in the house but could have been earlier.

Is this something that you can help me identify? - On 2020-04-22 by Lori Hansel -

Reply by (mod) - 1940s floral pattern Linoleum rugs

That's a "linoleum rug" that was circa 1940.

It's a floral pattern by Congoleum. You can see a color version of that very rug at

CONGOLEUM RUG FLORAL PATTERNS

 

Reader question: What are these Irish floor tiles from 1968 made-of?

House built in Ireland 1968. I’ve found 9 x 9 black tiles stuck to slab, there is no design or pattern on them. They are quite brittle unsure what they are made of? - On 2020-04-22 by Darren -

Reply by (mod)

Typical would be asphalt asbestos floor tiles or vinyl-asbestos floor tiles - but honestly I can't make out any floor tiles in your photo.

Try posting a more representative picture and we can comment further.

Reader question: I suspect asbestos in these green and white 1950s floor tiles

My house was built in the 50’s but “completely” remodeled. The bedrooms have carpet I considered pulling up but I am under the suspicion that the vinyl tiles underneath may contain asbestos.

They are 9x9 I am attaching a picture. Went through the catalogs on here and they don’t seem to match any color patterns though - On 2020-04-21 by Linda -

Reply by (mod) - 9x9 vinyl-asbestos floor tiles from the 1950s or 1960s.

Linda

Those look like 9x9 vinyl-asbestos floor tiles from the 1950s or 1960s.

Best left in place. See ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION - steps to take to reduce the asbestos hazard

Reader question: Is this original late 1960s floor tile in a Lancaster Pennsylvania home likely to contain asbestos?

Image shows what I believe is original floor tile from a house built in the late 60s in Lancaster PA.

Does this look like a asbestos product? - On 2019-12-02 by Joe Capp -

Reply by (mod) - Yes

Quite possibly yes, Joe - though the flooring is probably from the 1970s.

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

Will help you make a reasonable guess.

Reader question: Does this floor in my 1961 home kitchen look like asbestos tile?

Kitchen does this look like asbestos tile

Does this look like asbestos tile house built in 1961

-On 2019-11-28 by Kristi -

Reply by (mod) - yes it does

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

Will help you make a reasonable guess. To me that looks like a vinyl possibly vinyl asbestos floor tiles from the 1970s in your first photo - your second of a bathroom is not clear enough for me to say anything.

Reader question: Are Armstrong vinyl tiles item#21092 safe from Asbestos?

We have at home these Armstrong vinyl tiles item#21092. Is it safe to remove? Do they contain asbestos? - On 2019-11-27 by Phwang -

Reply by (mod) - asbestos in Armstrong vinyl tiles item# 21092.

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

Can help you make a reasonable guess - we need to know at least the house age; flooring age would be more helpful.

Reader question: Is it okay to install oak flooring atop 9x9” tile ?

Is it okay to install oak flooring atop 9x9” tile ( probably installed in late 50s) that most likely contains asbestos? -On 2019-11-25 by AC -

Reply by (mod) - Yes

Sounds reasonable to me as long as the floor is in good shape - that is you're not making a dusty mess of old floor tiles.

Is this new flooring planned to be a floating floor or engineered wood or laminate or actually a nail-down floor? and if nail down, your existing floor tiles are adhered to wood, right?

Follow the manufacturer's instructions; perhaps they include suggestion of putting down rosin paper or another underlayment first.

Reader question: Is there asbestos in the floor tiles of my 1988 Brea California home?

Submitted a rental application for this townhome in Brea, CA built in 1988, do these kitchen floor tiles look like they contain asbestos?

In general should a home built in this year be okay? This site is so helpful, thank you everyone! -On 2019-11-14 by Erin -

Reply by (mod) -

Erin

Please take a look above on this page where you'll see a little table under the heading

SUMMARY OF DATES ASBESTOS WAS LAST USED IN ARMSTRONG® FLOORING

There you'll see that as long as your flooring was manufactured close to the same date as the construction of the building about which you ask (1988) then it would have been made after companies stop using asbestos in floor tile in the US.

 

Question: identifying various other brands and product numbers of floor tiles

do you know if the SEARS brand HOMART 64-7169 asphalt floor tile contained asbestos? - Paul Wright 9/22/11

Have you heard of Dura Floor Plastic Asphalt Tiles? Do they contain asbestos? - Jo Lynn Judka 10/24/11

I have 12" x 12" tile in the basement just like the pattern San Roque Gold 57161 from 1980.

However, this tile is not 1/8 thick but 1/16 and it was peel & stick. Would this contain asbestos? - David 11/27/11

Is there a way I can forward someone a photo of a school floor to determine if it contains asbestos? I am unable to get back into the building It is closed, but the school dept wants to open it again and is saying that there isn't a problem.

I looked through the tiles on your site, but oculdn't find an exact match. The school was built in 1950-1960, but we have no evidence that the tiles have been replaced. Can you help? -

We have an armstrong floor tile (black color) with the following numbers on the back L4 1230 021898.

We don't know the year it was installed. Does it contain asbestos? Is there a way to cross reference these numbers? - Dan 5/1/12

We have the San Roque pattern sheet vinyl. Did Armstrong use the same patterns at a later date for their sheet vinyl but without asbestos? We have already started to remove it and I am concerned. - Sue 10/24/2012

We have vinyl sheet flooring that was put in about mid 1984. Is this anything to worry about? When exactly was asbestos banned in the manufacture of sheet flooring? - Peter 11/6/2012

Reply:

David, naturally by email alone no one can say with certainty whether or not a floor tile contains asbestos, but if your flooring matches one of the ACM floor tiles we illustrate here,

AND if you are confident about the age (as you suggest) most likely it is an asbestos-containing product. And yes, for sure there were some peel-and-stick floor tiles that contained asbestos in the tile baking.

That does not necessarily mean that you need a costly asbestos remediation job - it depends on the condition of the surface, use made of the area, etc. If the floor is sound you may have the option of simply covering it with a new material.

JoLynn, sorry we don't have information about DuraFloor plastic asphalt tiles. Do you know the age of the product? You're welcome to send us photos (see the CONTACT link at top, side, bottom of our pages), and I'll research further. Certainly up to the early 1980's many asphalt floor tile products contained asbestos.

Dan, while we have published product and lot numbers for some floor tile products, there are just too many of them, thousands. Unlike mechanical equipment like water heaters or furnaces, I have not found a standard of correlation between product numbers and date of manufacture, though it probably was included in widely varying ways by individual manufacturers.

You can narrow down the asbestos question by:

- noting the age of the building itself as that sets the earliest plausible date for its floor materials +/- a year or so to allow for flooring sold from stock

- noting the date of any renovations of the building

- noting whether or not there are multiple layers of flooring or other similar changes that give a renovation history

- noting information on any packaging used for the floor tiles - sometimes an extra box of floor tiles is left and stored in a building, intended to supply future repairs or changes to the floor

- comparing the appearance of your flooring to the photographs we provide in these tile identification articles

- sending a small sample of flooring to a certified asbestos testing lab

For a tile floor of unknown constituents, do not do something foolish such as grinding, sanding, power sawing, or a dusty messy demolition.

Peter,
I think you mngh want to ask Armstrong, but in NY case, if you remove materials following the recommended procedures and avoid making a dusty ness you should be OK

Question: how much asbestos was in floor tile?

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.

Question

Hi there, being naive and not aware that floor tiles may contain asbestos - I began removing some older tiles from under the carpet in my kids room.

After seeing a warning on a Home Depot website - we stopped the removal. Is there any way of testing or visually confirming the possibility of it containing asbestos? I was working in the area for approximately 2 hours without any breathing apartus, etc. What are my options at this point? My wife is freaking out. Thanks - Sean M 1/22/12

 

Question: asbstos in a 1996 home?

(June 18, 2014) Karen said:

Is it possible that my floor tile in a house build in 1996 could have asbestos? Has a similar look to it.

Reply:

Anything is possible Karen, but installing 20 year old flooring stock in a 1996 home would be quit unusual.

Question:

(Apr 6, 2014) Anonymous said:

Moved to a new home. Had to remove carpet in basement due to dog urine. I have been scraping off the glue used for the carpet and installing new vinyl tiles. Just realized the floor tiles probably are asbestos. Have I been creating a health hazard by scraping? Will the vinyl tiles protect against the asbestos?

(May 18, 2014) P Brier said:

We are tearing up old resilient flooring and hit the original resilient layer of kitchen. The product is labeled "Weyerhheuser" on the edge, and is about 3/8" thick with a vinyl wearing surface. The substrate is grey, soft, fibrous....seems like asbestos.

I have a photo of the
printed surface pattern and Weyerhaeuser logo.

We decided based on info here to seal it with a lacquer, and build over it with new flooring.

Reply:

P.B. What you suggest makes sense; generally it's safest to avoid disturbing the material.

Question:

(June 22, 2014) Vincent said:

Hi,
I've looked at your helpful collection of tile images, but I'm still uncertain about my particular tiles. My house was built in 1951, and I'm not sure when these tiles were installed. They are glued to my concrete basement floor. I appreciate any info you can provide. imgur.com/a/Un6HT#0 Thank you!

Reply:

Looks quite like an Armstrong vinyl asbestos floor tile, Seneca-like pattern from the 1950's

Question: how to distinguish between cork flooring and cork-pattern vinyl/asbestos tiles

(June 29, 2014) Eden said:

Hi hoping you can help, im unsure if cork floor tiles in the bedroom contain asbestos or not? its a mud brick house was built in the 70s. i found an unpolished cork tile in the garage is this an indication it is a genuine cork floor tile or vinyl type im unsure how to differentiate between the two?

Reply:

Eden, cork flooring is quite a bit softer, more resilient, and looks like cork in cross section. Search inspectApedia for

CORK FLOORING

To see examples.

Vinyl asbestos cork pattern flooring is more dense in cross section

Reader follow-up:

(July 13, 2014) Eden said:

Thanks for your help! i still found it difficult to determine between the two (perhaps a little paranoid also) so i got a sample tested for $50 turns out it was cork tiles thankfully :)

Question: Pennsylvania Levittown home asbestos flooring?

(July 16, 2014) KB said:

Hi Can you tell me if the original floor in a PA Levittowner has asbestos? Thanks

Reply:

Based on age that's a reasonable assumption if the floor tile is asphalt or vinyl material.

Question:

(July 16, 2014) dan said:

i recently ripped out a plush carpet to find a rubber back glue down carpet underneath glue to which looks to be asbestos tile, the lower half of house was removed by a professional,

i did not touch the rubber back glued to it upstairs, my question to you is can we drill tru in order to lay half inch plywood n install a vinyl floor in this area or will it create a issue with the breaking up of athe tile and create a problem

Reply:

Dan

If the flooring is an original 9" or 12" vinyl or asphalt floor tile such as those shown in this article series then most likely the answer is yes.

inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Hazard-Reduction.php

Question:

(July 22, 2014) Anonymous said:

Can you tell me if Armstrong vinyl floor covering contains asbestos?

Reply:

Anon, current Armstrong® flooring products do not contain asbestos and have not since the early 1980's or earlier depending on the product.

 

Question:

(Aug 2, 2014) Troy said:

I'm tearing up carpeting in a room above my garage from the 1930's. Under the carpet is a linoleum/vinyl? sheet floor with a very thin black paper backing marked Armstrong. Any info about this product would be helpful.

The flooring is only laying on the subfloor (no adhesive) It can easily be lifted but tears easily. Can this be safely removed by me using water to limit dust as I tear it up. I will not be using any power tools to remove.

(Aug 18, 2014) Kathy C said:

We have a cottage that we inherited. It was built in the 50's we recently tore up a covering on the floors that was like felt and noticed some 9x9" square tile on the floor in the kitchen and two bedrooms. There is very little if any damage to the tiles. They are beige/natural tone in color. What's the chance of them having asbestos in them?

Reply:

Kathy chances are very good.

Question: Will Johnson's Wax Paste help maintain the "wet look" on vinyl based or asphalt based floor tiles?

(Aug 24, 2014) mareiarden said:

I recently bought a house built in 1954. Ripped up the carpet to find the original asbestos tile throughout the house. It's in great shape and I absolutely love it. Have been lightly scrubbing it on my hands and knees, tile by tile by tile... I can't find barely anything on the internet, however, about how to actually take care of it.

One website recommended something called Johnson's Wax Paste (or something like that), but there's conflicting advice about whether or not I can use a buffer on asbestos tile...?

I should probably add... I've been using Krud Kutter in places where previous owners spilled paint on the tiles...

Other than that, I've been using plain water, just taking years upon years of dirt up... The tiles look amazing when wet, but when they dry, not so much... Will the Johnson's Wax Paste (or whatever it's called) help to maintain the "wet" look?

Reply:

Marie

Search InspectApedia using the on-page search box to find ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION for advice on approaches to keeping antique floor tile while minimizing the asbestos hazard.

Don't grind, cut, saw, sand, nor buff with steel wool.

Do use gentle liquid cleaners, mopping, HEPA vacuuming, and if you don't want to paint the surface or install new floor over it, use a hard clear sealant such as we describe in that article.

Question: asbestos content in Armstrong Peel & Stick Flooring? Armstrong 0740112698s

Anonymous said:

Hello,
I was pulling up some vinyl tile in my bathroom and quickly realized it was a "recent" peel and stick on top of an older one. I can't seem to get enough of the top off the bottom to get a picture, but I found this number on the back of the older tile: armstrong 0740112698s.

I can't seem to find any information on it and was wondering if you could. All I know is it is a pink tile, but I can't get enough of the top tile off to get a picture.

Reader follow-up:

I contacted Armstrong and found out the tile I had in my bathroom was produced in 1998 and did not contain any asbestos.

Reply:

Indeed some peel-and-stick flooring contained asbestos but not material produced in 1998. Thanks for the update.

 

Question: can't find my floor tile in your photo library

(June 21, 2015) Bruce said:
I don't see my pattern in any of the images and I have no idea what year the tiles would have been manufactured or who manufactured them. Are there other resources who show images?

Reply:

Our home page for asbestos-containing floor tiles is at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE where you will see additional photo guides to floor tiles from all of the major manufacturers.

Or you can use our CONTACT link to send us images of your flooring for further research or posting.

 

Question: Armstrong asbestos floor tile diecut inserts from around 1952 - ways to seal these floors?

Am looking for information on Armstrong diecut inserts from around 1952. Also are there any recommended ways to seal these floors so you can enjoy the look but without any asbestos concerns? Thanks, Sarah - Sarah 6/23/11

Reply: gentle cleaning followed by floor restorer clear coating protects from asbestos fiber release

Sarah:

Our photos show examples of some of the diecut flooring inserts from the 1950's; I'm not sure what other information you seek.

About sealing vinyl-asbestos tile floors, especially in residential use where school or public regulations and public access worries don't apply, I've had great success using clear-coating floor restorer products.

As you can see at ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE, we just did this recently in a New York home.

The floor was washed with mild detergent and water. Then we used a spray cleaner recommended by the floor resetorer manufacturer.

The spray cleaner removes old wax residues. Next we used a magic marker to color in some gouges that had marred the floor surface. Finally we coated the flooring with the floor restorer product. The floor looked new, and great.

In sum, if you maintain a hard clear coating on top of the floor surface you won't be releasing any measurable level of asbestos fibers by normal foot traffic.

Also see ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION for more ways to reduce the asbestos hazard in asbestos-suspect or presumed asbestos-containing flooring.

Question

Found what I believe to be asbestos tiles under carpet in all 4 bedrooms of a house my daughter purchased. The house is 100 + age so this indicates these tiles would be asbestos. Some are damaged through age and also have been stapled to hold the underpad of carpeting and also the carpet tack around the edges. What is the hazard of the staples and tack? Should we be concerned about fiber leakage thru these holes and various damage in the rooms. Thank you - Leaha 9/7/11

Reply:

Leaha

Shile one cannot assert the age of a flooring material necessarily from the age of a house (as flooring can be installed long after original construction) it's reasonable to use caution about old-looking flooring in a 100 year old home before knowing much more.

But it's unlikely that there would be measurable asbestos particle movement up through wall to wall carpeting over floor tiles; the hazards would more likely arise during demolition.

See ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION (article link at the ARTICLE INDEX the bottom of this article ) for advice about minimizing the hazards should you need to remove material.

If nevertheless you are worried about the health and safety of building occupants, you'd want a professional inspection for all conditions there; a loose railing or step or a fire hazard could be a greater risk that should not go ignored.

Finally, you could order asbestos tests on settled house dust or even air sampling if you are very anxious about the matter; frankly those steps would not be my first concern.

 

On 2015-11-06 by Alexandra

Hi we live in the UK and have just moved into a Victorian semi detached cottage. We have discovered asbestos vinyl floor tiles under the modern lino in the utility room extension at the back of the house (circa 1950's, possibly) We have decided to encapsulate this with some sort of sealant and put new lino over the top.
I have three questions about this….

1. Is it safe to put the new lino DIRECTLY Onto the sealed floor ( when it is dry), or should we put harboard
Or a floating framework; this would be tricky as it would raise the floor level too much.

2.The floor tiles are undamaged but covered in smears of glue/mastic from previous flooring. We don't know which is what, asbestos wise but it makes a rough surface unfortunately. How should we go about removing this? Ir should we leave that in place too and just deal it all in?

3. Could you advise a suitable encapsulating sealant available in UK, and possible product to remove the gluey extra stuff?
Many hanks in advance - sorry this is three for the price of one!

On 2015-11-06 by (mod) re: using sealant on an asbestos-floor tile

Alexandra:

You will be fine putting the sealant directly onto the floor as long as the floor is dry (as you say) but for best results you might want to wash the floor or use a wax remove. I had very good results by thoroughly cleaning (without using any abrasives) using a floor cleaning product (liquid, wet mop, then damp mop) that removed all old wax, oils, greases. That assures that yoru sealant will bind very well to the floor surface.

Some old mastics contain asbestos, both the black asphaltic mastic and the later light-tan coloured mastic. Some of those are water soluble and can be removed by soaking then damp mopping before the final cleaning stripping I mentioned just above.

If the mastic is not water soluble it's a good chance that your sealant will simply cover it and dry hard.

In the UK you should be able to buy both floor wax strippers and an expoxy floor sealant or paint.

This UK epoxy floor sealant is water based - so it won't disturb any asphalt-type mastic that you are leaving on the old floor.

https://www.buyfloorpaint.co.uk/waterbasedpaints.html

Here are NCC's 3 contact numbers
Scotland: 01506 657996

Newcastle: 0191 419 2530

Chorley: 01257 266696

Keep me posted and send along photos (see page bottom or top CONTACT link) of the floor as is and after cleaning and after sealing if you can and I can comment further; and the photos may help other readers.

Daniel

On 2014-11-07 by I

I just want an adress of a lab I can send a sample of my tiles before I get someone to remove themall

On 2014-11-07 - by (mod) -

I: sure just click on the link found in the ARTICLE INDEX titled


ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST

On 2014-10-21 by Anonymous

Is there any asbestos tiles that looked like wood parquet that are six inch size?

On 2014-10-21 - by (mod) -

Yes as well as in other odd and custom-cut sizes and strips.

On 2014-10-20 by Anonymous

Hello,

Please disregard my previous statement. I contacted Armstrong and found out the tile I had in my bathroom was produced in 1998 and did not contain any asbestos.

Thanks :)

On 2014-10-20 - by (mod) -

Indeed some peel-and-stick flooring contained asbestos but not material produced in 1998. Thanks for the update.

DF

...

Continue reading at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1949-1959 - home or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION 1949-1959 FAQs-2 - more questions and answers about older asphalt asbestos & vinyl asbestos floor tiles.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID REQUESTS - home
• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION COLOR KEY - home
• ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
• ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION
• ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INDEX - all brands, all years
• ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE
• ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES
• 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

ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION 1949-1959 FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to ASBESTOS HAZARDS

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