1960s Armstrong & Other Asbestos-Suspect Flooring

Identification Photos 1960-1969 + 1960s Floor Tile Asbestos Test Result

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)

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.

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 GRAY 873,

DUSTY CEDAR 874

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, (above)

MINT GOLD 301,

SLATE GOLD 302,

PINK GOLD 303

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

REDWOOD GOLD 353, above

GRAY SILVERGOLD 354, above

TAUPE BRONZE 355 above

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)

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)

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.

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,

METRO TAUPE 807 - above

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

DESIGNERS SERIES vinyl asbestos floor tiles, shown above

Colors:

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

SIENNA COPPERr 765 1/8" gauge only,

ECRU 767 sold in all gauges,

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

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

MINT GREEN 871,

PEBBLE BEIGE 872,

DUSTY CEDAR 874

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

Colors:

BLACK GOLD No. 351, shown above

IVORY GOLD 352 above

REDWOOD GOLD 353,

WHITE GOLD 356

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,

ACOMA BLUE 705 shown above

STYLETONE floor tiles 1961, shown above

Colors:

MINTONE 831,

ROSETONE 834,

BEIGETONE 839 shown above

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.)

Below: a small red and pale tan brick pattern sheet flooring from a 1961 Armstrong flooring catalog: Embossed Inlaid Standard Gauge No. 5352. This pattern was manufactured and sold by Armstrong from 1932 into at least the 1980's.

See more 1960's Armstrong red and white brick flooring patterns illustrated and their asbestos content found

at SHEET & TILE FLOORING ASBESTOS ID-BRICK PATTERN ID

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.

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

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)

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, 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

METALLIC style flooring tiles shown above

Colors:

Ivory Gold 352,

WHITE GOLD 356

SPATTER style floor tiles shown above, sold in these

Colors:

ANDOVER WHITE 735,

MERIDIAN TAUPE 747,

WORCESTER GRAY 749 - shown above

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

STYLETONE floor tiles were sold in these colors:

MINTONE 831,

IVORYTONE 833,

ROSETONE 834,

BEIGETONE 839 - shown above

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.

CENTENNIAL style Rhapsody green 815 shown above

CORKSTYLE

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

IMPERIAL style (shown Wild honey 876)

METALLIC - (see 1960-1962 photo examples)

SPATTER - (see 1956-1960 photo examples)

STANDARD straight grain floor tiles - (shown ECRU 767)

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.

CENTENNIAL style (Nocturne black 817(above left),

LARGO WHITE 818,

MINUET WHITE 814)

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

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

IMPERIAL style (Ivory tan 869)

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

SPATTER style (Stratford ivory 729)

STANDARD straight grain (Catawba yellow 712)

STYLETONE floor tiles in Mossstone 827, PEACHTONE 837

TRAVERTEX style (Frost white 1131)

WOODTONE style (Medium oak 851)

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)

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

CENTENNIAL II

CORKSTYLE MEDIUM, also

see LIGHT CORK 840 from 1963, also

see MEDIUM CORK from 1965

and DARK CORK same as this example from 1962

DRIFTSTONE - above

EMBOSSED PARQUET

EMBOSSED PEBBLETTE - above

IMPERIAL

ISLETA

SPATTER (see 1956-1960 & 1964 photo examples)

STANDARD Excelon floor tiles, example colors:

APACHE RED,

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

as ARMSTRONG APACHE RED

STYLETONE

TRAVERTEX

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.

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

IMPERIAL style Coppetone beige 865, Terrace white 880

IMPERIAL MODERN style vinyl asbestos floor tiles

Fleece white 1850,

MELLOW SAND 1851,

SHADOW BROWN 1853

STANDARD GRAIN vinyl floor tiles - White bayberry 710 shown above

TRAVERTEX style (Teal green 1136) shown above

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

1967 Armstrong Floor Tiles: no data available - see the prior and successive years' floor tile ID photos above and below.

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.

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

CENTENNIAL style (Largo white 56818)

COASTAL STONE style (Castle beige 51793)

CUSTOM EXCELON (See 1963 photo example)

CUSTOM SHALESTONE flooring (Tioga beige 57001)

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)

IMPERIAL style Mint green 56871, shown above

MEDIUM CORK 51855

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

MARBLE style (Quartz ivory 54231)

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

at MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS

OLYMPUS style (Dianna white 51200)

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

PARQUET style (Light oak 54240)

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

POMPEII style shown in Dianna white 51201 - above

RANDOM MOSAIC style Terra cotta red 54262 shown above

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

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

at MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS

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

TRAJAN style (Dianna white 51293, above)

TRAVERTEX style (Briar tan 51130, Mist white51135

TRAVERTINE style (Ponzano 54222)

EXCELON FEATURE STRIPS

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

Here we compare vinyl flooring in a cork pattern with true cork flooring.

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 - example from 1968 shown above

and CORK PARQUET floor tiles, in both material types - above

And another vinyl floor material that looked like cork is this

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

Compare those vinyl-based cork pattern floor tiles with true or real cork floor tiles discussed at

CORK FLOORING  - example below - true cork floors are a wood product and will be considerably softer as well as a bit difference in appearance from vinyl floor tiles in a cork pattern.

Motif Floor Tiles Etched-Colored Pebble People Floor Tiles

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

For 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" )

Imperial (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.

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

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.

Asbestos Test Results: 1960s Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles

Moved to ASBESTOS TEST RESULT for 1960's FLOOR TILES