Photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles, 1980-1988

This page provides Armstrong floor tile identification photographs, product names, styles, colors, and vinyl-asbestos floor patterns, and colors for asbestos-containing floor tile products made between 1980 and 1988.

Page top photo: Amitco Zip-Stik self-adhesive floor tiles tested to confirm presence of chrysotile asbestos in the tile backer.

Some of these flooring materials are reported to or have been confirmed to contain asbestos in asbestos fiber or asbestos powder-filler form.

This article series provides a guide to identifying asphalt-asbestos flooring (1917 - ca 1960) & vinyl asbestos floor tile (ca 1952 - 1986). These flooring products typically contain chrysotile asbestos, and possibly other asbestos forms.

Armstrong Floor Tile Photo Identification Guide 1980 - 1988

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

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.

To identify a particular asphalt-asbestos or vinyl-asbestos floor tile pattern & color, start in the image group most likely to be the same age as your building.

If you don't find your floor tile or sheet flooring by looking forward from that that year, you should also look backwards in the earlier years as your specific flooring pattern & color may have first appeared in an earlier year. For other tile brands than Armstrong, see the brand name floor tile links included in this list.

If you can identify your floor tile collection name or model number, or if you recognize it in the extensive library of flooring color and pattern photographs provided in these pages, laboratory testing of the sample to screen the flooring for asbestos may be unnecessary.

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?

Our home page for asbestos-containing floor tiles is

at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE

Many of the colors and patterns of asphalt-asbestos or vinyl-asbestos floor tiles were manufactured over many years and may appear in more than one of the floor tile photo collections listed by date range here.

For each year we list the names of the tile patterns sold during that year, we include representative color images of the floor tiles, and throughout the entire floor tile pattern & color history series we include each floor tile color & pattern of the floor tile in the first year that it appeared , and we include representative colors and patterns in other years.

Examples of floor tile packaging, labeling, and other information can be found throughout the flooring photo collections listed here.

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

at ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INDEX - all brands, all years .

1980 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 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.

ARMSTRONG EXCELON 1980 Armstrong 12x12,1/8" thick pattern shown above

BRADFORD BRICK pattern floor tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick shown above was sold in Red, White, Almond

CLASSIC TRAVERTINE EMBOSSED floor tiles sized 12" x 12" shown in Beige

CLASSIC TRAVERTINE SMOOTH Floor Tiles, sized 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick asbestos vinyl 1980 patterns

COUNTRY BRICK pattern floor tiles shown above

CUSTOM 12" x 12" "service gauge" Brown/Tan composite

DESERT SAGE Floor Tile pattern, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick sold ONLY in the color shown, above

DEVONSLATE floor tile pattern, shown above

DIANA WHITE CALIGULA flooring shown above

EDEN WOOD pattern floor tiles, by Armstrong sized 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick in Colors: Walnut, Saddle, White colors

FEATURE SOLID COLOR Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick in Colors: ( solid colors - RED, GREEN)

IMPERIAL series floor tiles in 12" x 12" x 1/8" or 3/32" gauge vinyl asbestos flooring

IMPERIAL TEXTURE 12" x 12" - this "tweedy" design sold in 17 colors, shown Cottage Tan 51830 (above)

IMPERIAL MODERN 12" x 12" Colors: including Bayberry White 51866, shown above, also sold in Fleece white, Mellow sand, Char brown (almost black), medium Cork, Bayberry white. also sold in

IMPERIAL MODERN MEDIUM CORK shown above

LOS ALAMOS pattern floor tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick Colors: Green, Yellow, Multi-colors

OAK KNOLL Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick Colors: Saddle, Walnut, Almond shown above

PALATIAL Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" in these colors: Nice Gold (above), Alba beige, Cannes beige, Corsica olive

REGENCY SQUARE Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick, above left - Colors: Yellow & White

SALVADOR floor tile pattern shown above

SAN ROQUE Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick, Colors: Olive, Gold - shown above, also sold in Red, White colors

SLURRY SQUARE floor tile pattern above

Watch out:  even if your flooring was installed some time after 1980, it is possible that an installer used 1980 or prior flooring materials that contained asbestos. Handle flooring demolition or grinding, sanding, polishing appropriately.

1982 - Armstrong Self-Adhesive Floor Tiles

Do Peel and Stick Floor Tiles Contain Asbestos? No, not this one, according to Armstrong

VERNAY PEEL & STICK peel and stick floor tiles.

Armstrong Peel-and-Stick Floor vinyl floor tiles were introduced late in 1969, as we discussed

at PEEL & STICK / SELF-ADHESIVE FLOOR TILES

Some, but apparently not all self-adhesive floor tiles made by Armstrong during the period 1969 - 1982 contained asbestos. 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.

The peel-and-stick Armstrong floor tile shown in our photograph (above left) was from Armstrong's Vernay series, introduced in 1980 and discontinued in 1982.

 This product never contained asbestos. - information courtesy of Armstrong Corporation.

Armstrong Flooring 1980 - 2010

Question: sorting out the asbestos content of multiple layers of vinyl tile or vinyl sheet flooring

I just bought a townhouse constructed in 1980 and I'm renovating the kitchen. In the process, I discovered that there are THREE layers of flooring.

Top layer is circa 2010 (no problem there). Bottom layer a neighbour confirmed is identical to her floor, and definitely contains asbestos (she had hers tested).

The bottom layer is the olive and beige pattern. Now the middle layer is in question. I'm attaching photos.

My apologies for the poor quality of the pictures: the upper layer left glue and gunk behind that is difficult to remove from the second layer). Feel free to add the first pattern to your inventory of definitely contains asbestos pictures!

I'm hoping to remove as many layers as possible before laying the new flooring. Layer #1 is staying put, as I'm not planning on going through an expensive process of removing it. Ideally, I'd like to remove Layer #2.

Do you know if anyone has had this tested? I don't know the date of its installation, other than that it's sometime between 1980 and 2010.

I know to treat anything untested as though I presume it to contain asbestos, but if there's no concern, then I'll cheerfully remove it! - Anonymous by private email 2017/08/20

Reply:

Where I see that I don't have photos of flooring exactly the same as yours, similar images are

at 1974-1979 ARMSTRONG FLOOR TILE GUIDE, COMPETE

as I show just below.

Armstrong Craftlon and Armstrong Solarian flooring in the 70's has been confirmed as containing asbestos.

See ARMSTRONG SOLARIAN NO-WAX FLOORING HISTORY - and asbestos use

If your layer No. 2 was installed after say 1986 it would not be likely to contain asbestos (unless someone installed new old stock) - We just don't have a solid date on your floor.

So we're both stuck at this point with either assuming it's an asbestos product or testing it.

If you can peel up the flooring fairly easily, (some adhesives are water soluble) and without making a dusty mess, I'd proceed, using wetting and suggestions

at ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

If you can't get it up without making a lot of dust, then what do you think of snipping a small sample to have tested? The cost is typically around $40.

ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST shows how to find a certified asbestos test lab.

Armstrong Vernay Pattern Floor Tiles - late1980's

Reader request for floor tiile Identification:

I need to replace some old ripped floor titles and simply do not know the name of the specific patter to order boxes of new ones.

I enclosed an image for identification. - W.B. 3/13/2014

Reply:

I have not seen this exact pattern either.

You could try sending a photo to Armstrong to ask if they have an exact replacement but I'm not optimistic that an exact match is going to show up, both because manufacturers shift production and because of color changes in installed flooring over time.

Still it's worth a shot. If you wish I'll post the photos to see if other readers recognize the pattern name and can suggest a replacement source.

How to Contact Armstrong Flooring:

In most of our articles detailed citations including company contact information are in the References section at the article end. For Armstrong here are some excerpts

• 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 www.armstrong.com/flooring/products/vinyl-floors
• Armstrong Corporation, Corporate History - www.armstrong.com/corporate/corporate-history.html - Web Search 05/19/2010

Follow-up:

There is a company in Floral Park that sells tiles and this house is in Jamaica NY, is this where I should be looking (checked this site for older Armstrong tiles) even contacted Dynamix and frankly I'm clueless in things like floor tiles.

Miracle of miracles I found it in Armstrong's archives of discontinued products most of which have no images anymore but had mine on an empty page: Discontinued: Vernay Series Englewood - Oak

Feel free to use the image in my image on your site if he helps id this pattern for anyone or is of some use.
Thanks again.

Note: A non-asbestos-containing peel-and-stick Vernay series floor tile from the 1980's is described

at SELF-ADHESIVE PEEL & STICK ON ASBESTOS TILE IDENTIFICATION

American Bilrite Zip-Stik Asbestos-Containing Peel and Stick Flooring from the early 1980's

The American Bilrite Zip Stick 12x12 tiles previously found in this article are now discussed in more detail

at SELF-ADHESIVE PEEL & STICK ON ASBESTOS TILE IDENTIFICATION or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Identify this tile floor in a 1968 home - floor from before 1992

Unsure of year put in but it was before 1992. Home built in 1968. Flooring looks like wood but definitely feels like a thin pvc particle and snapped clean when it broke.

It’s 1-2 mm thick. No backing but it does look like black mastic or a black subfloor of some sort

- On 2023-02-24 by Page

Reply by InspectApedia Editor

@Page,

I don't know that exact pattern but patterns were often made and thus sold both with asbestos and later without. If installed before 1986, best to treat it as presumed asbestos containing material.

Keep in mind that the safest and simplest method is to leave it in place and cover with new flooring or seal it.

In the Recommended Articles list at the end of this article, see the live link for

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

And yes, the backing or mastic (glue) used could also contain asbestos. The same article list above has articles on ways to reduce the risk and treat the flooring.

On 2023-02-24 by Anonymous

@InspectApedia Editor , @InspectApedia Editor ,

Thanks for your advice! If this material is also under newer click in floors in the living room is it considered to be safe if it was only covered and not sealed?

On 2023-02-24 by InspectApedia Editor - to to be safe, is it safe to only cover and not seal asbestos suspect flooring?

@Page,

Covering with new flooring is sufficient, no need to seal it also. Sealing or encapsulating would be if you wanted the flooring in question to be the visible and usable floor.

Possible Armstrong Sandy Beach floor tile in a 1980 home

Home was built in 1980, there is black glue under the 12x12 where previous tenant ripped up tiles in part of the house. By googling, the closest thing I can find is armstrong sandy beach.

This tile is chipped and cracked in many places throughout the home and I wondered if this appears to have asbestos. - On 2023-02-08 by Alicia

Reply by InspectApedia Editor

@Alicia,

Very possibly. From just a single photo it is unclear. In the Recommended Articles list at the end of this article, see the live link for

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

Keep in mind also that the backing or mastic (glue) used could also contain asbestos. The same article list above has articles on ways to reduce the risk and treat the flooring.

The closest we can get is to say that based on the age and guessing that your building is in the U.S., that tile may contain asbestos. Some but not all 12x12 flooring from the early 1980s used asbestos as a filler and as a fibrous reinforcement.

So you'd either have a sample tested or treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos.

Small cracks and chipped spots, if the tiles themselves remain well-adhered, can be sealed if you coat the floor with a suitable floor paint or sealant, or if you simply install a layer of new flooring atop the existing one: the least-costly and safest approach.

Need asbestos advice before I replace this tan square pattern flooring

Hello! Hope this message finds you all well

I may replace my vinyl sheet flooring in my kitchen. But before I do that, I would like to find out if the vinyl contains asbestos. My condo was renovated early / mid-1980s.

Anyone know how I can find out who the manufacturer was? - On 2023-01-17 by Anonymous -

Reply by InspectApedia Publisher - may find a manufacturer's name on the back of sheet vinyl

@Anonymous,

You might find a manufacturer's name on the back of sheet vinyl.

Asbestos in 1982 commercial building vinyl flooring

Commercial building built in 1982. Does this vinyl flooring contain asbestos?

- On 2022-06-16 by Dillon

Reply by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@Dillon,

For a more informed guess at the flooring asbestos question, take a look at

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

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

 

Where can I buy more of this white brick pattern flooring?

I need a 2x2 Sq. of this vinyl sheeting

- On 2021-10-29 by Michael J Bonarrigo -

On 2021-10-29 by inspectapedia.com.moderator

@Michael J Bonarrigo,

Sorry, but we cannot provide the vinyl flooring about which you asked.

But that's an Armstrong white brick pattern sheet flooring that you may still find from some building suppliers.

InspectApedia does not sell anything. No products, no services.

InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information.

In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

A brief summary about InspectAPedia.com can be read at ABOUT InspectApedia.com - https://inspectapedia.com/Admin/About_InspectApedia.php

Does this gray chip pattern Armstrong sheet flooring contain asbestos?

Does this Armstrong flooring have asbestos in it?

-On 2021-10-24 by Linda L

On 2021-10-25 by inspectapedia.com.moderator - popular flooring patterns sometimes contained asbestos and sometimes didn't - depends at least on age

@Linda L,

Good chance, but we know none of the surrounding data to make a solid guess at whether or not your floor contains asbestos.

Consider that popular flooring patterns were made over many years including with and later without containing asbestos in the flooring or flooring backer.

For reasonable yes of answering your own question please see

DOES THIS MATERIAL CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

- 5 easy questions to tell if a BUILDING MATERIAL probably contains asbestos -

Where you find a live ink in the list of Recommended Articles at the end of the article above on this page

These 12x12 vinyl floor tiles from the 1980s do not contain asbestos

@inspectapedia.com.moderator, UPDATE- I had the tile tested with the white glue and it does not have asbestos. Thankfully! - on 2021-08-20 by Stacy -

Reply by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Stacy,

Good news, thank you for the update, that will help other readers.

On 2021-07-18 by Stacy

@inspectapedia.com.moderator, unfortunately in 2011 we had french drains and a sub pump put in our basement so the perimeter of these tiles were cut out. I had no idea at the time. I'm going to ask the environmental people to come back and take a sample of these. Thank you for your time.

On 2021-07-18 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - asbestos-possible 12x12 floor tiles in 1963 Connecticut home?

@Stacy,

Some 12x12 vinyl floor tiles do not contain asbestos even before the 1986 cutoff year;

In any event, if your photo accurately describes the condition of the floor, it is un-damaged, not-friable, and nothing to be frightened-about.

The best option is to leave the floor in place and cover it with new flooring.

At the list of Recommended Articles found at the end of this page, see the live link for ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION - steps to take to reduce the asbestos hazard

in the Recommended Articles section on this page

One would not expect much demolition dust to remain in your basement from work done more than a decade ago unless the area was never cleaned.

Damp wipe, HEPA vacuuming dust, and general cleaning can remove any suspect dust.

Do let us know your test results as that adds to a useful knowledge base about asbestos use in 12-inch floor tiles that may date from the 1970s or 1980s.

Original question by Stacy

House built 1963 in Connecticut. 12x12 tiles in basement. unknown when floor was put in.

Had an environmental engineer come and take air /sediment samples allover my house due to negligence an insulation contractor.

The more research I do I'm kicking myself for not having the engineer take samples of the tile. :(

[Photo above]

On 2021-06-04 by KSL

House built 1981. Virginia. Is this Asbestos?

On 2021-06-04 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - asbestos in 1981 vinyl flooring in Virginia

@KSL,

That flooring might contain asbestos if was installed in a building in North America before 1987. From a photo one can’t answer your question with certainty. Popular flooring patterns were continued, without asbestos, after 1986. Have a sample of the flooring tested, or you can make a reasonable *guess* at whether or not the floor contains asbestos by answering the few easy questions found at

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy steps that can help you make a reasonable guess at whether or not the floor you ask about contains asbestos.

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

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
The safest and least costly approach is to leave the flooring alone, in place, and to cover it with new material.

If the floor is in poor condition or must be removed then see the asbestos floor removal and asbestos hazard reduction articles found in the ARTICLE INDEX at the end of any of these pages.

 

Asbestos in old orange vinyl in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada?

House built in 1975. Older orange vinyl under these 2 layers - On 2021-03-17 by Ejktlk -

North battleford saskatchewan canada

Reply by (mod) -

@Ejktlk, I would treat that floor as presumed to contain asbestos (or have a sample tested).

You might want to see the details at

DOMINION & Other CANADIAN FLOORING ASBESTOS

Is this vinyl floor pattern an asbestos risk?

Does this pattern under a mid 90s vynil pose a risk.

-On 2021-03-17 by ejktlk

Reply by (mod) - no measurable risk from old asbestos-suspect flooring that has been covered-over

@ejktlk, You don't give your country and city. If you are in North America, manufacturers stopped using asbestos in flooring products by 1986.

In any case, if the older flooring is covered by a new layer of vinyl floor it poses no asbestos risk.

 

...

Continue reading  at 1989 & LATER ARMSTRONG ACCOFLEX FLOORING & TILES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1980-1989-FAQs - questions and answers posted originally on this page

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ASBESTOS TEST RESULTS for TILE & SHEET FLOORING - confirmation by lab tests or documents
• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE - 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
• ARMSTRONG SOLARIAN NO-WAX FLOORING HISTORY
• 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 -
• DOES THIS MATERIAL CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if a BUILDING MATERIAL probably contains asbestos -
• MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS
• RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE

Suggested citation for this web page

ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1980-1988 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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Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

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