Asbestos exposure risk from minor vs. significant damage to an asbestos-containing floor covering:

What is the actual risk level from various types of damage to asphalt asbestos floor tiles, vinyl asbestos floor tiles, or asbestos-backed sheet flooring?

How much or what sort of asbestos-flooring damage require special cleaning, testing, or remediation?

This article series describes the probable risks of asbestos exposure from asbestos-containing floor tiles or sheet flooring as depending on the condition, covering, and location of the floor. Page top photo: many loose asbestos-containing floor tiles in an area like the one we show mean that there is a risk of harmful airborne asbestos that is sufficient that proper cleanup is needed. But a minor cut or scratch on a floor is a very different situation.

Level of Asbestos Hazard from Minor vs Seriously-Damaged Flooring

A small nick or scratch on intact, secure, otherwise un-damaged asbestos suspect flooring such as shown in our photo does not require expensive nor scary "asbestos abatement" procedures.

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

[Click to enlarge any image]

Where or When are there More Serious Asbestos Flooring Risks in Buildings?

Where an asbestos-suspect floor hazard does indeed exist in a private home as well as in other buildings is when

• An asbestos-containing floor covering is in poor condition,
  
  broken up, many loose tiles (shown in our page top photo) or when the floor has been mechanically damaged such as by the use of chopping or demolition equipment shown in our reader-contributed photo here. This floor is discussed further a
  
  t ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE
  
  The US EPA points out
  
  in ADEQUATELY WET ASBESTOS GUIDANCE, EPA340/1-90-019 [web article]
  
  that asbestos-containing floor tiles are considered non-friable materials but the materials can become friable with age or by grinding, sanding, demolition, etc.
• An asbestos-containing floor covering has to be removed using aggressive,
  
  mechanically-disturbing methods such as grinding, chopping, sawing, breaking to remove the flooring

and potentially when

• An asbestos-containing floor covering is in good condition but is in a high traffic area,
  
  a public space, a school (for example), and perhaps where in addition to abrasion from foot traffic, building cleaning staff use or used-to use aggressive steel-wool floor buffers

Studies of Hazard Levels from Asbestos Containing Flooring - Private Homes, Schools, Shipyards

Researching indoor airborne asbestos hazards from building floors does not find scholarly, expert reports that a private home’s kitchen or den un-disturbed (that is not ground, chopped, etc) asbestos-floor covering in good condition produces measurable levels of airborne asbestos.

Both research and my own anecdotal evidence from having spoken with people who worked in shipyards or industry where high levels of asbestos exposure occurred describe a work atmosphere that was sometimes so thick with airborne dust including asbestos that the air became opaque.

The most frequent and serious asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma occurred in workers from industry where the exposure was very high or sometimes in their homes into which workers un-knowingly imported high levels of asbestos-dust on their clothing.

Beyond those industrial settings, research found potential asbestos hazards in schools that merited regulation of in-place asbestos flooring, most likely because of the situation I described above, high risk population (children spending lots of time in the building), and floors whose surface was abraded by foot traffic or by cleaning methods.

• Cohen, Nevin. "Regulation of in-place asbestos-containing material." Environmental research 55, no. 1 (1991): 97-106.
  
  Abstract:
  
  Approximately two-thirds of New York City's 800,000 buildings contain asbestos. Most of this material is damaged or deteriorating. Legislation pending in the New York City Council (Bill number 453) would require virtually all building owners to inspect for asbestos, to develop management and maintenance plans to prevent disturbance of intact material, and to provide notice of the presence of asbestos to building occupants.
  
  This paper reviews the legislation and discusses its features that have been questioned. It concludes that regulation of in-place asbestos is necessary and appropriate.
• Cross, Frank B. "Asbestos in Schools A Remonstrance against Panic." Colum. J. Envtl. L. 11 (1986): 73.
  
  Abstract:
  Following the discovery of asbestos-containing materials in some public schools, parents have responded with understandable concern for the health of children and demand a prompt action to remove the materials. Ironically, and tragically, the rush to remove asbestos from schools may significantly increase the hazard presented by the substance.
  
  A more carefully thought out policy is required to protect public health, for current school conditions may present little or no risk to students, while removal operations may create a new risk. This article examines the existing situation and proposes a redirection of attention and effort toward a more focused program to evaluate the risks posed by asbestos in schools, and where a significant risk exists, to ensure that the response actions are both safe and effective.
• Demyanek, M. L., R. J. Lee, K. A. Allison, and G. R. Dunmyre. "Air, Surface, and Passive Measurements in a Building During Spray-Buffing of Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile." Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 9, no. 11 (1994): 869-875.
  
  Abstract
  This study was conducted in a commercial building with approximately 15,000 ft2 of vinyl asbestos floor tile. The primary objectives of the study were to assess potential emissions of asbestos structures from floor tile buffing, to determine the effects of direct versus indirect air sample preparation techniques, and to evaluate the usefulness of surface lift and passive adhesive sampling technologies for monitoring such activities.
  
  The asbestos-containing floor tile was determined to be homogeneous material and in relatively good condition throughout the facility. A 1000-ft2 room on the first floor of the building was selected for evaluation. Before the work began, background air, passive, and surface lift samples were collected and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy.
  
  A second set of samples was collected during the work activity and for approximately 8 hours after its completion. The results indicate that concentrations of asbestos structures <5 μm long rose slightly as a result of the work, while concentrations of asbestos structures < 5 μm in length did not.
  
  In addition, the indirectly prepared air samples produced higher asbestos structure concentrations than the directly prepared samples. data are presented summarizing these and other pertinent findings of the study.
• Murbach, Dana M., Amy K. Madl, Ken M. Unice, Jeffrey S. Knutsen, Pamela S. Chapman, Jay L. Brown, and Dennis J. Paustenbach. "Airborne concentrations of asbestos onboard maritime shipping vessels (1978–1992)." Annals of occupational hygiene 52, no. 4 (2008): 267-279.
  
  Abstract
  The exposure of shipyard workers to asbestos has been frequently investigated during the installation, repair or removal of asbestos insulation. The same level of attention, however, has not been directed to asbestos exposure of maritime seamen or sailors. In this paper, we assemble and analyze historical industrial hygiene (IH) data quantifying airborne asbestos concentrations onboard maritime shipping vessels between 1978 and 1992.
  
  Air monitoring and bulk sampling data were compiled from 52 IH surveys conducted on 84 different vessels, including oil tankers and cargo vessels, that were docked and/or at sea, but these were not collected during times when there was interaction with asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
  
  One thousand and eighteen area air samples, 20 personal air samples and 24 air samples of unknown origin were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy (PCM); 19 area samples and six samples of unknown origin were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and 13 area air samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
  
  In addition, 482 bulk samples were collected from suspected ACMs, including insulation, ceiling panels, floor tiles, valve packing and gaskets. Fifty-three percent of all PCM and 4% of all TEM samples were above their respective detection limits. The average airborne concentration for the PCM area samples (n = 1018) was 0.008 fibers per cubic centimeter (f cc−1) (95th percentile of 0.040 f cc−1).
  
  Air concentrations in the living and recreational areas of the vessels (e.g. crew quarters, common rooms) averaged 0.004 f cc−1 (95th percentile of 0.014 f cc−1), while air concentrations in the engine rooms and machine shops averaged 0.010 f cc−1 (95th percentile of 0.068 f cc−1).
  
  Airborne asbestos concentrations were also classified by vessel type (cargo, tanker or Great Lakes), transport status (docked or underway on active voyage) and confirmed presence of ACM. Approximately 1.3 and 0% of the 1018 area samples analyzed by PCM exceeded 0.1 and 1 f cc−1, respectively.
  
  This data set indicates that historic airborne asbestos concentrations on these maritime shipping vessels, when insulation–handling activities were not actively being performed, were consistently below contemporaneous US occupational standards from 1978 until 1992, and nearly always below the current permissible exposure limit of 0.1 f cc−1.
• Williams Jr, Marion Glenn, and Robert N. Crossman Jr. "Asbestos release during removal of resilient floor covering materials by recommended work practices of the resilient floor covering institute." Applied occupational and environmental hygiene 18, no. 6 (2003): 466-478.
  
  Abstract:
  The release of asbestos during maintenance and removal of resilient floor covering is of concern to health professionals and many regulators.
  
  This study assesses the asbestos levels observed during removal of resilient floor covering products using the "Recommended Work Practices" (1995) of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute or other methods requiring containment (Controls). The 1995 "work practices" require wet removal or dry heat removal but do not require the use of respirators.
  
  Wet removals of sheet vinyl/separated backing, 12" 2 12" vinyl asbestos tile/mastic, and 9" 2 9" asphalt tiles/mastic were conducted and the air was sampled during each procedure. Settled dust samples were collected at the sites of RFCI square tile removal and pieces of each type of tile were broken in a mini-enclosure to evaluate asbestos emissions.
  
  Analyses of the air samples collected during the removals showed that the RFCI methods did not produce asbestos counts significantly different from the Control methods requiring containment.
  
  Only a small number (0.7%) of fibers and structures, counted and measured by Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy, would have been counted using the rules for Phase Contrast Microscopy in the 7400 method specified by Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.
  
  This indicates workers in similar situations without respirators are likely to have unknown exposure levels. A high percentage of these fibers and structures are 5 micrometers or less in length, smaller than 0.5 micrometer in diameter, and are easily inhaled.
  
  The RFCI air sample and settled dust data may cause regulators to consider requiring respiratory protection, cleanup procedures, and methods to control asbestos migration.
  
  Other areas that might be addressed are clearance levels and their measurement, removal area size, bulk sample analysis by transmission electron microscopy if polarized light microscopy reports less than 1 percent asbestos, better worker exposure evaluation, and supervisor/worker training in accordance with the Model Accreditation Plan.
• The ABCs of Asbestos in Schools (August 2003), U.S. EPA, Web search 08/17/2010, original source: www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/abcsfinal.pdf - aqui se encuenta la misma documenta escrito en Espan~ol: El ABC del Asbestos en las Escuelas, fuente original: www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/spanishabcs.pdf
• MANAGING ASBESTOS in PLACE: A Building Owner's Guide to Operations and Maintenance Programs for Asbestos-Containing Materials ("Green Book"), web search 08/11/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/management_in_place.html
  How to Develop and Maintain a Building Asbestos Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Program, This information is designed to assist building owners and managers in understanding how to develop and maintain an operations and maintenance program for asbestos-containing materials in their buildings.
  
  The PDF link above gives the full text of the EPA Green Book on Asbestos Management in Buildings. More about the EPA Green Book and excerpts are at MONITOR for ASBESTOS CONTAMINATION DURING REMOVAL
• Please seeReferences or Citations for more research and authoritative citations supporting this article

InspectAPedia.com is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Question: a contractor drilled holes in my asbestos sheet flooring, how bad was my exposure to asbestos?

A contractor drilled two .5 or .75 in holes in asbestos vinyl sheet flooring in a small half bath (20% according to lab). What is the likely extent of the risk/exposure and how long? Thanks! - 2012/12/23 James Matthews

Reply: How to Calculate the Potential Volume of Airborne Asbestos Dust Produced by Drilling Holes into Resililent Sheet Flooring with an Asbestos Backer

James,

The total volume of asbestos-containing flooring represented by the two holes you describe, if we assume for sake of calculation is 1/8" thick, is given as the sum of the volume of two cylinders of 0.5" and 0.75" in diameter and 0.125" in height.

1. Calculate the volume of asbestos-containing flooring material cut, ground, chopped, drilled

Calculating the volume of those cylinders (using Volume V = π x r2 x h ) gives us

V1 = 3.1416 x (.25)2 x 0.125 = 0.0245 cu.in.
and
V2 = 3.1416 x (.375)2 x 0.125 = 0.055 cu.in.

V1 + V2 = 0.0795 cubic inches or less than 1 tenth of a cubic inch of airborne material, of which only a much smaller percentage might actually be asbestos fibers.

2. Calculate the volume of asbestos material in the disturbed debris

The most-common source of asbestos in vinyl sheet flooring is in the paper-like backer that might be 20 to 70 % asbestos by volume.

If we assume (for sake of calculation) that the flooring backer makes up 75% of the total flooring thickness, then

The volume of flooring that was cut by your drilling contractor, or 0.0795 cubic inches, might contain

0.0795 (volume of material) x .75 (portion of volume represented by the backer) x .20 (your test found 0.20 or 20% asbestos while 0.70 or 70% is the maximum plausible level of asbestos in a backer) = 0.0119 cubic inches of asbestos.

That's one hundredth of one cubic inch of asbestos as the maximum possible volume of material produced by the drilling of the two holes you describe.

Further it is unlikely that the particles produced by drilling into resilient flooring are all small, easily-airborne bits, as drilling flooring usually produces mostly larger spiral like pieces.

So the likely volume of airborne material produced by the contractor's drilling activity is likely to be a much smaller amount than the one hundredth of a cubic inch of dust.

3. Calculate the air volume of the occupied space into which asbestos dust is dispersed

You don’t give the size or dimensions of your building nor of the room where the flooring was installed, but if for illustration we pretend that the room was 10 feet x 20 feet in size or 200 square feet and had an 8 foot high ceiling, then the volume of the room in cubic feet would be 1,600 cubic feet, or (1,600 x 1728 cubic inches per cubic foot) = 2,764,800 cubic inches.

If we assume a completely uniform distribution of 100% of the drilling dust dust (which more likely would be just about 5 % of the total dust given mostly larger particle sizes produced by drilling into resilient vinyl type flooring) and if we assume NO dust control, wiping, etc., then we have

0.01 cubic inches of dust dispersed in 2,764,800 cubic inches of space in the room, or a distribution of 0.01 / 2,764,800 per cubic inch or about 0.00000625 cubic inches of dust per cubic foot of air.

Given that the volume occupied by one typical airborne asbestos fiber is measured in microns (1 inch = 25,400 microns) it’s reasonable to estimate (roughly) that there is would be less than 0.001 fibers per cubic foot of air or one fiber in 1 fiber in one thousand cubic feet.

4. Compare airborne dust total quantity dispersed with asbestos permissible exposure limits or PELs

In the U.S. OSHA sets the PEL for airborne asbestos as:

Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for asbestos is 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air as an eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA), with an excursion limit (EL) of 1.0 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter over a 30-minute period.

- source: ASBESTOS OSHA FACT SHEET [PDF] retrieved 2019/12/24 original source - OSHA www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3507.pdf

Since one cubic foot contains 28,317 ccs or cubic centimeters, the OSHA standard means that in the workplace the PEL is 0.1 x 28,317 or 2,832 fibers per cubic foot of air.

5. Estimate maximum possible airborne asbestos level & exposure

Bottom line: so how much airborne asbestos dust could have been detected in your air at the point of maximum dispersal?

If as I estimated drilling could at most have produced 0.00000625 cubic inches of dust per cubic foot of air or less than 1 fiber per cubic foot, we’re looking at a theoretical maximum asbestos dust level in your theoretical room of 1/2832 fibers or about 1 three-thousandths of the allowable exposure limit for a 30 minute period.

Sorry but we can't say more about the actual level and duration of exposure nor the actual health risk of the activity you described except to say that the dust produced by the drilling you described is likely to be well below the limits of detection in the building and certainly well below the OSHA industrial workplace standard.

A professional, CIH or certified industrial hygienist may have a different view.

Reader Question: What should I have done when I accidentally cut into an asbestos-suspect floor tile?

Remodeling a house it was built in 1957 and it has the green tile I was cutting a piece of drywall and I didn't have a piece of wood under the drywall therefore it was a 4-inch 4ft piece that I trimmed lightly and I hit the asbestos tile the supposedly asbestos tile I'm not sure if they are or not anyway

I vacated the premises wet down the area took a shower and got rid of my clothes I'm not sure if this is too extreme but

I wasn't sure exactly what to do in the situation what is your recommendation for appearing or showing up to this residence in the future here 2017-08-15 George

Reply: What are the risks of minor damage to an asbestos-suspect floor tile or sheet flooring covering?

George,

Thank you for asking an important question that for other readers I re-phrase as

What is the level of risk from asbestos-suspect flooring that suffers a scratch or similar minor damage, and what should I do about such flooring.

There is no reasonable chance that a scratch or cut into the surface of asbestos-suspect floor tile or sheet flooring using a smooth sharp-edged blade like a drywall knife is going to create a measurable level of airborne asbestos in the building, much less a hazardous level of airborne asbestos.

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

It is more than a concern that very frightening articles about asbestos-hazards can lead to great fear over situations that present no hazard. For that case there are both monetary costs and stress from worry that can be both harmful and unnecessary.

The fear of asbestos is exacerbated both by the normal worry that arises about something we think is dangerous and that we cannot see (so we fear it is beyond our control and that it sneaks up on us) and also by the preying on public fear by some companies who reap profit by providing testing or “asbestos spill cleanup” services that in some cases were not appropriate.

So what should you do if you slice into an asbestos-suspect floor surface with a drywall knife?

1. Wipe up dust: Damp wipe the scratch with a damp paper towel or rag, then throw that into the trash.
2. Seal: When the floor is dry, you might elect to apply a light coating of spray or other shellac (I’ve also used a cotton swab) to seal the scratch and make the floor look smooth and shiny again.

Experts advise that the safest way to stop potential asbestos hazards from an asbestos containing or asbestos-suspect floor tile or sheet flooring covering is to leave the existing floor in place, covering it over with a new layer of flooring.

Asbestos is not like radioactive materials: it does not and cannot send up harmful materials through a layer that covers the floor surface.

For situations where you must defer installing a new layer of flooring over an intact, essentially un-damaged asbestos-suspect floor tile or sheet flooring, I’ve described a successful approach using an epoxy floor sealant covered with a clear-coat to provide a durable walking surface that cannot release particles from the floor below.

See ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE for details.

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION for a description of all of the approaches to preventing a hazard form asbestos-containing floor coverings.

Question: Possible asbestos-containing floor tiles in a school, questions about proper handling

Hi. I have a question about asbestos in floor tile and its removal. I work at a public school and the school had a contractor come in to remove some flooring that was starting to "buckle up" in some areas due to water seeping underneath it. When the contractor came I happened to be around and I asked him before he started if the tile could be asbestos (the school was built in 1952).

He looked at it and said it wasn't 9x9 inch, and he wasn't sure what was underneath it yet, so he couldn't say for sure.

When I started at the school I was made aware by my boss that there is asbestos tile underneath the carpet in the classrooms, but he didn't mention the hallways, where this work was going to be done.

I kept a watch on the contractors as they were removing the tile flooring, (I stayed a safe distance from them...like outside the building through a window). I noticed they used no masks and there was no plastic barriers put up inside the building. They were breaking the tile up though because I noticed them shoveling it up and putting it in the big 55 gallon plastic barrels used for garbage.

They stayed for about 2 days doing this. When they were done they left these filled barrels of the tile for us to dump! I didn't want to be involved at all in their dumping! My boss came though and he said he needed my help in dumping the barrels in the outside container for garbage.

I REALLY wanted nothing to do with this and I panicked inside. I was afraid though to ask about its safety. When we went outside to dump them I kept my distance as much as possible.

When we dumped the first barrel I held my breath and we dumped it quickly and a HUGE bunch of dust went into the air.

I stepped far away and let the dust clear. I then asked if he had any kind of face mask. He did, but only the N95 kind. I put two on and some goggles. We then dumped the rest.

My question is, what are the chances that the flooring contained asbestos, and if it did, wouldn't the contractor and our head supervisor that ordered the work know about the flooring? - Mike 8/22/11

Reply:

Mike

No one can say just from text whether or not the floor tile that was taken up contained asbestos, though the lack of dust control and personal protection sounds to me like an amateur was doing the job. Even non-asbestos-containing dust can be hazardous, especially at acute exposure levels.

From the age of the school (1952) some asbestos containing materials would be expected to be present in lots of items, especially floor tiles. And the contractor's assertion that only 9" floor tiles contain asbestos is incorrect.

- ask your doctor for an opinion about your health and exposure to demolition dust that might have contained asbestos and any respiratory health complaints you may have

- if there is remaining dust or remaining examples of the same flooring they can be tested for asbestos

- building management can make be sure all of the demolition dust has been properly cleaned and removed - if it's asbestos-containing, a higher level of cleaning and post-cleanup testing are needed.

- Don't do more demolition without a competent risk assessment

And for your question of whether or not the contractor would or would not know if the floor contained asbestos?

My OPINION (not a lawyer) is that the contractor is legally obligated to be competent to perform the work for which s/he is hired; at a school, and removing flooring, that should include the ability to recognize a "red flag" that would stop the job until an asbestos hazard assessment has been made by a professional.

Faced with very high costs of an asbestos cleanup, and worried about causing a (perhaps inappropriate) panic among parents of school children, building managers I've met have sometimes opted for an "ignorance is bliss" argument.

At a large Jewish Community Center in New York where it was patently obvious that there was asbestos-containing pipe insulation and flooring, the building management showed me a "report" asserting that the building was "asbestos free". The report authors simply stayed out of building areas where asbestos found.

Question: floor tiles below asbestos in a 1950's house may contain asbestos

I was pulling up some carpet in my basement today and found that there is tile on the floor beneath it. That didn't seem like a problem to me except in one corner the tile came up with the carpet and there is a green tile beneath that.

The house was built in 1950. should I be concerned that the green tile has asbesto in it? The tile broke into pieces. - Don Mac 9/5/11

Reply:

Don from the age of materials you describe it's a good chance you have one or more layers of asbestos containing floor tiles, though of course I can only speculate with so little information.

However if the floor is covered with additional layers of tile or even carpeting, it's unlikely that it is being disturbed enough to produce a detectable level of asbestos (from that source) in the building air or dust.

A single piece or two of broken tiles are not measurable; what you want to avoid is demolition making a big dusty mess.

Search our site for "How to Reduce the Hazard Floor Tiles That May Contain Asbestos" or "ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION" to read about procedures for handling the flooring.

Question: dealing with unknown floor tiles

I purchased a co-op built in the 1950's. I need to put down a new floor. The last layer of flooring is green 9x9 vinyl tiles. The pattern looks close to seneca white but the background is light green with dark green pattern. There is black tarry stuff underneath.

The tiles are extremely thin. I ripped out the tiles and the plywood underneath them in the corner about 18" square. The super told me to leave it alone as it might be asbestos, but all the contractors who have seen them, seem not to be worried about ripping up the tiles. I would feel better to play it safe and just floor over them. How do I e-mail a picture to you? - Jeanie in Queens NY 11/13/2011

I have a early 60's home with both bathrooms having what appears to be a solid surface material poured over a greenish felt. The flooring is tan with colored flecks in it throughout. I have looked for the material but haven't found any info. Does anyone know what it is? Is it possible that this material contains asbestos? - Dan 1/10/12

the tile in the place I work appears to be asbestos tile. there are some squares that are damaged, and appear to be chipped out. there are small particles, chunks, etc. in the place where the tiles are missing. is this a danger to us? - Lynn 1/12/12

I want to renovate this ranch soon and am not sure what the tile is and who do I call? I want to renovate this ranch soon and am not sure what the tile is and who do I call?Ceiling tile is from 1940 - Jo 2/7/2012

I have an old ranch home w/ sheet lino.x2 layers, over OSB board, over another type of flooring over old hardwood. From what I can see so far. The hardwood has blunt square ends, and is about 3-4" wide and appears to have paint on it. I know there is some rot in that area and would need replacing from reclaimed wood.

My question is what is the best way to remove all the lino and OSB and floor below that to get to the hardwood? I know it's going to be labor intensive but not sure how to go about it. - Tracey 2/13/2012

Utility room floor installed 1971 is Armstrong Excelon vinyl asbestos place and press tiles. Some of the tiles are loose. they are whole..just loose. Please recommend what glue to use to re-install them. - Anne 2/13/2012

I work at a Petland Discounts location that's over 20 years old. I've gotten severe breathing problems at this store. The floor polishing company comes in and polishes the floor every month and there is this thick dust in the air and then it gets all over the products. I am concerned that it contains asbestos. There are also many broken tiles in the store. - Despina 5/22/2012

In my kitchen we have a sub floor, then asbestos tiles, then another sub floor and then a layer of linoleum flooring down.

We want to lay another floor down but our floor is already up an inch with everything on it. We want to removed the whole flooring but have no clue how we should go about doing this without getting the asbestos in the air.

It is also laid in our hallway and our whole basement. Thank you so much for any help you can provide. - Gigi - 6/11/2012

I was going to put new ceramic tiles in the kitchen floor, but when I removed the transition between the wood floor and ceramic tiles I saw vinyl tiles under the kitchen floor. My question is how I would know that the vinyl tiles are asbestos or not? - Mike 7/10/2012

i removed floor tiles by hand that look very similar to some of the ones you have pictured on your web site about 9 years ago. basically i used an old grill spatula to peel them up off of the cement floor. i did use a dust mask but i was unaware at the time that some older floor tiles contain asbestos. do i have anything to worry about? - Joe 8/1/2012

Hello I scraped up a tile floor in my house and I now fear that it was asbestos. The backing is black not white. It did not grind to dust, but it came off in pieces. The floor is covered in the black backing still and I don't know how I should remove this.

Should I be concerned about removing this part? Also I suspect these tiles continue into another room under a rug. I would like to remove them eventually if possible. What do you recommend? - Mandy 10/29/2012

My husband and his family were doing some remodeling on a home we just bought (built in the 1930's).

When I stopped by the house i saw that they had ripped out the old flooring in the kitchen and bathroom. Underneath the old carpet and flooring were 9x9 squares that were on top of the original hardwoods.

I freaked out because i remembered hearing something about 9x9 tiles and asbestos on hgtv. These squares are black, but they are flexible, almost like a thick paper or a cardboard rather than a hard tile. We aren't sure if it is just some sort of backing, or an asphalt asbestos tile. They had already spent the weekend tearing most of it up and it is all over the place right now. any info/suggestions etc would be very greatly appreciated. - Jennifer 10/29/2012

Reply:

Asbestos-containing flooring in good condition does not have to be removed from a building, and worse, inept removal can create a much greater hazard than leaving most asbestos materials in place.

Asbestos was widely used as a filler in both asphalt-based and some vinyl based floor tiles of varying thicknesses, and extending to some thin, flexible self-adhesive backed tiles as well as some sheet flooring.

See ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1949-1959 for an extensive photo guide to asbestos-containing flooring materials.

We recommend taking a look at the suggestions found

at ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

Comment from reader: anonymous:

Hey Joe there's always a "risk" when removing anything that has to do with Asbestos. I understand that you probably didn't take caution at all with the removal and you probably weren't wearing the proper protection. There's two things that could be red flags.

1. I'd be worried if you were a constant to heavy smoker.

2. I'd also be worried if you've done this type of removal many times before or after without protection.

The only way to know for certain if true damage has been done is tell your Doctor or care provider about this incident and ask for their advice.

...

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