Q&A on identification of asbestos-containing floor tiles or sheet flooring - set #10

Photos that can help identify floor tiles that are likely to contain asbestos.

This article series assists building buyers, owners or inspectors who need to identify asbestos materials (or probable-asbestos) in buildings by visual inspection.

We also provide a MASTER INDEXto this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOXas a quick way to find information you need.

How to Identify Asbestos- Floor Tiles - FAQs set #10

These questions and replies on how to recognize asbestos-containing flooring were posted originally

at ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION - topic home.

The best and quickest way to make an educated guess (without a lab test) about whether or not your floor tiles or sheet flooring contains asbestos is to

see DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 questions we pose there and whose answers can help you make a reasonable guess at whether or not a particular floor tile or sheet flooring contains asbestos.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2020-11-13 - by (mod) -

Jared

That looks like 1930s or 1940s linoleum; there were multiple manufacturers (such as Armstrong, Congoleum, others) with a still-longer list depending on the country where your building is located.

A good place to start is at RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE

or you may also want to click right to LINOLEUM & OTHER SHEET FLOORING -- where I will re-post your question so as to invite comments from other readers who may recognize your floor pattern.

There we include links to several early sheet flooring and linoleum catalogs where you might spot your exact flooring pattern. Note that some asphalt-felt-backed sheet flooring does contain asbestos, at least in the felt backer.

Please let us know what your asbestos test lab report

On 2020-11-13 by Jared

I plan to get the flooring and adhesive tested, but is this recognizable as any certain manufacturer?

House was built in 1929, not sure when the updates happened. Original floor is hardwood, pictured is the first layer on top of the hardwood. It's got a red backing, and a black interio

On 2020-11-13 - by (mod) -

My earlier answer below is as accurate as I can be, Melanie.

See more examples of this flooring at SHEET & TILE FLOORING ASBESTOS ID-BRICK PATTERN ID

A photo alone can not tell us for certain that a floor has asbestos or does not. But you can make a smart guess: see

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

On 2020-11-12 by Melanie

is this photo in your database as having asbestos. Some of our tiles are loose/sliding around so we want to remove them.

On 2020-11-12 - by (mod) -

Asbestos was used in some floor tiles in North America up to 1985 or possibly 1986.

But after that, you're correct, some popular flooring patterns continued in production without using asbestos.

On 2020-11-12 by Melanie

Our condo was built in early 1980s. This tile is in our laundry room. I see the same style in other colors on your site have asbestos. I cannot seem to find this color though. I assume they kept the same styles after removing asbestos from them.

[see photo just above]

On 2020-11-06 by Annabelle

Re-posting from private email:

Annabelle asked:

I am just wondering if you may be able to tell me whether a house built in 1997 may contain floor tiles and laminate/adhesive with asbestos please?

On 2020-11-06 by Moderator reply: asbestos unlikely in North America flooring made after 1986

If your home is in North America, note that in those countries flooring manufactured after the mid 1980s does not contain asbestos.

For a 1997 home to have asbestos flooring someone would have to had "new old stock" of flooring made before around 1986 and they'd have to have knowingly installed such old and *possibly* asbestos suspect flooring into a new 1997 home.

That would be very odd;

On 2020-11-02 by (mod) - shattered stone or "broken tile" ceramic floor installed in square segments, 1960s

Maura

Than you for the question and floor photo

A ceamic mosaic floor tile pattern set in mud (tile cement for other readers not familiar with that term) would not, in the U.S. be likely to contain asbestos and in any event is not friable.

See CERAMIC TILE, ASBESTOS / LEAD? where I'll copy your photo and question and where we will add more information about your floor.

On 2020-11-02 by Maura

Hi!-
Found this tile underneath a floating floor in the bathroom. It appears to be mosaic tile laid in mud with no visible seams unless you "zoom out".

Home was built in 1961 and we have original ceramic tile in other parts of the house so I assume it is tile that was laid with a square-ish template. Just want to be sure that I am not missing something.On 2020-10-29 - by (mod) -

Age of building, remodeling history, can sometimes help you make a reasonable asbestos-flooring guess.

On 2020-10-29 by Randy

This is in San Francisco. Unfortunately no info on dates or brands. Tiles appear to be 12x12 and have since been removed.

 

On 2019-12-30 by Tammy

Is this asbetos after tile was removed

On 2019-12-23 by caleserpan

Trying to figure out if this flooring has asbestos. Any help would be appreciated.

On 2019-12-05 by (mod) -

Olivia try using the

"add image" button to post your photo - it'll appear after moderator approval.

On 2019-12-04 by Olivia M.

Please see attached for second image of suspect asbestos tiles. Thanks!

Can the manufacturer of these two tiles be identified (will leave another comment with second image)? We believe them to be asbestos containing (in the process of testing now) - maybe from the 60s? Thanks in advance!

On 2019-12-01 by (mod) -

See DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

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

On 2019-12-01 by Basia Judd

Ugh. Our home was built in the 40s. We just pulled up tile from our kitchen (not worried about the tile) and there was 12x12 vinyl underneath which we got up with a heat gun. It did not occur to us to worry about asbestos.

Here is a pic of the wood patterned vinyl. We just bought the house 2 yrs ago and have no idea how old it is. The wood beneath looks like plywood? With adhesive stuck to it.

Question: 1977 floor tile contain asbestos?

does this 1977 floor tile contain asbestos? Or at least is it possible?

- Mike

Moderator reply:

For a 1977 house in most countries, yes indeed.

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?

Question: asbestos floor tiles from 1958

2019/11/10 Clair Goff said

We're assuming these 9x9 tiles are original from 1958. We do not see the indications that it contains asbestos. There's no black stuff, fibers or oily areas on the back. Does anyone else know or have any feedback for us?

Reply: Kentile flooring from 1958 will contain asbestos

Looks like a Kentile spatter pattern.

See details at KENTILE KENFLEX ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE GUIDE

What are the country and city and building age?

Question: How do you know if a old adhesive has asbestos?

2019/10/28 Adam

How do you know if a old adhesive has asbestos.

Reply:

Adam

Asbestos was used in both the older asphalt or black type tile mastic adhesive and even in some of the later cream or tan colored adhesive set were used to adhere vinyl flooring.

You can't know for certain if the adhesive contains asbestos without collecting a sample and have it tested by a lab.

But you can make a reasonable guess if you know the age of your floor.

See details at FLOORING ADHESIVE MASTIC SEALANTS

On 2019-09-10 by TW

Thank you

On 2019-09-10 by (mod) -

Taking a look at the ARTICLE INDEX just above we find ALL of the articles on asbestos in or not in sheet flooring - a good place to start is at

LINOLEUM & OTHER SHEET FLOORING

On 2019-09-10 by TW

Was that known to contain asbestos? Unfortunately, we have no idea of time period of installation as it is under multiple layers of other mediums. Thanks in advance

On 2019-09-09 by (mod) - linoleum rugs

Looks like a "linoleum" rug.

Some older linoleum sheet flooring that used a felt-saturated paper backing may contain asbestos in the backer.

On 2019-09-09 by TW

Found this sheet flooring under masonite, plywood and carpet in an old house.

On 2019-08-28 by (mod) -

That looks like a vinyl floor tile, possibly containing asbestos; see DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

On 2019-08-28 y EM

Circa 1970, vinyl 12x12, possibly w/asbestos

On 2019-08-27 by (mod) -

That looks like a vinyl floor tile, possibly containing asbestos;

On 2019-08-27 by Candace - asbestos in this 12x12 floor tile?

Can anyone tell what this tile is made of? It's chipping and popping up around kitchen, house built in 1980 something for a contractors personal use so I'm thinking he could have had left overs? Tiles are 12x12

On 2019-07-18 by (mod) -

Lets try the easy Q&A at

DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

then don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions.

On 2019-07-18 by Pat

Does this contain asbestos. The rule is 12 x 12

On 2019-05-10 by (mod) -

Tom

TO give a useful answer we'd need to know a few things

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS? inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php should be helpful; please take a look and let me know what you think.

On 2019-05-10 by Tom

Does this contain asbestos?
IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-06 by John

Does this sheet flooring contain asbestos?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-03 by (mod) -

Yes. Anon, most-likely the 1960's floors in your photo contain asbestos. You will find an exact match in this article series.

On 2019-04-02 by Anonymous

Another 12x12 tile from 1966/1967 home do you think it contains asbestos?
IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-02 by Anonymous

12x12 tile from 1966/1967 home do you think it containts asbestos?
IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-02 by Anonymous

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-10 by (mod) -

Tom

TO give a useful answer we'd need to know a few things

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS? inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php should be helpful; please take a look and let me know what you think.

On 2019-05-10 by Tom

Does this contain asbestos?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-06 by John

Does this sheet flooring contain asbestos?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-03 by (mod) -

Yes. Anon, most-likely the 1960's floors in your photo contain asbestos. You will find an exact match in this article series.

On 2019-04-02 by Anonymous

Another 12x12 tile from 1966/1967 home do you think it contains asbestos?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-02 19:49:42.344464 by Anonymous

12x12 tile from 1966/1967 home do you think it containts asbestos?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-02 19:48:50.956279 by Anonymous

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-16 by (mod) -

From your photo (shown above), that looks like a marble floor but I cannot from the image tell you the name of the exact color nor pattern.

Unfortunately, Mitzzy, there are approximately three million varieties of tile patterns and colors found on floors around the world, or even more if one extends the floor age sufficiently far back in time.

How to identify the material in an unknown floor tile

To narrow down your question to a plausible answer you'd start with

- the country, city, and age of the building - that sets an approximate floor under the tile's age and thus some of its possible constituents

- the tile material: marble, vinyl, asphalt

- the building history of construction and renovation - that refines the possible floor materials

- building construction and renovation records to look for specific product names

- examination of the flooring directly, and if extra material is found stored in the building, the flooring packaging and any markings on the floor.

Identifying the brand of flooring from records lets you go right to the manufacturer's catalog to identify the exact floor tile name used by that producer.

On 2019-06-16 by mitzzy

hello i was wondering if you could tell me what kind of tile this is and if there was any chance you could tell me the name of that exact color

[shown above]

On 2019-06-15 by (mod) - does this sheet vinyl floor contain asbestos?

It could. We don't actually know the date of the flooring but I suspect it's later than 68.

See
DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

On 2019-06-15 by Anonymous

1968 built house. Vinyl sheet below tile in bathroom. Does this contain asbestos?

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) - is this floor under my stove dangerous asbestos?

Elizabeth - with no information about your home the best advice about whether or not your floor contains asbestos - which I think is your question - is found at

DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

On 2019-06-12 by Elizabeth

this is under my stove.

 

On 2019-07-29 by (mod) -

Omar Haque

Regarding your photos and our discussion of asbestos in Armstrong Supreme Corlon vinyl floor tile from 1978,
please see your photos and our discussion now found at

ARMSTRONG CORLON FLOORING 1978

On 2018-11-24 by (mod) - asbestos in floors in a 1986 home in the U.S. ? Odd.

I was surprised to see what looks like a late 1970's or earlier asphalt- or vinyl- floor tile resembling asbestos-containing tiles in a 1986 home. Of course a builder could have used new old stock flooring.

Before making more of a dusty mess in my opinion it would be worth having a sample tested for asbestos. The cost is about $40. U.S. and, if we assume that demolition is really necessary, knowing the answer, if the floor does not contain abestos (it shouldn't in a 1986 home but it could) could save you quite a bit of money.

Let me know what you find.

On 2018-11-24 by James

Hi, can anyone identify the below I have already ripped up 20 but now a little worried.... They are 30cm X 30cm.

They are on the kitchen floor of a late 86 Bryants home.

Any thoughts welcome...

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments Box Code error - sorry. If you can re-post the image we'll be glad to comment further.

Question: we ripped up a rug and found old floor tiles in poor condition - do they contain asbestos? What should we do?

(July 26, 2015) Matt from CT said:

My wife and I recently ripped up a rug in our small breeze way and planned on putting down tile. When I ripped up the rug I found that there was old tile underneath, some of which was cracked and brittle. Our house was built in the 1950's and I am concerned that the tile might contain asbestos.

I have not seen the tile in any of the pictures on the website and I don't know how to post a picture to the comment section to show. The tiles are 9 x 9. The tiles are off white with white/pink designed streaks. The tile is black underneath and the floor underneath the tile is completely black. Do these tiles contain asbestos?

(Aug 12, 2015) Angela W said:

Matt from CT: I have similar situation as you have described. I hope an answer comes because I have asthma and horrible allergies. I had a condensation pump stop working on my AC unit and it flooded the carpeting in the hallway.

I pulled the carpeting up as it was unable to dry and when I did a few tiles came up that were underneath and I am almost certain they are asbestos tiles. They are brown with white-tan colored streaks. They also are 9 x 9 tiles but instead of black on the back, these are dark chocolate brown.

Older sheet flooring products: example of floors that do not contain asbestos

Please see ASBESTOS SHEET FLOORING ID FAQs

Photos of Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Laboratory Examination

In the lab, following Walter McCrone's procedure for teasing out asbestos particles from solid materials such as this floor tile, we broke a small corner off for further examination by microscope.

Tiles are broken, not cut, in order to expose asbestos fibers for removal, slide preparation, and microscopic examination using transmitted, reflected, and primarily polarized-light central stop diffusion microscopy.

See our ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1949-1959 for our full list and set of photographs.

This stereo-microscopic view of the edge of this asbestos-floor tile shows the combination of binder, limestone, possibly asbestos powder as well as asbestos fibers, and other silicate materials.

See ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE LAB PROCEDURES for a detailed example of how small floor tile samples may be processed in a forensic laboratory to look for asbestos fibers in the matrix of a floor tile such as our example at left.

Question:

Re the brown "Asphalt asbestos floor tile C" above, I have similar tiles and have an original box without the word Asbestos on it. If I send you a picture and the name, would you be able to tell me if it contains asbestos? - M Ziver 8/16/11

Reply:

M. Zilver, depending on the year or age, indeed there were epochs in which both asbestos-containing and non-asbestos-containing lookalike flooring was produced

If we can recognize the product with confidence I'd be glad to say so; or we can give further advice about testing.

I'd like to see photos of the tile pattern, tile back if there are any markings, all markings on all sides of the packaging, and in addition I'd like to know the tile size and its thickness. We look forward to hearing from you. Use the CONTACT link to send me photos.

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 was'nt sure what was underneath it yet, so he could'nt 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, would'nt 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: How can I identify various other brands and product numbers of floor tiles that might contain asbestos?

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

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: radon system installation drilled through presumed-asbestos-containing floor tiles: how much of an asbestos hazard has that created?

We had a radon abatement system installed in our basement laundry room before we moved in. During our home inspection, the inspector told us there might be asbestos tiles in the basement.

We confirmed this is probably the case, even though there is a new floor down there, because under the hot water heater you can see a redish tile (you can't tell the size), followed by a layer of concrete, followed by the new vinyl tile (current day).

To install the radon system they drilled a four inch diameter hole through the floor and then another 4 inch hole through the brick and mortar of the wall to the outside. Now I'm concerned about the asbestos that may have been released into the air from the disturbance.

I've been told there wouldn't be a lot of asbestos released into the air from an event like this one because of the small surface area. Is this true?

Also, I've been reading that amphibole types of asbestos were used in mortar as well. If it was just chrysotile from the vinyl tile then it would be less concerning than the "worse types" of amphibole asbestos.

However, perhaps they also used amphibole types of asbestos in vinyl tiles? Btw, the house was built in 1948. - B.B. 2/07/2013

Reply:

With the reclama that no one can perform an environmental risk assessment by email, in general, the total dust created by a single hole drilling event should be quite small compared with projects involving demolition of a floor.

It is reasonable to treat the flooring as presumed-asbestos-containing material (PACM); as virtually all of the old suspect floor has been covered, in normal use and occupancy the remaining asbestos-exposure risk to occupants is probably beneath detection.

If you wanted to investigate the asbestos dust risk created by drilling a hole for the radon abatemetn system more scientifically you'd collect what you think is dust left undisturbed from and settled near the area where the work was performed.

Send that dust sample to a certified asbestos testing lab and ask them to screen it for you. You can use the procedure at MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS [Do not send your sample to us.]

Air testing is probably less reliable at this juncture.

Question: is your asbestos floor tile photo library exhaustive, and is the old black floor tile adhesive also a hazard?

I am emailing you after reviewing your very informative website. I have a question about the tile in my basement. We are looking to renovate the space and are concerned about the tile possible containing asbestos. I live in new Jersey and my house was built in 1964. A form of asphalt tile was glued down in either 1964 or 1965. After reviewing your website and the photo section. I do not see our particular tile shown.

My question is: Is your photo gallery all inclusive of tile containing asbestos? The tile can be popped up without breaking any of the tile. Would the adhesive used in laying the tile also contain asbestos? It seems to be a black tar like substance. I would be able to send you a picture of the actual tile if that would be helpful.

- E.T. 4/10/2013

Reply:

E.T.

Thank you - your question is helpful to me too.

No my photo lib of asbestos containing tile is not exhaustive, though it's the largest one that's been published. There are some companies for whom I cannot find a comprehensive catalog showing all of their tile patterns (Armstrong was the most thorough), and there are companies out of the U.S. whose catalog data is even more scarce.

But given how these products were made, it's reasonable to treat old asphalt-asbestos and vinyl-asbestos floor tiles of the appropriate age range as "PACM" or presumed-asbestos containing.

Nobody should panic about this flooring - doing so can result in spending inappropriately. But at the same time some caution is in order such as avoiding making a dusty mess by grinding, steel power buffing, and incompetent demolition. As well, in public spaces such as schools additional regulation may apply.

Where the floor is in good condition there are low cost options that help minimize the risk of asbestos release such as hard coatings.

For floors such as the one you describe, where whole tiles pop up, one can remove such tiles with minimal disturbance of the tile itself, thus minimal asbestos dust release.

But you are right to worry about the tile mastic or "glue" that was used: indeed some mastics, particularly the black asphaltic mastic, often contained asbestos. Asbestos fibers (and possibly asbestos dust filler) were widely used in asphalt-based mastics, glues, and in roof flashing cements

. The same caveats apply: if you avoid making a dusty mess you will minimize the risk and hazard of asbestos. We have published wetting guidelines and flooring removal guidelines citing expert sources to help minimize risk as well as cost.

If you are facing a costly demolition job then it may be appropriate to have both the mastic and a section of floor tile tested by a certified asbestos testing lab. The cost is usually around $50./sample or less. If you have other specific questions please let me know. Working together makes us both smarter.

Please keep me posted on how things progress, and send along photos of the flooring you described as well as where it's popped up showing the asbestos if you can. Such added details can help us understand what's happening and often permit some useful further comment.

What we both learn may help me help someone else. And by publishing a photo of your unidentified floor tile we invite other readers to comment if they know the pattern, age, and manufacturer.

Question: how to hire an asbestos test consultant

(Feb 1, 2014) Tammy tackitt said:
How do you go about
getting someone to come to your. House. And check. For asbestos

Reply:

Tammy, you can look in your local telephone yellow pages or online for companies offering environmental test services (beware of "air tests" alone performed without a visual inspection) and you can also try the directories of experts linked-to at the top of this page - see the tab near upper right titled

EXPERTS DIRECTORY

Question: do self adhesive floor tiles contain asbestos?

(Feb 17, 2014) Anonymous said:
Hi.Can you clarify for me please? Were the asbestos vinyl floor tiles stuck directly to the timber floors without any sort of board or sheet in between? I removed some tiles many years ago and am now trying to remember what they where.

I think it was 9x9 tile bonded directly to the timber floor with black mastic. Does that sound correct? I am very worried about my past exposure and would really appreciate your response. Thank you

Reply:

There were self-adhesive floor tiles made into the early 1980's that contained asbestos, though 9x9 self-adhesive were not a size I've seen; usually the self-adhesive or "stick on" floor tiles were 12x12.

And just how much you should worry about past exposure to asbestos from floor tiles is not something we can assess by text chatting; but I point out that unless you ground, sawed, or sanded or otherwise made a dusty mess of floor tiles, the material is not very friable and thus would not put nearly so much asbestos into the air as say the soft asbestos insulation used on pipes.

Question: 9x9 tongue and groove floor tiles and asbestos

(Apr 5, 2014) Anonymous said:
I currently have 9x9 tongue and grove tile flooring in the room that will be the babies room shortly. Some of them are water damaged from a leak in the bathroom in the next room and i would just rather rip them up.

These tiles look to be wood (3 layers, just over 3/8 think, with the top layer being glossed)and are placed right on the concrete slab. They are also glued down with a black looking tar substance. Is it possible for this type of flooring to have asbestos in it? Any input is appreciated.

Reply:

Anon I think you sent me photos of this floor an I apologize for not finding time to respond previously.
Most likely you're talking about a laminated wood flooring product that does not contain asbestos.

But keep in mind that I can't know that with certainty just by a photo or texting.

Generally if you can pick up piece of flooring without cutting, sawing, sanding, you're not damaging it and so not releasing particles from it regardless of it material. There may be allergenic dust under an old floor for other reasons (bugs, water leaks, mold).

And watch out: if the flooring was glued using a black mastic asphaltic cement, some of those products contained asbestos. You want to avoid making a dust-mess.

(Apr 5, 2014) Anonymous said:
Yes that was me that sent the pics in.

Thanks for the reply. I am pretty confident that it is wood laminated tiles. I'm also sure that since they are tongue and groove I wont get away from braking a few but that shouldn't be a big deal if they are asbestos. In case the glue is the black mastic asphaltic cement you are referring too should I just leave that as is once done and let them carpet right over top of it? Thanks

(Apr 5, 2014) Anonymous said:
aren't asbestos.

Reply:

With a layer of padding, then wall to wall carpeting old flooring or mastic is wel
Covered. If there is dust one would use only HEPA rated vacuuming. More advice on hazard minimization is in the links above at

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION.

Question: Accotile D.900/D.953 tiles under the carpet

(Apr 29, 2014) Julia Sibun said:
My house was built in 1960 and I have Accotile D.900/D.953 tiles under the carpet in my dining room (once my kitchen). I have subsidence and the contractors say they will not lift the carpet up to see what is going on underneath as the tiles are Asbestos. Can you confirm this, please. Some tiles are cracked. Many thanks Julia Sibun

Reply:

What am I confirming - that the contractors won't lift a carpet to see what's below? That sounds ridiculous. One of them must be an attorney.

Even if the floor tiles are asbestos, if they are not being ground, sanded, drilled, demolished, then the potential asbestos particle release would almost certainly not be detectable.

Asbestos is not radioactive - it doesn't emit "killer rays", and if it did, carpeting wouldn't be a ray-barrier.

Cracked floor tiles and extensively-damaged fragments ARE a potential particle release and should be handled
as described in the articles linked at page bottom or in the ARTICLE INDNDEX found at the end of this discussion.

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDE

Question: asbestos in Columbian laminate flooring?

(May 4, 2014) connie said:
I am trying to find out if asbestos is used in the makeing of columbian laminate flooring. the web sight will not open.

Reply:

Connie, what website is not opening?

Please use our email address found at CONTACT at the bottom of this page to send me the link that's giving trouble

Daniel

Question: child removed flooring - was the glue an asbestos-product?

(May 7, 2014) Marcia said:
If a 10 years old child removed tiles from cement floor that took about a week to remove, if the glue was asbestos, was the exposure enough to cause a problem. This person is now 36 what test can be done to tell if they were exposed to asbestos. Thank you

Reply:

Marcia I wish I could answer your question but with absolutely not a shred of actual data on the actual asbestos exposure level it would be wild speculation. It's possible that there was no measurable exposure, or if the flooring was asbestos-containing and was sanded, ground, broken up, such that there was a high dust and debris level there could have been a notable exposure to airborne asbestos.

Consult a physician with expertise in environmental medicine for diagnostic help. The doctor will doubtless examine the patient, take a history, listen to complaints, and may want x-rays or other tests.

Keep us posted.

Question: multiple layers of vinyl flooring include Congoleum

(June 28, 2014) Mike Padgett said:
I have just removed a vinyl floor I had installed. Underneath that subfloor was another vinyl floor. It is printed with "Congoleum/The No-wax Floor Shiny Vinyl". Above Congoleum it reads: Design by Pyright. The backing appears to be similar to the paper from the vinyl I installed. I have pictures. Thank you for time.

(July 5, 2014) Mike Padgett said:
Can someone please answer my question about the Congoleum floor tile in my post below. Is it asbestos, or not"

Reply:

Mike if your flooring was installed before the early 1980's it would make sense to treat it as presumed-asbestos-containing-material. I'm reluctant to give a generic answer for an unknown specific product but usually even if you don't match the floor pattern exactly to those we show over at our Congoleum flooring pattern ID section

See CONGOLEUM-NAIRN FLOOR TILES & LINOLEUM

you can make a reasonable assessment by flooring type and age.

Question: Kentile flooring #54794, 70732, 451B103A

(June 29, 2014) Anonymous said:
I just found out that the vinyl floor in our kitchen is by kentile. I was able to find a box in the basement with the following information on it; Kentile origins, item number 54794, two other number on the box are 70372 and 451B103A. It was installed in 1994 by century tile. I would like to replace the floor with ceramic but now i am not sure if this would be a safe DIY project.
Your response and time is greatly appreciated.

(June 30, 2014) Eli said:
sorry forgot to tell you that these kentile vinyl tiles are 12x12 inches and 1/8" in size. textured white color.

Reply:

Eli

If the base floor as installed is secure you can usually install thinset tile right over it - strip wax and clean the surface first; don't grind, sand etc. as that'd possibly release asbestos into the air.

see inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Kentile_Vinyl_Asbestos_Tile_List.php

Or see the KENTILE KENFLEX ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE GUIDE article link in the More Reading links at the end of this article.

for complete information about Kentile flooring

Question: Ceramic tile floor in Italy - contain asbestos?

(July 25, 2014) Thomas C said:
I have a mid-70's ceramic floor tiled terrace (outdoor) in our house near Napoli, Italy; each tiles is 4'" by "7, so pretty small. I'm worried that

a) there might be asbestos in the tiles themselves, and

b) is the mastic holding them down might have a small percentage too - its not clear if its "thin-set" or mastic.

I'm told that mastic was not typically used under outdoor flooring, and when I spoke with a local chemical analysis centre, they said they had never come across asbestos in either scenario, yet I worry when I read these articles of course - would really appreciate your opinion on the likelihood..

Cheers

Thomas

Reply:

Thomas

Please see the article linked to in the ARTICLE INDEX near the end of this page titled

CERAMIC TILE, ASBESTOS IN?

Let me know if questions remain.

Question: different asbestos levels in indoor vs ouitdoor tiles & mastics?

(July 28, 2014) Anonymous said:
Thanks Dan - the only one question I have left is whether there was typically different usages for asbestos containing tiles and mastics for outdoor installations - there has only been mention of indoor installations on these articles, so I guess I'm hoping that for outdoor installations it might have been less common/not used?

Reply:

Anon I don't have an authoritative answer but certainly in my experience vinyl asbestos floor tile and asphalt asbestos floor tile are not commonly found in outdoor installations - certainly not in northern climates. But by no means does that mean that some installer may not have tried an outdoor installation.

Some asbestos-containing flooring mastics are and were water soluble, others not.

Question: dealing with asbestos flooring in a Vintage travel trailer

(Aug 4, 2014) Anonymous said:
I am restoring a 1957 Vintage travel trailer. It has what I am assuming is the original tile under carpet. What are the chances it is asbestos? How should I deal with it?

Reply:

Anon,

Chances are very good that the floor tiles from 1957 contain asbestos and it would be prudent to presume so. That's not to justify a panic. If the flooring is intact and you don't do something silly like grinding, sanding, sawing it, the asbestos particle release from the floor is probably below the limits of detection.

Since you're restoring the floor you probably don't want to take the standard advice of installing new flooring overtop the existing floor. Use a liquid cleaner or wax stripper, detergents &c. to clean the floor. Then I would consider a clear hard top coat sealant.

Or install a lookalike floor pattern over top if you prefer.

At the upper left on this page select the article on ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION to read more advice.

Question: 1964 floor tiles in Illinois

(Aug 12, 2014) The tile in my house in IL built in 1964 said:
The house located in northern suburb of Chicago, IL was built in 1964. The basement is covered by such tiles. Recently years we had flooding and so some tiles poped out. I am thinking to remove all the tiles and put ceramic tiles. Do you think the tiles contain asbestos? How about the dried glue under the tiles?

I have a picture of my floor tile and wonder how to load it.

Reply:

Tile: you can email photos to us using the email in our CONTACTS link -

It would be prudent to treat 1964-vintage asphalt or vinyl floor tile as presumed to contain asbestos.

Question:

(Oct 28, 2014) MaryMan said:
I have some tiles in my laundry room that have come apart in pieces due to some slight water damage/moisture. I vacuumed the pieces/debris. How can I tell if it has asbestos? I checked the pictures in your article but I don't see my tile.

Reply:

(Oct 28, 2014) MaryMan said:
Please disregard my question - I found a suitable reply in the comment thread. Thank you!

Question: how long for a laminate or vinyl floor to start emitting asbestos

(Oct 29, 2014) Charlotte G Bolden said:
How long does it take for laminate and vinyle floors to start emitting asbesto: And how to tell when it starts to become active with asbestos.

Reply:

Charlotte, the asbestos particle release from asbestos-containing floor tiles depends less on time than on conditions. Any activity that abrades the floor surface, such as grinding, sawing, demolition, or possibly using steel-wool buffing machines, and possibly heavy foot traffic, especially if there is granular debris tracked on the floor can cause particle release.

A careful test of settled dust in the area, screening it for asbestos might be a more reliable test to demonstrate that asbestos is being released, though typically inspectors use air testing - a procedure that is unreliable, especially when negative results are obtained. Small changes in building conditions can make a large difference in airborne particle level.

Question: high school student wants to sue for asbestos-suspect floor exposure

(Nov 30, 2014) FuriousMickey said:
Hello! I am in high school currently, a school that was built in the 1950s.

Apparently the school has been completely re-tiled in the 70s. There is a missing floor tile in one of my classrooms and in another some broken up floor tiles sort of like a large crack going across the floor. IF the cements under these tiles contained asbestos, do you think I can sue the school district for exposure to asbestos? BTW I'm a competitive swimmer, and it is VITAL I keep my lungs healthy. Thanks.

Reply:

Mickey

"Can" sue, meaning are you physically capable of doing so - sure the answer is yes.

"Should sue" or "would a lawsuit have any merit" is a different question. Most likely the answer is no. You'd have a serious concern if there were broken, damaged, ground, cut, sawn asbestos-containing floor tiles in the school as that would be a high risk of creating airborne dust containing asbestos.

But the level of airborne dust that may be present due to asbestos containing flooring (or mastic adhesive) over which another layer of flooring has been installed is most likely below the limits of detection, even if there is a crack in the floor.
-
Stay away from your friends who smoke so as to avoid second hand smoke. That's likely to be a greater risk to the health of your lungs.

Question: hazards of broken up asbestos containing flooring under a carpet

1/1/2015 Chilliepepper said:

We started pulling up carpet in our den and found what looks to be asbestos tile underneath.

Some of it was crumbling into chunks around the edges, especially as we started to remove the tack board. We covered it all back up with the carpet for the time being, but we need to get rid of the carpet to reduce dust exposure for our allergic son.

How should we proceed in dealing with these crumbling edges to minimize asbestos exposure?

Also, how serious of an exposure do you think we have already had as a result of being down near the crumbling tile which may have been disturbed when we were pulling up the carpet?

Reply:

Chill

I don't think I can assess an environmental exposure level or risk from an e-text alone, but if you avoided making a dusty mess, if you did not run a vacuum cleaner on broken up or crumbling asbestos-suspect flooring, then we can both be encouraged.

Two articles At the ARTICLE INDEX at the end of this article will answer your other questions:

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

Reader follow-up:

Ok, no dusty mess and no vacuuming, check. A realtor friend has advised having it removed by professionals, since it's started to crumble. "The rest of it may continue to crumble under whatever you put on top of it.

And even if it doesn't you are covering a waiting time bomb. Now that you know you have asbestos tile it will likely be something you have to disclose when you sell which could scare away potential buyers. If you remediated it there is likely no disclosure necessary since you fixed it. Either way I would get a pro to evaluate the situation." What do you think?

Reply:

Chill, I can't assess real estate disclosure law for you, but I can advise that if you follow expert recommendations for dealing with asbestos flooring, such as those we cite from the U.S. EPA, you can document that you've done what you should. Generally the asbestos hazard from intact flooring is less if it's left in place and covered-over than if it's removed.

Asbestos is not "radioactive" - it does not emit lethal particles that penetrate through additional levels of flooring. Just be sure that any cleaning done in preparation for flooring-over is done with proper procedures such as HEPA vacuuming, dust containment etc.

Your realtor may be spending your money to reduce his risk, and depending on the condition of your floor, may even be giving incorrect advice that in effect increases both risks and costs.

Question: crumbliing floor tiles in a school building & other unidentified old flooring: how to find an asbestos test lab

(Jan 14, 2015) S.Leigh said:
Hello-I work in a rather old school building and the tiles in my classroom are loose and crumbling in many places. I am concerned that they may have asbestos. I do not know the exact age of the tile, when it was placed, or the brand. Is there a place I can take a tile to have it tested?

Should I be concerned about the glue used to put them in or the subflooring? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I need to somehow get a definite answer because the school is not going to replace the flooring without cause, as if it crumbling and peeling isn't enough. Thank you.

 

Reply:

Sure S.L.

At ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST

we give information on how to find a certified asbestos test lab - it's not costly.

Also see

• ASBESTOS TESTING SAMPLE COLLECTION
• DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE

 

Question: Armstrong Afton series parquet court floor #24302

(Mar 27, 2015) james said:
I have Armstrong Afton series parquet court floor tile in my kitchen. I believe it is #24302 (discontinued). I can't find years of manufacture or if this is an asbestos containing tile. The home was built in 72' but I have no idea when the tile was put down. It is in good shape but brittle if lifted. I would like to remove it to retile but need to know about asbestos content. Is anyone familiar with this series?

Reply:

James

In the Asbestoss Index found at the More Reading links at the end of this paage see these two Armstrong tile guides

• 1973- ARMSTRONG ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE, COMPLETE GUIDE
• 1974-1979 ARMSTRONG FLOOR TILE GUIDE, COMPETE

If you don't find your tile pattern there use our email at CONTACT to send me some photos.

Meanwhile treat the flooring as presumed to contain asbestos or have a sample lab tested.

(Mar 28, 2015) Thanks
I didn't see the pattern or make referenced in any of the guides. I did identify the tile to the Armstrong Afton series Parquet Court natural however. It may have been a peel and stick but is quite rigid.

I contacted Armstrong for info.
I don't plan on doing anything until I know. I will send out a sample just to be sure. I would rather it up as I plan to lay porcelain but if it is found to be asbestos containing I will encapsulate

Reply:

James, if the material is not glued down removal should be trivial in any event. If it's glued you may want to test both a floor sample and a mastic adhesive sample for asbestos if you still want to remove the material.

Question: stepped throuough attic ceiling: possible asbestos tiles

(May 13, 2015) Edith said:
Hi. I was just in my attic and my foot went through the floor, though the ceiling below into the room below.

Between the wood floor of the attic and the ceiling of the room below which is drop ceiling tiles, there is a layer of old ceiling and it appears to be asbestos tiles

If there are asbestos there.... can i just put new ceiling tiles up and leave it alone? Or am I at risk for health issues?

Reply: editor fell through ceiling into an occupied bathroom at Fox Hill Condos: angry naked occupant

Geez Edith. I hate it when I step through the attic floor. Once when working at Fox Hill Condos in a common attic area I was installing a roof vent fan while standing on the bottom of a roof truss. I couldn't see that a knot through the truss made it quite weak. I fell entirely through the attic floor into the bathroom of the next-door neighbour to my client.

Worse, the bath was occupied by a user who was stark naked, sitting on the john, and terrified when a dusty man fell through the ceiling in front of her.

And I was hurt. It took a lot of begging to avoid a call to the local sherriff. I returned to repair the ceiling and we parted friends. But it was touch and go for a bit.

Generally asbestos materials are best left alone undisturbed. Sure you disturbed some with your foot but nothing like the mess you'd create by trying to remove all the old ceiling materials. As long as the material can be covered and left alone that minimizes the risk for most situations.

Question: precautions if we're not sure if the flooring contains asbestos

(May 25, 2015) Anonymous said:
We recently removed layers of vinyl floor from our bathroom so we could re tile using marble. We are not sure if the tile contained asbestos and now wondering if we are in danger from the removal?

Are there any precautions we can take to make sure we are ok?

(July 2, 2015) Marina said:
Hi, My son bought a house (built in 1970) and wanted to replace carpet with hardwood. When we started removing carpet, we found under it some tiles. We don't know the materials and there is not signs or any labels on the flip side of the tiles. Is there any way to figure out what they are?

We did not find any photo that is similar to them on your site. Tiles are 9x9. They made looking like wood even textured... Light brown. Back side is greyish white. They pretty easy come out of the dark adhesive. Adhesive remains on the plywood below.

Reply:

Marina and Anon:

You can use the floor tile ID pages given at InspectApedia.com starting with the articles for floor tiles made in 1970 or later, checking by tile colour and pattern among several manufacturers whose catalogs we provide here.

You can also assume that a pre-1980's 9x9 inch floor tile contains asbestos - that's a prudent course.

If you face significant messy demolition costs then you might want a sample tested (the cost is about $50.).

Or send us some photos of your floor for comment and posting. See our page bottom CONTACT link.

Question: Precautions to take if I'm sure my flooring contains asbestos

(July 14, 2015) Brian said:
I have an old house & am 99.34% sure the tiles in my dining room are asbestos. I thought they were OK as long as I didnt mess with them.
However. I just realized I've been rolling around on it w/ my computer chair and notice a wear pattern.
Should I be concerned?

Reply:

I don't know, Brian. I wouldn't be terrified myself, but I would clean the floor (and the chair wheels) and then I'd consider covering over the floor with a clear coat sealer, epoxy, or another layer of flooring.
See

• ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

Question: I made a dusty mess tearing out asbestos containing flooriing: what do I do now?

(July 17, 2015) Josh said:
Hello. I have an old house, built in the 20s. I recently tore out the flooring in one of the rooms, completely oblivious to the possibility that the vinyl tile glued to the underlayment may very well have contained asbestos. I'm fairly terrified I've managed to fill my home with asbestos fibers like a complete idiot, and I have a family. Help?

Sorry, some more info: the tiles are 12"x12" and in a textured parquay pattern (I wasn't able to find it on the visual charts on this site). It's hard to say when it was put down originally, but I would guess sometime in the 40s or 50s - maybe 60s.

Reply: Proper asbestos removal & asbestos dust screening, testing, labs & certifications

Josh,

It is reasonable to presume that the tile flooring you removed contained asbestos.

Proper asbestos-containing flooring removal procedures are described at

• ASBESTOS REMOVAL GUIDE, FLOORING
• ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES

The actual hazard created by removing the tile and also its adhesive mastic depends mostly on the amount of dust created and the level of airborne dust and debris.

See ASBESTOS REMOVAL, AMATEUR

A proper cleanup at this point would be using HEPA vacuuming and damp wiping following typical asbestos dust cleanup procedures. In addition if the home has central air or forced warm air heat you'll want to have the air handlers and ducts cleaned.

To determine if other areas in a building need to be professionally cleaned of asbestos dust or debris some inspection and testing are in order. See

• ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST
• DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE

If you need to hire a professional for asbestos dust cleanup

See ASBESTOS REMOVAL CERTIFICATIONS
and

see ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP COMPANIES

(July 18, 2015) Josh said:
Thanks for the feedback!

Mostly, the tile came up undisturbed, but what scares me is that I had to make a few cuts with a circular saw to get around a standing radiator. I wasn't wearing a mask. Is this something for which I should seek medical attention? I'll proceed with cleanup as carefully as I can at this point, thankfully the room was mostly sealed off from the rest of the house, no central or forced air systems.

Question: Parquet style (Light oak 54240) asbestos containing floor tile photos

(July 24, 2015) Beth from Maryland said:
We have a house built in 1973 in Maryland. There are tiles in the closet that look very similar to Parquet style (Light oak 54240). Description of tiles within our closet: We have 9" tiles and within each 9" tile, there are 5 small "planks".

There is a central "plank" through the tile that is ~2 3/8" in width surrounded on either side by 2 slightly smaller planks that are ~ 1 5/8" wide ....total ~ 9".

The tile showing in the photo looks like it has 3 "planks"...but was not sure if the picture showed how the entire tile looked or only a portion of the tile....can you confirm if the picture on the website is of the entire tile or only a portion? I7/24/2015 at 4:31PM

Parquet style (Light oak 54240) was found under 1968...pictures.

Reply:

From your description I would treat the floor you mention as presumed to contain asbestos.

Question: 9x9" floor tiles in a 1938 Home - cover with stone tile?

(Aug 12, 2015) jake said:
Hi, I have a home built in 1938 with 9 by 9 tiles in basement. I am considering covering them with thinset and then with 18 by 18 stone tile. Will that solve the possible asbestos tile? Could problems result from this proceedure? Thanks.

Reply:

Certainly that's a reasonable approach as long as the existing tiles are securely bonded to the existing floor.

See ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE

Question: where to get samples of asbestos-containing floor tiles for lab use

(Aug 13, 2015) Anonymous said:
I represent an asbestos testing laboratory and I am looking to acquire vinyl asbestos floor tile to develop as reference material

. It is remarkably difficult to find. Would anyone on this site know how I could obtain several tiles of the same material? If it is known, I am specifically looking for a tile containing between 1-10% asbestos, although the percentage could probably be created in-lab if necessary. Thank you,
Becky

Reply:

Certainly, Anon. Contact me by email (see our page bottom CONTACT link) and when I'm back in NY in a couple of weeks I'll see what floor samples we've got on hand.

Question: rug pattern marks in asphalt tile mastic?

(Sept 7, 2015) Kayla from PA said:
Hi, my husband and I ripped up carpeting in our home.

Our home was built in 1920's. Under the carpeting was a black flooring on top on plywood and underneath that is the original hardwood flooring. On the black blacking was a pattern that looked like a design on an old rug.

I'm just concerned that that black backing stuff could have been backing for old tile and contained asbestos. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Reply:

Perhaps it was a mastic or adhesive that glued a rug. Remove and dispose of the plywood if you're exposing the floor below.

See MASTIC, CUTBACK ADHESIVE, FLASHING CEMENT ASBESTOS

Question: small fragments of broken floor tiles found under rug. Should I evacuate my house? Should I do air testing?

24 Sept 2015 Gina from IL said:

After a water back in our home, my husband and I removed carpet from a basement room and discovered 9x9 tiles that I think I've identified on this site as asbetos tiles. They are all in good shape except around the edges, the carpet strip broke up some of the tiles into pieces.

These pieces are not easily crumbled. How panicked should I be. Should I be removing my family from the house? Or do we need to do air testing?

Reply:

Gina,

Assuming your description is complete, panic, family evacuation, or other costly measures are not at a ll appropriate. The flooring you describe is not easiliy friable - you cannot crumble it to asbestos-containingg dust by smushing a fragment between your fingers.

Pick up the pieces, throw them away, and use damp mopping or wiping to finish the job. Don't run a vacuum cleaner over the debris unless it's HEPA-rated.

Search InspectApedia.com for ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION to see more details.

Air testing is a common procedure used by experts to monitor ongoing asbestos cleanup jobs but is not a completely reliable building screen for asbestos contamination as dust levels in air vary enormously as building conditions change. Testing settled dust, while not quantitatively precise, is more reliable as an indicator of what has been the contents of building dust and air.

Question: 1960's 12" vinyl floor tiles

(Sept 29, 2015) Diana McKenzie said:
Removing carpeting in a house built in the 1960s last night and found old vinyl flooring under it. Tiles 12" square, beige coloring with random brown lines, top is not smooth but has texture. I have uncovered about half of floor and a couple of the tiles are broken on the ends.

My biggest concerns are: if this flooring has asbestos in it, are the broken tiles now friable, should I remove the loose pieces and, if so, how plus what is best method to use to get up wood tack strips safely. Can post pic if needed. Thanks!

Question: 9x9 floor tiles labelled genuine mercer

(Oct 9, 2015) shermlit said:
My home was built in 1945. basement floor is labeled "genuine mercer" on tile edge. Do they contain asbestos? Could be 9x9. Thanks

(Oct 27, 2015) kitkat said:
We lifted our carpet and found these 9x9 tiles. I can't find an image of them. For sure asbestos?

How bad does it look? We really disturb anything only a little on the left side. We bought our home 9 years with new carpet never knew what was under neath.

I have kept my 3 kids out of the house even before the carpet was pulled up.
How can I post a picture or send you one? I really appreciate any help thanking you!

Reply: how to send flooring photos to InspectApedia.com for posting & comment

Please use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send us flooring photos for comment.

Question: crumbling breaking floor tile in our 1960's home was removed, now what?

(Jan 17, 2016) Christa said:
About 5 years ago we lifted carpet in our 1960s home to find tile underneath, the tile was crumbling and breaking very easily.

Without knowing the risk of asbestos my husband and I removed it ourselves. I am now terrified of what we have exposed ourselves to only realizing now the danger and stupidity of what we did. any information is helpful, the tiles were beige and very very thin and easily broken. Thank you

Question: asbestos used in carpet squares or in mastic adhesive?

(Jan 23, 2016) Anonymous said:
My daughter purchased a home built in 1963. Looks like it was never updated, so I'm assuming all in there is original. Basement has gold colored carpet squares glued to concrete basement floor. Was asbestos used possibly in either the carpet squares and/or the adhesive used to affix it to the floor?

Reply:

Yes, please search InspectApedia for ASBESTOS in TILE MASTIC to read details.

Question: sticky tiles have asbestos?

(Feb 20, 2016) duncalfe1 said:
I am trying to determine if these sticky tile have asbestos

Reply:

Some do, depending on when they were made (into the early 1970's), where (what country), and by whom (manufacturer).

Question: Old red 9x9 floor tile asbestos

(May 21, 2016) Pat m said:
Hi, I recently uncovered some old red 9"x9" tiles of some description, probably vinyl. I have scoured the Internet and been unable to find any tiles that look like the ones I have.

They have a black felt backing, from which the red top layer can not be separated, so I'm pretty sure this is part of the original composition of the tile as opposed to an adhesive. I'm pretty sure the red vinyl top layer will contain asbestos as the house was built in 1965 but am unable to find any reference as to what the felt layer might be, is this likely to contain asbestos also?

Reply:

Use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send us some photos and we can comment.
To be safe treat the flooring as presumed to contain asbestos.

On 2013-03-19 - by (mod) -

Karen you can use the ADD IMAGE button to post a comment and add an image - now found at the to or bottom of these pages

On 2013-03-19 by Karen

How can I include a photo of my floor?

On 2013-03-11 - by (mod) -

Not to us Ann. Use a certifiedvasbestos texting lab

On 2013-03-11 by Ann Charpentier

Hello, we are redoing our kitchen floor and there are 2 layers of flooring before the sub floor. Our home was built in 1980 in Milton Ontario. How and where can we find out if our floor contains asbestos? we have 4 children and I really need to have peace of mind before we rip up the floor. Can I send a piece to you?
Please let me know asap.
Thanks
Ann Charpentier 289-878-5441

 

On 2012-11-15 - by (mod) -

Jerick, we have some samples of asbestos-containing floor tiles in our lab and can provide small quantites at no charge. Use the CONTACT US link for email followup; you might also give a call to local asbestos abatement contractors in your area and just ask them to save you a piece or two of flooring, surface-cleaned and packaged appropraitely.

On 2012-10-13 by Jerick Ilagan

Does anybody out there know where i can buy asphalt tile? i just need this for our thesis.

 

 

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Continue reading at ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION FAQs-10 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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