Photo ID guide to 1970's Asbestos-Containing floor tiles:

This article provides flooring identification requests as well as example photographs of 1970's floor tiles to help identify flooring that contains asbestos.

This article series includes a photo-gallery of pictures of floor coverings submitted for identification along with comments on findings, recommendations, & asbestos content. Readers can use our page bottom COMMENT BOXto submit photos of flooring to get help in identifying floor tiles or sheet flooring that might contain asbestos.

Our photo at page top shows Armstrong® Excelon 12x12 vinyl asbestos flooring made in 1972, identified in our detailed photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles, and resilient flooring produced in 1900 -1980.

1970's Floor Tile or Sheet Flooring Identification Requests

This set #2 of additional questions & answers about identifying asbrestos-containing floor tiles from the 1970's were posted originally at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE ID REQUESTS 1970's or Sheet Flooring Identification Requests - be sure to review that page,

or see our complete list of flooring identification photo guides

at FLOOR TILE / SHEET FLOORING PHOTO GUIDES

On 2020-04-17 - by (mod) -

Jeni

I would treat that floor as presumed to contain asbestos; IF you are faced with a costly demolition that cannot avoid making a dusty mess, then have a sample tested.

See details at DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions can answer whether or not your floor probably contains asbesto

On 2020-04-17 1 by Jeni Stewart

This appears to be the original flooring in a 1972-3 built house. It is sheet vinyl manufactured by Armstrong. Does this flooring contain asbestos?

On 2020-02-17 - by (mod) -

Lite

Because popular floor patterns were made by more than one manufacturer, and because popular flooring patterns were produced across and past years when asbestos was a common ingredient, one cannot safely say, on a photo alone, whether or not a particular floor tile or sheet flooring pattern contains asbestos.

Short of having a sample of the flooring tested, you can make a reasonable *guess* at whether or not your floor contains asbestos by answering the few easy questions found at
DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS? https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php 5 easy steps that can help you make a reasonable guess at whether or not the floor you ask about contains asbestos.

As you may have seen, you can often find a match in the ID-library of asbestos flooring beginning
at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION - (floor tiles) https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Floor-Tile-Identification.php

Yes it's generally best to leave asbestos-suspect flooring in place and to cover it over.

See also ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Hazard-Reduction.php
and
ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Floor-Removal.php

IF you are faced with a requirement for demolition and if you are uncertain about the flooring's asbestos content and can not identify it through our guides, then you have a sample tested. See ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Test_Lab_Lists.php

On 2020-02-17 by liteiceberg

Is this asbestos? The home was built in 1972. Should we just put flooring on top of this? It's only a 5 x 10 ft space.

On 2020-02-01 by (mod) -

I would either treat that floor as presumed to contain asbestos or have a sample tested. Don't panic; if you're not grinding, sawing, etc. that is not making a dusty mess, the hazard is very low; best is to leave the floor in place and cover it over.

On 2020-02-01 6 by Vic

So recently the carpet in my home started to come up and I found this underneath. The home was built in 1970 but I do not know if this is original to the home and now I'm worried about the possibility of asbestos.

On 2019-11-13 by (mod) -

Tammy the best guess you can find will be by following the simple steps at

DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php

On 2019-11-13 by Tammy Koller

I would like to know if the tile I’m removing contains asbestos please see photo

On 2019-10-20 by (mod) -

1970s or later

On 2019-10-19 by Jerry

Any idea when the attached 9x9 Armstrong tile was made. The back of the tile says Armstrong with an arrow then KB

On 2018-08-06 by (mod) -

Start with the age of the building.

On 2018-08-06 by Laura

Does this look familiar? What other images should we provide to determine if asbestos flooring?

Thank you!
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2018-08-19 by Anonymous

Was not asbestos! Had a test done, thanks.

On 2018-08- - by (mod) -

I can't know what kind of asbestos might be present - from just photos - if any. But all steps you take to clean without aerating or stirring up dust will be helpful.

If you're worried about a left-over asbestos dust hazard, you might collect a representative sample of settled dust from the area nearby and have that checked by a certified asbestos test lab - see the EXPERTS DIRECTORY at the top of any inspectApedia.com page.

On 2018-08-15 by Anonymous

Ok, thank you for your knowledge. I have not taken up any more of the material and have dampened the exposed areas. The floor is due to be re-covered on Thursday or Friday. Do you have any other advice or idea on how dangerous this type of asbestos is?

On 2018-08-14 - by (mod) -

So this was a sheet flooring and its backer was left stuck tot he floor below.
IF the floor was put in before the mid 1980's it'd be prudent to treat the remainder as presumed to contain asbestos.

On 2018-08-14 by Anonymous

Thanks for the fast response! The material to the left of the picture is adhesive/paper or sealant of some sort that was under the old vinyl tiles. As I have removed it, it has broken off in parts and the blue/grey that you see is a fibrous/papery material which is what i am concerned about. Thanks.

On 2018-08-14 - by (mod) -

Sorry, Anon, but I don't see any flooring in your photo. It looks as if we're seeing concrete. Damp mop, damp wipe, to remove dust.

On 2018-08-14 by Anonymous

I was advised to scrape up this material from the floor by a local carpet firm before laying new vinyl in a flooded kitchen. Dust everywhere and then it dawned on me that it might be asbestos adhesive for perhaps the original vinyl floor tiles. House was built in 1979 i think. Any help would be good thanks in identifying if it may be asbestos.
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2018-08-01 by Vinyl Tile Identification

Does anyone know what brand/type of vinyl tile this is? House was built in 1972. Unsure if this is the original tile. The green measures approximately 6x6 and the white is about 1.5x1.5. I could not seem to match this up with any photos on this site and was wondering if maybe this was a later tile. Thank you for all your help!
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2018-07-12 by (mod) -

first photo, entirely possible. Second photo I can't really see enough to have an opinion.

On 2018-07-12 by robertmickiewicz87

Hi could you advice about these ones
Size 9x9 inch house in uk 1971
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2018-07-12 by Anonymous

And some more pictures

Hi
My house in Uk is from arround 1971. These floor tiles sre 9x9 inch. Can find the similar ones on the webb. How likely they have asbestod. ? Thanks
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2018-05-30 by (mod) -

Marie,

Proceeding you can certainly damp-wipe the floor and any surrounding dusty surfaces and cover it with new sheet flooring.

To determine if there was a possible asbestos hazard from the material you saw you could send a sample to a certified asbestos test lab. https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Test_Lab_Lists.php

If you are concerned about asbestos-containing dust from demolition work in your home and since that work is now basically over, you might consider having a representative sample or two of settled dust from the project examined by the same lab. If that comes back with no meaningful level of asbestos then further special cleaning would not be required.

ASBESTOS TESTING SAMPLE COLLECTION at https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Testing.php may also be helpful

On 2018-05-30 by (mod) - I can't afford to have my asbestos-suspect floor tested

Marie,

Proceeding you can certainly damp-wipe the floor and any surrounding dusty surfaces and cover it with new sheet flooring.

The cost of testing can be avoided: just treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos.

Or if you decide you do want to determine if there was a possible asbestos hazard from the material you saw you could send a sample to a certified asbestos test lab.

https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Test_Lab_Lists.php

If you are concerned about asbestos-containing dust from demolition work in your home and since that work is now basically over, you might consider having a representative sample or two of settled dust from the project examined by the same lab. If that comes back with no meaningful level of asbestos then further special cleaning would not be required.

ASBESTOS TESTING SAMPLE COLLECTION may also be helpful

On 2018-05-30 by Marie

Here is another pic taken when I told him to spray a mist over the whole area and clean it up picture I took before and this one were taken after clean up he walked back and forth through my house several times the vent in the bathroom wasn't covered....

He said he's not worried about himself he's worked around asbestos roofing tiles before he doesn't care what happens as far as he goes if he doesn't want to be concerned about himself

and there's nothing I can do about that but I'm concerned for the kids I know it takes 20 to 40 years for this to be an issue but I don't want my hope for a better bathroom to be what makes my kids sick

Hello,

I'm freaking out I am a single disabled mom I purchased a 1979 House 2 years ago recently decided to change out the bathroom a little bit as best I could on my limited budget I just really wanted something that didn't look so gross the people before had just put peel and stick down improperly and painted peeling wallpaper etc

so my daughter and I pulled down the wallpaper in the bathroom as it just basically peeled off with no problems my very best friend decided he would rip up the floors for me if I got linoleum to put down and he would change out my toilet and sink and paint for me

I came home to this (see pictures) freaking out cuz it is paper it's gray paper he also saying that the walls and I hear now that you're not supposed to do that cuz he had a he Civ from the wallpaper could have had asbestos in it!

I have 2 children one with special need their rooms are on the same hallway as that bathroom no protective gear other than a respirator work by my friend only part of the time was used ....

I have health issues and one of my child is special needs I mean im literally freaking out that this is asbestos the linoleum that was on top of it was more of a sheet I believe it was yellow/beige in color and kind of look like a brain pattern it was under the peel and stick ....

I cannot afford to have this tested I cannot afford an abatement I have no money everything I got to do the bathroom I got free or at a super reduced-cost it can't be returned what do I do....I literally feel like I failed my kids letting this happen...

Also is it possible for me to put the linoleum down on top of this the way it looks right now it's thick linoleum and what would be the best way if it is

On 2018-05-21 by (mod) - summarizing: where are the real risks with asbestos-containing floor coverings? Should you walk from buying a home with VA tiles?

Thanks for your patience Joe. We work hard to provide unbiased, authoritative, useful information so I'm really happy if a reader finds InspectApedia.com useful, and moreso when you understand that diagnosing and advising by e-text with such a paucity of detail leaves me nervous for your health and safety.

In my experience often people's attention gets captured by an environmental concern that's so scary that they miss more immediate life safety hazards that put them at much greater risk: missing smoke detectors, bad handrailings, trip hazards on stairs hurt more people than VAT floor tiles.

IN the most general terms, if a floor is not friable (and a VAT floor that's not damaged isn't friable) it's best covered over. It's not as if we are confronted with a radioactive material. EPA, our articles, and many others point out that for some asbestos-containing materials, disturbing them to remove them when it was not really necessary puts occupants and workers at a greater and an unnecessary risk.

I welcome your questions and also criticism or content suggestions - working together helps us all.

DF

On 2018-05-21 by Joe

Oh of course, the only way to be certain is for someone to come, take samples, and provide a scientific analysis of the material sampled. Which we did in the previous listing, and I certainly was not expecting a definitive y/n answer. It's just impossible without empirical evidence.

But your responses have been extremely helpful with deciding how we will proceed with this property, and any future instances were we may encounter "suspect" tiles and other material. Thank you!

On 2018-05-21 by (mod) - A vinyl or asphalt asbestos floor that is in good condition in a building is safest left in place and covered-over.

Anon

With the apology for having to point out that NOBODY can promise you that your home is safe and reliable and absent of an asbestos hazard based on mere e-text and a photo or two,

A vinyl or asphalt asbestos floor that is in good condition in a building is safest left in place and covered-over.

One or two small pieces of missing flooring are not likely to change that status, but a floor that is loose and crumbling needs more careful attention (though often that too can be covered-over).

See ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

Moving right along,

With all due respect, "the risk was not acceptable to us" might have been without scientific or quantitative basis IF asbestos in a building had been properly addressed.

What would give me very serious pause (leading me to agree with your reluctance to buy the home you described before) is a history of DIY owner-performed or amateur performed asbestos material "abatement" in a building.

I have on more than one occasion found that the owner's in-expert DIY asbestos job was a catastrophe that accomplished the following:

- exposed themselves and their family (and possibly future occupants of the building) to dangerous levels of airborne asbestos dust and debris

- spread asbestos dust throughout a building, expanding the area that actually needs to be cleaned (inadequate dust control, cross-contamination)

- did not complete the asbestos removal with sufficient thoroughness

- did not clean up the asbestos-contaminated dust in the work area (or out of it)

- did not have competent before, during, or after dust tests or air tests or both to confirm that the work was properly done

- disposed of asbestos waste illegally, sometimes improperly on-site, creating another cleanup job

- in an effort to save money, has created an asbestos cleanup job whose scope (areas that have to be addressed) and costs are much greater than if the owner had called in an expert in the first place

- has stigmitized their property making it hard to sell to anyone, or has created a temptation to be less than forthcoming about the property's asbestos cleanup history, creating a health hazard for future occupants and a serious legal hazard for themselves

On 2018-05-21 by Joey With two small children, the risk just was not acceptable to us.

Thank you very much for the input. So, in your opinion, even if this were to test positive for asbestos, the risk would be low enough that mitigation procedures through a sealant would be sufficient; even though there is evidence of disruption like the missing segment around the drain here and in other places?

In our previous contract, we probably would gone through the abatement process, but the current owner had removed the majority of the asbestos laced tiles and glue himself, and the highly friable popcorn ceiling had multiple spots where the material had been disturbed.

With two small children, the risk just was not acceptable to us.

On 2018-05-21 by (mod) - If the floor was installed before the early eighties it would be prudent to treat it as presumed to contain asbestos.

If the floor was installed before the early eighties it would be prudent to treat it as presumed to contain asbestos.

Finding asbestos in the building, as with most building defects or repairs, is rarely a reason to not proceed with the purchase.

Rather, onw would proceed with the purchase with the understanding that if the material is in a hazardous condition and location that would be dealt with appropriately.

You might be safer and more healthy to have correctly dealt with various kinds of problems on buildings

by procedures under your control and

by contractors who will be accountable to you

rather than to a prior owner

then to purchase another home where similar hazards are simply going up as a surprise later,

or where we were distracted from very high risk conditions by something else that has received a lot of media attention but that actually is very low true risk to building occupants. A nice example of that is the flooring about what you're concerned.

That flooring does not shed measurable levels of asbestos particles unless it is cut ground chapter otherwise made into a Dusty mess. The best advice for such floors is to leave them alone in place covered with a sealant or coating or new layer of flooring material.

On 2018-05-21 by Joe - we backed out of buying a home with popcorn ceiling asbestos and asbestos floor tiles and a DIY owner cleanup

Another image, Same floor

Hi Everyone,
My wife and I are looking at a home. Was going well until we encountered these. House was built in 1970, but we and the current owner are unsure if these are original or if the previous owner put them in.

We recently backed out of a house due to asbestos tiles, and a popcorn ceiling with asbestos (even found out the owner died of esophageal mesothelioma) So, as you can imagine, we're a little gun shy right now. Any insight would be much appreciated. Thank you!

On 2018-05-14 by (mod) - Asbestos in 1970's Canadian floor tile

Quite likely. That floor looks like an ACM flooring in this series.

On 2018-05-14 by Todd

Any one know if this pattern would.contain asbestos? House was built in early 1970's
Toronto, Canada
Toader932@hotmail.com

On 2018-04-11 5 by (mod) - asbestos is safe and legal left in place as long as it's not friable

If the concern is an asbestos floor tile hazard, asbestos is safe and legal left in place as long as it's not friable (floor tile is not friable) and as long as it's in good condition so as not to be broken, cut, sawn, ground or othewise made into dust that can be airborne.

The safest approach is to leave such flooring in place, covering it over with a sealant or with new flooring.

On 2018-04-11 by (mod) - What's California's view on irradicating old hazardous materials?

Sorry Ken I don't know what a RAD inspection is. Nor do I understand the question.

On 2018-04-11 by Ken

Grosekenneth74@gmail.com

If the state has parterned with my housing authority

What's California's view on irradicating old hazardous materials?

I live in subcidised housing.The manager/owners are going to be doing a RAD inspection.I know they say to accomplish doing things to update exterior an interior.

My housemates an I will have to relocate. Im sure they may be taking out an replacing baseboards ,cabinets,an removal of popcorn ceilings an most likely encapsulating old floor covering.

Just for my information, ,It's got fourbedrooms an a bath upstairs maybe 500 square feet up 1 bedroom ,1 bath downstairs with kitchen laundry attached kitchen dining an living room total 300 square feet.

Theres forced air heating an solar heated water.How many man hours to renovate,check breathing air codes up to date?

See also CEILING PAINT TEXTURED / POPCORN ASBESTOS

On 2018-03-22 by (mod) - brown embossed floor tile

Chrissy

While I don't recognize that exact floor pattern (nor know the country & city of your home) from what you've said you'll want to treat the floor as presumed to contain abestos; if you face a significant cost it'd be worth having a sample tested.

https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Test_Lab_Lists.php

On 2018-03-22 by Chrissy

We're redoing our basement and want to pull up he floor tiles that we believe are from the 70's. They're in bad condition, with pieces constantly breaking off. Obviously we're concerned that they may contain asbestos and were hoping that you could help us identify them in order to determine how to best remove them.

On 2018-03-10 by jlovgren83@gmail.com 1973 Pebble People Floor Tile in Chicago

This floor is installed in Chicago Illinois USA in a home built in 1973

On 2018-03-10 by (mod) - asbestos suspected in Chicago 1973 floor tiles

JL

When a seller refuses to permit a buyer to discover whether or not the buyer may face a significant cost should she purchase the seller's property,

then

the seller is in essence telling the buyer that the buyer should simply assume that she does, indeed, face those costs.

That should be your assumption.

The flooring is pattern I have seen posted by several readers, one referring to it as "Pebble Peoples Floor Tile"

It would help us research this floor design if you could tell us the country, city, state or province where the floor is installed.

Based on the age of the home and having no other information it would be prudent to treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos.

An earlier home sporting this same flooring dated from 1968 and is described

at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE ID REQUESTS 1960's

On 2017-03-17 by (mod) - Kentiles made during the end of the company's life, in *some* cases were tested and found not to contain asbestos

Pam,

Kentiles made during the end of the company's life, in *some* cases were tested and found not to contain asbestos, so I no longer claim that all Kentiles are an asbestos-containing product.

More to the point, if the total area is small, I'd simply pick up and dispose of the pieces, HEPA vac and damp wipe, then prep the floor surface and glue down a suitable replacement tile. Or cover-over the whole floor with a new layer of sheet flooring or vinyl tile flooring - the best approach.

You are welcome to use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to find our email to then send us photos for comment. Sorry but the Comments box feature, for security, doesn't let readers post images directly.

On 2017-03-17 by Pam

I have what I believe is Kentile vinyl tiles on my kitchen floor. The concrete subfloor is crumbling in one area and the tiles in that area are looks and cracking. I believe the tiles were laid in the mid-80's to early 90's, not sure.

They are 12"x12" with grout lines to divide the tile into four squares of different shades of terra cotta and the grout line is a medium dark grey. I want to know if they contain asbestos. Would like to send a photo but need some instruction on how to do that on your website. Thank you.

On 2017-02-19 by (mod) - asbestos in some Congoleum flooring?

Thank you, TR. Certainly I agree that if we can establish that a flooring product was made after 1986 (for the U.S.) it's not likely to contain asbestos.

Part of the difficulty is that if we can't find a date for the floor we may trip over the problem that the same pattern or very-similar patterns were produced after asbestos was no longer in use in flooring.

Finally, you're spot on that if the flooring is in a 2016 floor catalog, that specific product would not contain asbestos.

I'll see what other examples we can find, but at the end of the day, if the building is in doubt and you face a messy dusty demolition (usually that's avoidable) you would want to have a flooring sample tested since if it's non-asbestos the level of care and cost of demolition will be less.

On 2017-02-19 by TR

On your website referrring to a congoleum product shown here in this picture https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Congoleum_Floor_Backer_2407s.jpg

It is said that a similar looking product pattern contained an asbestos backer. However, it appears that the comments are stating that the product shown is a new product based off the markings on the back.

The dates are a little vague aside from referring to the 2016 catalog year. We had a similar patterned floor that was already removed in our house. Some information on the product shown and the reference to "other products" which contained an asbestos bakcer would be appreciated. Thanks.

On 2016-08-24 by (mod) -

Ang:

No flooring material would be 100% asbestos since you'd need other binders, surface coatings, colors and dyes to provide pattern, etc. However the percentage of asbestos content wouldn't be likely to change the strategy of covering the flooring.

Trivial damage to asbestos-suspect flooring such as a nail hole or a clean-broken piece is not likely to lead to detectable airborne asbestos in a building, while grinding, sawing, chopping that produces dust would be a great concern.

On 2016-08-24 by Ang

I had the sheet flooring tested and it came back positive for chrysotile asbestos but they didn't tell me the percentage content of asbestos.

I have searched on the web and can't find a proper answer, some say it could be 100%, is this true?. I'm covering it with a floor leveler then laying LVT on top, but I still worry about it because the kitchen fitter damaged it in a few places exposing the backing when fitting the new kitchen

On 2016-02-29 14 by (mod) -

Ang

The flooring you describe is discussed in our article on Congoleum Nairn flooring. See https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Congoleum_Vinyl_Asbestos_Floors.php

On 2016-02-27 by Ang

I am having a new kitchen installed next week and I am worried about the floor, it is 6ft sheet flooring and about 1mm-1.5mm thick and is very similar if the not the same as 54192 Peruvian beige. I found an off cut and it has NAIRN printed on the back in red ink, the backing is a pale beige colour possibly paper.

It was laid around the late 1970's, should I have it tested for asbestos and can it be removed.

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: 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 couldn't find an exact match. The school was built in 1950-1960, but we have no evidence that the tiles have been replaced. Can you help? -

we have an armstrong floor tile (black color) with the following numbers on the back L4 1230 021898. We don't know the year it was installed. Does it contain asbestos? Is there a way to cross reference these numbers? - Dan 5/1/12

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

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

Reply:

David, naturally by email alone no one can say with certainty whether or not a floor tile contains asbestos, but if your flooring matches one of the ACM floor tiles we illustrate here, AND if you are confident about the age (as you suggest) most likely it is an asbestos-containing product. And yes, for sure there were some peel-and-stick floor tiles that contained asbestos in the tile baking.

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

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

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

You can narrow down the asbestos question by:

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

- noting the date of any renovations of the building

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question: 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.

Question: did asbestos flooring come in just tiles or also in roll or sheet flooring?

Can the asbestos flooring come in tiles only or does it come in a role? - P.H. 12/31/12

Reply:

Asbestos-containing flooring was sold in both individual floor tiles and in rolls of sheet flooring. But just as with vinyl or plastic floor tiles, not all flooring contains asbestos.

LINOLEUM & Other Sheet Flooring includes examples of sheet flooring that often did not contain asbestos. To treat floor coverings in asphalt-based floor tiles or sheet flooring, or vinyl (plastic)-based floor tiles or sheet flooring, it is reasonable to treat flooring sold in the year ranges described in the article above as PACM (Presumed Asbestos Containing Material).

Also the mastic or adhesive used to install flooring may also contain asbestos. Keep in mind also that very often it is not necessary nor even recommended to remove PACM floor coverings. But if conditions require that it be removed,

see ASBESTOS REMOVAL GUIDE, FLOORING.

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 reddish 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 abatement 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 post a picture at InspectApedia

(Aug 25, 2014) micky said:

Help! Took off my 5 year old armstrong tile. Started pulling off the next layer not knowing of potential hazards. Found out when researching easiest ways to remove tile as it is harder to get up. Can you help me date this tile pattern?
(how to post picture?)

Oct 1, 2014) Rodney... said:

Can someone please help me with a tile identification?? I would like to know if it looks like it will have asbestos.. My landlord asked me to pull up the carpet and this was below it. I have photos but I do not see a way to attach them to my comment here. I sent a few photos for the general email "contact" here a few days ago... I am sorry for the short notice but I have a city inspector scheduled for Monday

Reply:

Micky, Rodney and others: you can use the email at our CONTACT link to send us some photos of your floor for comment.

Rodney you can use the email found at our CONTACT link but it may not be necessary. If you've got vinyl or asphalt floor tiles installed before the 1980's it would make sense to treat them as presumed to contain asbestos - and to avoid making a dusty demolition, sawing, grinding mess.

This article contains flooring identification requests for floor tiles or sheet flooring believed to date from the 1970's. For a 1970's vintage asbestos-containing floor tile photo guide, please also
see the following articles

• 1970-1972 ARMSTRONG VINYL ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE GUIDE to Patterns & Colors, 9x9 & 12x12-inch
• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE ID REQUESTS 1970's-2 additional floor tile requests, photos, advice for floors installed in the early 1970s
• 1973 - ARMSTRONG EXCELON VINYL ASBESTOS FLOOR TILES Complete Pattern & Color Guide, 9x9 & 12x12-inch - includes a Complete Photo Guide to Standard Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Patterns & Colors in 12x12" and 9x9" for this year
• 1974-1979 COMPLETE ARMSTRONG EXCELON VINYL ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE GUIDE to Asbestos Floor Tiles, Patterns & Colors

or see our complete list of flooring identification photo guides at FLOOR TILE / SHEET FLOORING PHOTO GUIDES

...

Continue reading  at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE ID REQUESTS 1980's or LATER or select a topic from closely-related articles below, or see our complete INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID REQUESTS - home
• ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
• ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION
• ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INDEX - all brands, all years
• ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE
• ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES
• ASBESTOS RISK ASSESSMENT
• ASBESTOS TEST RESULTS for TILE & SHEET FLOORING
• ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST
• DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos -
• DOES THIS MATERIAL CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if a BUILDING MATERIAL probably contains asbestos -

Suggested citation for this web page

ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE ID REQUESTS 1970's-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to ASBESTOS HAZARDS

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