Photo ID guide to Puerto-Rico asbestos-containing products including asphalt-asbestos or vinyl-asbestos flooring.

In sum the list of building and home products sold, used, or installed in Puerto Rico is about the same as those on the U.S. mainland, for which we include a link to a comprehensive asbestos-products list at the end of this page.

This article includes flooring identification requests & photographs & discussion of flooring tiles installed in Puerto Rico between the 1950s and the mid 1980s and that may contain asbestos.

This article series describes and helps identify the forms in which asbestos-containing products & materials are found in building.

Readers can use the bottom COMMENT BOX to submit photos of flooring to get help in identifying floor tiles or sheet flooring that might contain asbestos.

Asbestos-Containing Flooring in Puerto Rico

This information will assist Puerto Rican home owners or renters who need to determine the probability that their homes contain asbestos and then to decide what to do about asbestos-containing material in their home when it is in poor condition or presents a more-urgent hazard.

Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air.

Reader Comments & Q&A

Question: does this 1975 vinyl floor in Puerto Rico contain asbestos?

I live in a house in Puerto Rico (USA) that was built in 1975 and has this vinyl floor. Please help me identify if there is a possibility of asbestos in the flooring like the black glue under them. - Anonymous by private email 2022/04/02

Moderator reply:

It would be prudent to assume that that flooring and the adhesive mastic contain asbestos

And of course I should add that our readers should know perfectly well that Puerto Rico is a USA territory, not a foreign country.

But thanks for the reminder.

And that you or other readers are also welcome to post questions in Spanish.

Please post your photos, one per comment but as many comments as you need, at our website on any of our asbestos floor tile identification pages and you may find more detailed help there.

[Done by the reader, shown below - Ed.]

Additional Puerto Rican vinyl floor tiles and black mastic adhesive photos are shown below, courtesy of this InspectApedia reader.

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Below our reader illustrates exposed black mastic floor tile adhesive that may contain asbestos.

Neither the floor tiles nor the mastic are friable but may become so when damaged or during demolition.

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See also our advice at

• ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION - minimise the risk of asbestos hazards in Puerto Rico buildings
• ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE - a floor that is in poor condition or that must be removed
• ASBESTOS-CONTAINING MASTIC DANGEROUS?
• FLOORING ADHESIVE MASTIC SEALANTS - for coating flooring or exposed mastic adhesive that are to be left in place, includes a reference to this product:
  
  Mapei PRIMER T [PDF] MAPEI Americas Headquarters 1144 E. Newport Center Drive Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442 USA, Technical Service: 1-800-992-6273 (U.S. and Puerto Rico).
  
  For help with locating a distributor of MAPEI products, call Customer Service at 1-800-426-2734 (1-800-42-MAPEI).

History, Manufacture & Use of Asbestos in Puerto Rico

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Current & Historical Asbestos Contamination, Regulations, Services in Puerto Rico

In addition to the widespread use of asbestos in many home and building products used and installed in homes in Puerto Rico up until the U.S. bans concluding in the mid 1980s, workers at some companies in Puerto Rico, such as the Union Carbide plant in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Schering-Plough, and also The Life Savers Company may have been exposed to hazardous levels of asbestos.

Asphalt-asbestos and vinyl-asbestos tile flooring and sheet flooring products installed in homes in Puerto Rico were provided principally by flooring manufacturers on the U.S. mainland, possibly with the inclusion of some Canadian products and a few products from the U.K. between 1950 and the present.

Modern flooring products sold in Puerto Rico would not contain asbestos

Puerto Rico is among the U.S. territories or states to which U.S. Federal Asbestos rules or regulations have been delegated to oversee OSHA's asbestos program. (Farquhar 2009).

• 1990 Housing Highlights: Puerto Rico (C 3.224/3-8:CH-S-1-53), 92-13108 in Monthly Catalogue, United States Public Documents, 1992
• 1990 Census: Introduction to 1990 Census products for Puerto Rico, (C 3.223/18-990 CPH-1-3 PR (E)), 92,3830
• Aspecta, home office: 15 Oakwood Ave. Norwalk, CT 06850 (855) 400-7732
  
  Aspecta manufactures contemporary, luxury vinyl flooring for commercial building interiors.
• Baker, Michael Jr., Inc., FINAL ASBESTOS INSPECTION REPORT FOR NAVAL ACTIVITY PUERTO RICO Ceiba, Puerto Rico [PDF] U.S. Navy, Under Contract with Department of the Navy Naval Facilities Engineering Command Engineering Field Activity, Northeast- retrieved 2022/04/03 original source: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/niris/SOUTHEAST/PUERTO_RICO_NA/N40003_001883.pdf
  Excerpts from Summary:
  
  ... An inspection of military family housing at NAPR was conducted simultaneously and is documented in a companion Baker report, Asbestos Inspection Report, Military Family Housing, for Naval Activity Puerto Rico, dated June 2005.
  
  The work was performed so that the federal government can transfer the properties. TA total of 2,006 homogeneous materials were identified during this investigation. Of those, 317 were found by laboratory analysis to be ACM, and five were assumed to be ACM due to access or safety issues that precluded sampling.
  
  The ACMs that were identified are presented in the building-specific sections of the report, which are included in Appendix E.
• Castleman, B., & M.J. Vera Vera, Impending proliferation of asbestos, Pub Med, NIH, National Library of Medicine, PMID: 7419310 DOI: 10.2190/MCKW-CNWF-2A4W-B5FQ
  Abstract:
  The international asbestos industry is under considerable pressure in some countries to control dust exposures in the workplace and restrict pollution. In addition, major firms in the United States face mounting compensation costs for past failures to protect asbestos workers. At the same time, however, the asbestos industry is expanding in developing nations, largely on the strength of sales of asbestos-cement construction materials.
  
  This report describes problems encountered with the use of asbestos-cement in schools and low-income housing in Puerto Rico, resulting in the condemnation of these buildings and the relocation of over 1,000 families at public expense.
  
  The manufacturer of the asbestos-cement panels, a Colombian affiliate of the European-based multinational Eternit, escaped all liability. The issue is presented as a needless, expanding threat to public health worldwide. Safe, economic alternatives exist, such as the use in some cases of crop waste fibers in place of asbestos as a cement binder. There have also been major advances in the commercialization of asbestos-free brake and clutch friction products.
  
• CTS Group, Inc., Asbestos Material Inspections, Puerto Rico, 400 Calle Juan Calaf, Suite 235 San Juan, PR 00918 ​ .info@ctsgrouppr.com San Juan Office: 787.247.064 Miami Office: 786.643.5292
  Website excerpts:
  
  ​ In Puerto Rico, the EQB (JCA) requires for every demolition project to be inspected by a Certified Asbestos Inspector and if asbestos is found, a certified and registered contractor will require a permit for the asbestos removal and disposal.
  
  The CTS Group team feature inspectors certified by the PR EQB (JCA) which have performed asbestos inspections, conducted contractor oversight during asbestos abatement activities and prepared AHERA re-inspections for clients throughout Puerto Rico and can use our expertise to guide you through the complex world of asbestos compliance. ...
  
  Thousands of commercial products contain or have contained asbestos. In homes built before 1978, asbestos was used to insulate boilers and pipes. It is also found in many other household materials such as: ​ Stucco Ceiling Some vinyl floor tiles Glue used on floor tiles Window glazing and caulking Roofing Heating and AC duct insulation Siding Plaster
• Cuadrado, 333 Calle Coll Y Toste, San Juan, 00918, Puerto Rico info@cuadradoalfombras.com Web: https://www.cuadradoalfombras.com/luxury-vinyl-tiles Tel: (787) 250-8000 / (787) 438-8000
  
  Alfombras - Pisos - Mantenimiento
• CWS Central Waste Services, Asbestos Removal in Puerto Rico, Street #683 Km 1.6 Barrio Factor Sector Garrochales Arecibo, PR 00612 (787) 846-1010 / (787) 815-1212 office@centralwastepr.com Web: http://www.centralwastepr.com/
• EPA, U.S., EPA FILES COMPLAINT FOR ASBESTOS VIOLATIONS IN PUERTO RICO SCHOOLS Continues to Work with Commonwealth Agencies to Ensure School Safety [PDF] (2003) - retrieved 2022/04/03 original source: https://archive.epa.gov/epapages/newsroom_archive/newsreleases/ab826c396c443532852571550064b144.html
  Excerpt:
  (#03117) San Juan, P.R. Violations of federal asbestos regulations identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year in five Puerto Rico schools has led to an evaluation of conditions in schools with asbestos-containing building materials by the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDOE), conducted with EPA and Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (EQB) oversight.
  
  EPA is issuing a complaint to PRDOE for violations of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) at the five schools and a complaint against the Puerto Rico Public Building Authority (PRDPA) and Indutech Environmental Services, Inc. for violations of the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS).
• Farquhar, Doug, Scott Hendrick, STATE ASBESTOS REGULATION ENFORCEMENT [PDF] (October 2009), National Conference of State Legislatures, NSCL, 444 North Capitol Street, N.W. Suite 515 Washington, D.C. 20001 Phone 202.624.5400 Website www.ncsl.org Email info@ncsl.org- retrieved 2022/04/03 original source: https://www.ncsl.org/documents/environ/Asbestosmemo0909.pdf
• FloorCon, 22 Street A Suite 1 Mario Julia Industrial Park San Juan, Puerto Rico 00920 Email: sales@floorcon.com Tel: (787) 942-8300 Web: https://www.floorcon.com/
  
  FloorCON is a consulting and contracting company dedicated to the distribution, sales, installation and maintenance of flooring products in Puerto Rico.
• IMPORT OF VINYL FLOORING IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO [PDF] Recent List of Vinyl Flooring Companies or Ports in Puerto Rico, retrieved 2022/04/03 original source: https://www.zauba.com/USA-import-vinyl+flooring/port-of-discharge-4909-data.html
• Polyflor Ltd +44 (0)161 767 1111 mmarzouk@polyflor.com PO Box 3, Radcliffe New Road, Whitefield, Manchester, UK, - ships to Puerto Rico
• PBA, GENERAL ASBESTOS REMOVAL SPECIFICATIONS For: PBA BUILDING AND SCHOOLS [PDF] - AEP, Autoridad de Eddificios Publicos, Gobierno de Puerto Rico, retrieved 2022/04/03 original source: https://poderjudicial.pr/Documentos/Subastas/2021/21-87F-Anejo-XVI.pdf
  
  Excerpt: These asbestos removal specifications are necessarily general and are intended only to give a description of what is required to adequately complete an asbestos abatement project in the Puerto Rico Public Building Authority (PR-PBA).
• PRPA, LEAD-BASED PAINT AND ASBESTOS-CONTAINING MATERIAL SURVEY FOR VACANT STRUCTURES TO BE DEMOLISHED [PDF] (2018) Puerto Rico Ports Authority (Prpa) Rafael Hernández Airport Aguadilla, Prceiba, Puerto Rico - retrieved 2022/04/03 original source: https://static1.squarespace.com/
  
  Excerpt:
  AECOM Caribe, LLP (AECOM) was retained by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) to perform a Limited Asbestos and Lead-Based Paint (LBP) Survey at several vacant and deteriorated buildings scheduled for demolition at Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN Airport) in the municipality of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
• Puerto Rico Government, EXTENSION OF THE TERM OF REGISTRATION OF WORKERS ALL ASBESTOS WORK DISCIPLINE According to Executive Orders EO-2020-020 and EO-2020-038 [PDF] (May 19, 2020) - retrieved 2022/4/03 original source: https://www.drna.pr.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Segunda-Extension-Termino-Registro-Trabajadores-Asbesto-19may20-English.pdf
• Zimmetry Environmental & IH, Carr 174, 11-20 Bayamón, PR 00959 Tel: (787) 995-0005 Email: info@zimmetry.com Web: https://www.zimmetry.com/
  
  

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

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• DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos -
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• HAZARD vs RISK - what's the difference, why you should care

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ASBESTOS PRODUCTS in PUERTO RICO 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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