Reduce the Hazard of Asbestos Floor Tiles or Sheet Flooring

Options for leaving a good-condition floor in place
Recommendations if the floor is damaged

Advice for Hazard Reduction for buildings with Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles

Common sources of asbestos hazards in or on buildings include, among many other building materials, asbestos-containing flooring and flooring mastic adhesive.

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.

Article Contents:

• ADVICE FOR HAZARD REDUCTION OF VINYL ASBESTOS FLOOR TILES
• FRIABLE ASBESTOS PARTICLE HAZARDS FROM FLOORING
• LEAVING ASBESTOS FLOOR TILES IN PLACE: COVER OR SEAL
• GUIDELINES FOR REMOVING ASBESTOS-CONTAINING FLOOR TILE
• ADVICE FOR BUILDING & SCHOOL BUILDING OPERATORS
• ASBESTOS HAZARD CONTROL GUIDELINES

BOTTOM LINE: Asbestos-suspect flooring, two cases, different options

1. Asbestos-containing flooring or asbestos-suspect flooring in good condition
   
   (like at the top of this page) can and should be left in place and covered over with new material like carpeting or new floor tiles or sheet flooring or even using a sealant or an epoxy paint.
2. Asbestos-containing flooring, or asbestos-suspect flooring that is damaged
   
   (like our photo shown here) OR that must be damaged during renovations or removal needs more careful handling.

Because extra costs will be involved in removing asbestos-containing materials from a building, if you don't know if your flooring contains asbestos, your choices are

• Treat the floor as Presumed Asbestos-Containing Material (PACM)
• Have a representative sample of the flooring tested for asbestos

Foremost it is important to avoid creating an asbestos hazard by improper handling, and while it is usually reasonable to cover over asbestos floor tiles with a new layer of flooring, it is also important that you proceed properly, often with local expert advice.

Our reader's photo of a partly-demolished asphalt-asbestos floor tile installation shown above is an example of asbestos flooring dust and debris that might be created during demolition, including friable materials produced by chopping, sanding, sawing, or grinding old floor tiles or sheet flooring.

See details at

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

If the floor contains asbestos or if you elect to treat it as PACM, broken flooring should be cleaned up using HEPA vacuuming and damp wiping, and further demolition should follow practices given at

ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

Please note: In addition to asbestos-containing flooring, common sources of asbestos hazards in or on buildings include: 

• asbestos-containing flooring mastic adhesive
• asbestos-containing roofing materials such as asbestos cement shingles or corrugated asbestos cement panels as well as asbestos used in some asphalt shingle products or in roof coatings and mastics
• asbestos-containing vermiculite used as building insulation
• asbestos used in paints
• asbestos in plaster and wall systems including drywall and joint compound
• asbestos-cement or "transite" siding, roofing, and piping
• asbestos containing window caulk, glazing compound, electrical wire insulation and other materials

Friable and non-friable asbestos are more thoroughly defined

at ASBESTOS DEFINITION & COMPOSITION

Friable Asbestos Particle Hazards from Asbestos-containing Floor Tiles or Sheet Flooring

Friable asbestos material is any material containing more than 1 percent asbestos as determined using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM), that, when dry, can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure. - (EPA p, 3)

Photo: an asbestos insulation identifying label found by the author on asbestos pipe insulating wrap in a New York home's basement.

Properly defined in plain English, "friable" asbestos means that one can easily produce powdered material, for example by rubbing asbestos pipe insulation between one's fingers to produce a crumbly dust.

In this regard your floor tiles are a mix of asbestos and vinyl or asphalt, and are not readily friable.

The definition of friable asbestos is important, because non-friable asbestos-containing material is less likely to be an asbestos hazard in buildings, unless it is mechanically ground or pulverized.

What produces measurable airborne asbestos-dust is either running equipment that mechanically grinds or sands the tile surface (including some industrial floor polishers) over the floor surface, or using aggressive means of demolition that produce lots of small fragments of broken tiles during renovations.

Because asbestos is a harmless material if not airborne and breathed-in or ingested (at sufficient quantity or volume), it's not as if the floor tiles are "radioactive" or harmful just sitting there, or better still, if covered the tiles will be protected from wear, damage, and future asbestos particle release.

U.S. EPA Definition of Non-friable Asbestos Material

The US EPA in their "Asbestos NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance" defines "non-friable asbestos material" as

Non-friable asbestos-containing material is any material containing more than 1 percent asbestos as determined by Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) that, when dry, cannot be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure. (Op Cit. p. 3)

By this definition, asphalt-asbestos and vinyl-asbestos floor tiles are normally and virtually always non-friable materials.

Leaving Asbestos Floor Tiles in Place: Advice About Covering or Sealing Asbestos Floor Tiles

In this photo, courtesy of InspectApedia reader Grace, we see a 1958 vinyl-asbestos floor tile that is in good condition.

Grace found this floor when she removed wall-to-wall carpeting, and you can still see the carpet tack strips at the left edge of the photo.

• The floor tiles are still well-adhered to the subfloor below.
• There are not broken nor missing floor tiles.
• If the carpet tack strips must be removed that will produce a small amount of broken flooring that should be cleaned-up using HEPA-vacuuming and damp-wiping.
• These floor tiles can and should be left in place.
• Because the flooring is to be left in place, testing to confirm that the floor contains asbestos (or doesn't) is not necessary.
• It would be appropriate to perform simple, non-abrasive surface cleaning to remove soil, grease, dust and dirt before covering this floor with new carpeting or by new floor tiles or sheet flooring.

Undamaged asphalt-asbestos or vinyl-asbestos tiles or sheet-flooring materials are normally quite hard, not friable - not easily made into dust that can become airborne - and are best left in place and covered over.

See details

at ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE - keep this flooring in place and cover it.

Guidelines for Removing Asbestos-Containing Floor Tile (Vinyl-Asbestos Tile / Asphalt-Asbestos Tile)

Is Asbestos-Containing Floor Tile Removal Necessary?

We begin by suggesting that you should not remove asbestos-containing floor tile unless it is really necessary.

As with asbestos-containing products in general, the asbestos hazard at a building may be greater from disturbing asbestos-containing materials (ACM) than if they were left alone or covered up.

But in some cases, particularly during certain building renovations or when asbestos-containing flooring is in poor condition and cannot easily be left in place, removal may be necessary.

As we point out

at ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION, the US EPA points out

in ADEQUATELY WET ASBESTOS GUIDANCE, EPA340/1-90-019 that asbestos-containing floor tiles are considered non-friable materials but the materials can become friable with age or by grinding, sanding, demolition, etc.

Here is what the University of Minnesota has to say about the hazards of this type of asbestos-containing floor tiles:

Flooring that contains asbestos, when intact and in good condition, is generally considered non-friable and is not hazardous.

Heat, water, weathering or aging can weaken flooring to the point where it is considered friable. Friable flooring includes any material containing more than 1 percent asbestos that can be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder with hand pressure.

This includes previously non-friable flooring material which has been damaged to the extent that it may be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand pressure.

Flooring can also be made friable during its removal.

Friable materials can release asbestos fibers into the air. Once in the air, asbestos fibers present a health hazard to people who inhale those fibers. - U. Minn at References or Citations

Watch out: if you must demolish or disturb asbestos-suspect flooring, because that process can create high levels of dust that might contain asbestos, it makes sense to have a sample of the flooring tested for asbestos before beginning work.

Short of testing, you would either treat the floor as PACM - Presumed Asbestos-Containing Material, which can add significantly to demolition and remodeling costs.

For making an educated guess before actual testing, there are five easy questions that can help tell you if an unknown floor covering contains asbestos, found at

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

Advice on Removing Asbestos-containing Asphalt or Vinyl Floor Tiles

Details for this topic are found at ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE. Excerpts are below.

First, here is the US EPA's general Asbestos Advice for Homeowners, quoting from ASBESTOS in YOUR HOME - U.S. EPA [PDF]

Asbestos Do's And Don'ts for the Homeowner

• Do keep activities to a minimum in any areas having damaged material that may contain asbestos.
• Do take every precaution to avoid damaging asbestos material.
• Do have removal and major repair done by people trained and qualified in handling asbestos. It is highly recommended that sampling and minor repair also be done by asbestos professionals.
• Don't dust, sweep, or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos.
• Don't saw, sand, scrape, or drill holes in asbestos materials.
• Don't use abrasive pads or brushes on power strippers to strip wax from asbestos flooring. Never use a power stripper on a dry floor.
• Don't sand or try to level asbestos flooring or its backing. When asbestos flooring needs replacing, install new floor covering over it, if possible.
• Don't track material that could contain asbestos through the house. If you cannot avoid walking through the area, have it cleaned with a wet mop. If the material is from a damaged area, or if a large area must be cleaned, call an asbestos professional.

Please see complete details at ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

Asbestos Advice for Building & School Building Operators (may apply to other buildings)

A good introductory explanation to the possible risk of asbestos in schools and similar buildings is

at The ABCs of ASBESTOS in SCHOOLS [PDF] (August 2003), U.S. EPA, Web search 08/17/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/abcsfinal.pdf - aqui se encuenta la misma documenta escrito en Espan~ol: El ABC del Asbestos en las Escuelas, (copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Asbestos_ABCs_Schools.pdf ) fuente original: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/spanishabcs.pdf

Quoting from that document:

In general, as with cigarette smoking, the more asbestos fibers a person inhales, the greater the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. The most severe health problems from asbestos exposure have been experienced by some workers who held jobs in industries such as shipbuilding, where they were exposed to very high levels of asbestos in the air.

These employees worked directly with asbestos materials on a regular basis as a part of their jobs. Much uncertainty surrounds the risk from exposure to low levels of asbestos fibers.

Nevertheless, the risk of school children being exposed to even low levels of asbestos is a concern. Acting on this concern, Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) in 1986 to protect school children and school employees from exposure to asbestos in school buildings. This pamphlet describes key parts of these federal asbestos requirements for schools.

Operators of schools and other public buildings should see the U.S. EPA's ASBESTOS REGULATIONS FOR SCHOOLS (the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, "AHERA") [PDF] (live link given just below); these guidelines require that an accredited inspector re inspect school buildings at least once every three years to reassess the condition of ACM.

Asbestos Hazard Control Guidelines

• ASBESTOS ENCAPSULANTS & SEALERS - Sealant Paints & Coatings for Asbestos, Asbestos Cement or Transite Surfaces
• ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOME [PDF] U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
• ASBESTOS NESHAP ADEQUATELY WET GUIDANCE [PDF] EPA340/1-90-019, [PDF] December 1990, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Stationary Source Compliance Division, Washington, DC 20460, original web source: http://www.epa.gov/region04/air/asbestos/awet.htm
• ASBESTOS REGULATIONS FOR SCHOOLS (the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, "AHERA") [PDF] (96 pp, 589k), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - web search 08/17/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/2003pt763.pdf,
• DISINFECTANTS, SANITIZERS, FUNGICIDAL-SEALANTS SOURCES - includes floor sealers & primers
• HOW to MANAGE ASBESTOS in SCHOOL BUILDINGS, AHERA Designated Person Self Study Guide [PDF] U.S. EPA 910-B-96-001, January 1996, web search 08/17/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/region2/ahera/e23.pdf
• Asbestos in buildings: Guidance for Service and Maintenance Personnel ("Custodial Brochure") (July 1985) - available by telephone from the TCSA
• Guidance for Controlling Asbestos Containing Material in buildings ("Purple Book") (June 1985)   - available by telephone from the TCSA
• Fact Sheet/Press Release--EPA Releases Asbestos-in-Public-buildings Study and Recommendations to Congress: Extent and condition of asbestos containing materials in public and commercial buildings (February 1988) - available by telephone from the TCSA
• HOW to REMOVE NONFRIABLE VINYL ASBESTOS FLOOR TILES (A Guide for Meeting DEQ Rules), [PDF] State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Asbestos Program, retrieved 2016/12/02, original source: http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/asbestos/docs/Asbflr.pdf
• MANAGING ASBESTOS in PLACE: A Building Owner's Guide to Operations and Maintenance Programs for Asbestos-Containing Materials [PDF] ("Green Book"), web search 08/11/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/management_in_place.html
  
  How to Develop and Maintain a Building Asbestos Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Program, This information is designed to assist building owners and managers in understanding how to develop and maintain an operations and maintenance program for asbestos-containing materials in their buildings.

Above: Except from EPA's Guide to Demolition Practices (for non-friable asbestos material categories and handling) cited just below.

[Click to enlarge any image]

• US EPA A GUIDE TO NORMAL DEMOLITION PRACTICES UNDER THE ASBESTOS NESHAP EPA 340-1-92-013 [PDF] retrieved 2019/08/30
  
• US EPA ​ASBESTOS / NESHAP REGULATED ASBESTOS CONTAINING MATERIALS GUIDANCE EPA 340-1-90-018 [PDF] retrieved 2019/08/30
• US EPA ASBESTOS MATERIALS BAN: CLARIFICATION 1999
• US EPA GUIDANCE FOR CATASTROPHIC EMERGENCY SITUATIONS INVOLVING ASBESTOS [PDF] (2009)
  Excerpt:
  
  Any building may contain asbestos. Inhalation exposure can occur when asbestos containing material (ACM) is disturbed and releases fibers.
  
  Keeping material wet and contained minimizes emissions.
  
  It is important to not burn or grind asbestos-containing material where doing so will result in the discharge of visible emissions to the air. In addition, units which burn asbestos may need permits under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and state solid waste requirements.
  
  It is important to comply with regulatory requirements related to the renovation or demolition of buildings and the transport and disposal of asbestos-containing waste material.
  
  EPA did not ban all commercial asbestos.
  
  Inhalation of asbestos fibers is extremely hazardous. Health effects generally take 15 years or longer before they are identified by medical personnel. Health consequences can be severe and include asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
• "Asbestos in your home or at work," Forsyth County Environmental Affairs Department, Winston-Salem NC 12/08
• "Asbestos Floor Tile Removal", the University of Minnesota's advice on removing VAT (vinyl asbestos or asphalt asbestos floor tile) can be read in detail at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/floor tile/index.html