Questions & answers on answering the question Does my floor tile or sheet flooring contain asbestos?

This article series explains how to identify floor tiles that are likely to contain asbestos, by making a simple visual inspection, noting the probable age of the building and age of its materials, and similar clues.

Asbestos-containing Floor Tile Identification FAQs

These questions & answers on the simple procedure to answer the question Does my floor tile or sheet flooring contain asbestos? were posted originally at

DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos - be sure to see that article.

There we explain that if you don't want to or cannot have a flooring sample tested, answer the five easy questions listed there to make a reasonable guess at whether or not the floor contains asbestos.

On 2021-12-14 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Is this asbestos?,

I'm not sure what we're seeing but I think it's old vinyl- floor tile and either a felt underlayment or remains of black mastic adhesive.

All three of those may contain asbestos.

Take a look at the information in the article here:

ASBESTOS-CONTAINING FLOOR TILE ADHESIVE
https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Tile_Mastic_Asbestos_ID.php

You will also find links on that page to more information about hazard reduction and removal guides when dealing with asbestos containing material.

Please let us know if you have additional questions.

On 2021-12-14 by Is this asbestos?

I just moved into my new old home and found vinyl under the carpet and then wood under the vinyl. I want to remove the vinyl but I'm not sure if the glue residue left behind is asbestos.

On 2021-12-11 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Kenzi Wilbur,

Since you posted your question on this page, I assume you've reviewed the 5 easy steps described above for helping to identify flooring that may contain asbestos.

And the results of your testing will also be helpful in answering your question, of course.

In the meantime, you can review the information, photos, and related links found in this article to help identify your flooring:

IDENTIFY TYPES OF SHEET FLOORING THAT MAY CONTAIN ASBESTOS

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

On 2021-12-11 by Kenzi Wilbur

Found this sheet flooring in my 1950s home placed on top of wooden floors; I'll be sending some pieces in for testing but wanted to see if it's easily identifiable by any expert eyes on here. The glue is black, quite hard. Any thoughts on whether or not it's asbestos would be helpful!

On 2021-12-06 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Anonymous,

Glad to assist

On 2021-12-05 by Anonymous

@Danjoefriedman,

Thank you, this is incredibly helpful. Having something visual, i.e glossiness, does indeed help alleviate some anxiety, particularly as those who would have information about the floor have all passed. I will pass this information on to those who maintain the building!

Just an addendum to my previous comment, I learned from one of the parishioners that every four years (very specific!) the floor is waxed and polished with a floor buffer. Does this count as a suitable sealant?

On 2021-12-05 by Danjoefriedman (mod)

@Anonymous,

That's a great question, thank you.

Sorry to say that short of what you read at

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD LEVEL ASSESSMENT inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Floor_Hazard_Level.php

[please do read that article]

I can only offer a rather general, non-quantitative answer: because we don't have a bit of data about the condition, composition and properties of your specific floor.

When asbestos-containing floor tiles are broken or are being abraded, such as by running a stainless steel wool floor buffer pad on the surface, and especially if the tiles' upper finish glossy surface has been lost, then the floor may be shedding a detectable level of airborne asbestos dust.

I'm not sure that "detectable" means that there's a meaningful hazard as some tests can detect particles at extremely-low levels, but there remain anxiety and liability worries even at that level.

Why not clean the surfaces and when dry, seal them with a suitable coating?

That could be clear if you don't want to give up the appearance of the floor.

see ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Floor-Tiles-Left-in-Place.php

and

see ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Flooring-Hazard-Reduction.php

Below, excerpting from the US ATSDR's guidelines we have

Occupational Standards - U.S. Standards and Regulations for Asbestos Levels - original source: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/asbestos/standards_and_regulations.html

In 1986, OSHA in Standard 29 CFR 1910.1001 established the current permissible exposure limit (PEL) for asbestos in the workplace: (0.1 fibers/cc of air as a time weighed average) [OSHA 2012]. PELs are allowable exposure levels in workplace air averaged over an 8-hour shift of a 40 hour workweek. There are also OSHA standards (29 CFR 1915.1001) for shipyards and construction (1926.1101).

Additionally, OSHA standards (1915.1001 and 1926.1101) requires employers of all workers whose work exposes them to asbestos above the PEL or excursion limit (1.0 f/cc over 30-minute period) to

Provide training in the engineering controls, work practices, and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE),
Train workers in safety before beginning work and annually,
Train workers regarding the health effects of asbestos exposure, and
Inform workers of the relationship between smoking, asbestos exposure and increased risk of lung cancer.
In addition, OSHA requires employers of workers who are exposed to asbestos above the PEL and who are employed in certain asbestos industries to

Provide and make sure of correct use of PPE (respirators, protective clothing like coveralls and goggles),
To undergo medical surveillance in order to identify those with signs of asbestos-associated disease, remove them from further exposure,
Comply with regulations requiring documentation for work-related injury claims, and
Provide information to workers about where they can go for help to stop smoking.
Components of the required medical surveillance include

Chest radiograph,
Physical examination,
Spirometric test, and
Standard questionnaire.
Further information about OSHA requirements is available at www.osha.gov/SLTC/asbestos/standards.htmlexternal icon.

For further information about protection guidelines, contact NIOSH via 1-800-CDC-INFO or via www.cdc.gov/niosh/contact/.

On 2021-12-05 by Anonymous

Hi, our church is rather old and the tiles in the main part of the church seem to match the photos presented here. I'm presuming they have asbestos in them.

My question is based on my reading that high traffic may cause wear and release of fibers. They appear to be in very good condition, with only scuffs as signs of wear.

How worn do these tiles tend to be before the release of fibers becomes a possibility, and would that release be of a meaningful amount?

On 2021-11-05 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Erin,

That flooring, in the U.S., could be as early as the 1970s

On 2021-11-05 by Erin

Can you tell by looking at this photo if this sheet flooring in my basement could have asbestos In it? It feels like vinyl and is very thin.

It's in good shape ,not broken but it's loose as you can see I was able to carefully lift it to see underneath it and it looks all white and it sits on top of what looks like a few layers of wood on concrete. You can see the flooring was cut with a razor blade or some sort of slicing tool.

The house was built in 1963 in Maryland USA and according to neighbors the family that lived there around lates 80's early 90's did some renovating. By looking at it does that flooring pattern look more to be a 90's style rather than 60's or 70's?

It seems completely intact and not cracked or broken anywhere but we may do some basement upgrades in the near future and I just want to be on top of this.
Thanks Erin

Another photo to add to my vinyl floor question. This photo shows underneath:

On 2021-10-24 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@G,

From the age of your floor tiles and their general appearance, it's likely that they contain asbestos.

Where the floor isn't being demolished, ground, sanded, etc. the hazard from such non-friable material is rather low; treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos and cover it over.

In the Recommended Articles section of this page see ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE

Also see

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

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

On 2021-10-24 by G

Hi. Just removed a carpet in my 1970s house in the uk. My green tiles are 9" x 9" and approx 2-3mm thick. They where stuck on the sub base floor. Do you think it could be asbestos based.
Many thanks

On 2021-10-13 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@D,

I can't say from your photo what that material is.

Please see

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

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

On 2021-10-13 by D

@inspectapedia.com.moderator,

Thank you. I realize that you can't tell for sure without a test, but do you think this is likely to contain asbestos? (Included picture of the back of flooring)

On 2021-10-13 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@D,

The best answer to your question is at

ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE

https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Floor-Tiles-Left-in-Place.php

Please take a look and don't hesitate to ask any follow-up questions that you need.

On 2021-10-13 by D

Pulled up an old carpet on stairs to reveal stuck on vinyl or linoleum in pics. I scrapped off the flooring without much difficulty with a paint scraper on 3 steps and now I'm concerned.

The home is in Media, PA and was built in 1930. I'm not sure how old the stuck on flooring is. The flooring appears to have been cut to fit stairs. It was quite flexible. White underside. No markings except for faint blue arrow on underside. Adhesive appears brown.

Is this likely to have asbestos? What can I do to seal the remaining flooring that I have not pulled up? Thank you!

On 2021-08-14 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - Asbestos in some Canadian DOMCO vinyl- flooring

Domco is a Canadian flooring product some of which contained asbestos as you will find under that name in the INDEX TO RELATED ARTICLES

See details at DOMINION & Other CANADIAN FLOORING ASBESTOS

On 2021-08-13 1 by Sarena Carr

@inspectapedia.com.moderator, Here is a picture of the back of the flooring

...

On 2021-08-10 by Sarena Carr

Can you tell me if the white flooring is asbestos?

Thanks [Photo above]

On 2021-08-06 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Dennis R Bell,

Please check out the easy Q&A on the page above: that's more-complete than if I try to reply again off-the-cuff here; simply giving a bit of information can help you make a reasonable guess at the asbestos question;

The other alternatives are to treat the material as presumed to contain asbestos (cover it) or have a sample tested.

On 2021-08-06 by Dennis R Bell

I was wondering if this flooring might be asbestos? It appears to be a rolled asphalt flooring. Thank you for any information.

On 2021-07-28 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Michael,

So it is not friable in any case, but you should be okay.

On 2021-07-27 by Michael

@danjoefriedman, thank you. Yes it is tan and it is a hard adhesive. Its consistency is much harder than silicone. House was built in 1981.

On 2021-07-27 by (mod) - asbestos hazard from dots of construction adhesive unlikely

@Michael,

If that's 1980's tan or yellow construction adhesive it is not likely to contain asbestos.

On 2021-07-27 by Michael

Does glue under the subfloor contain asbestos? It is brown and looks a lot like other types of wood glue (see image). The house was build in early 80s.

On 2021-06-25 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - asbestos in this Canadian vinyl flooring?

@JeffJ,

Our best advice for you in answering this question is given on the page above. Please take a look and let me know if that leaves you with questions.

In any event if the floor is undamaged it's safest to leave it in place and cover it over.

See details at DOMINION & Other CANADIAN FLOORING ASBESTOS

On 2021-06-25 by JeffJ

Are these blue tiles in my basement (Toronto, Canada) known or likely to contain asbestos?

[Photo above]

On 2021-05-17 by (mod) - need at least some information to guess at asbestos in common floor tile patterns

@Jasmine,

It's possible; you don't give us any of the necessary information to make a useful guess.

See the guidelines given above on this page.

On 2021-05-17 by Jasmine

Is this tile likely to have asbestos?

On 2021-04-23 by (mod) - White Shield Backing ® may identify asbestos-containing Congoleum flooring - or not.

@Lori,

"White Shield Backing (R)" appearing on the back of vinyl flooring may have been used by other manufacturers but it did appear on the back of some Congoleum flooring popular in the 1960s.

At CONGOLEUM-NAIRN FLOOR TILES & LINOLEUM https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Congoleum_Vinyl_Asbestos_Floors.php

you'll see that some Congoleum flooring contained asbestos, often in the white backer.

At least some Congoleum catalogs included a "white shield backing" flooring option noting that

"The White Shield asbestos back assures outstanding performance on most on-grade and below-grade subfloors."

However: that same "White Shield Backing" phrase is still used by some modern Congoleum flooring products that do NOT use asbestos - describing it as
"Inner Liner: White Shield Filled Fibrous Composition"

You need to know more about your building's age and from that infer the possible age of your flooring.

See details at

WHITE SHIELD® BACKING ASBESTOS in FLOORING - in older but not modern Congoleum flooring.

Beyond that guess, my best advice, more complete and researched than I can create in an off-the-cuff reply to a brief note with just a bit of data, is in the article above on this page. Please take a look and then don’t hesitate to post follow-up remarks or questions and we’ll do our best to be helpful.

On 2021-04-23 by Lori

We ripped up some flooring and found on the back "White Shield Backing(R)". Any idea who make this and if it has asbestos?

On 2021-04-16 - by (mod) -

@Roy,

Thank you for the asbestos-suspect flooring question.

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? - 5 easy steps that can help you make a reasonable guess at whether or not the floor you ask about contains asbestos.

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

At the very least, if you can establish the date that the flooring was made or installed then, depending on the country where the flooring was made (and usually where it's installed) you can know if it's an asbestos-candidate.

If that leaves you with suggestions or questions do let me know.

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

If your floor isn't tile but sheet flooring you might also want to see

at RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE - (sheet flooring) https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Sheet_Flooring_Identification.php
organized by year and manufacturer where there are similar floor coverings.

There are so many factories and floor tile patterns, types, sizes, and colors over many decades that just looking through catalogs organized by even color or pattern can daunting task.

One can narrow the question by a reasonable guess about the age of the flooring.
At the very least, narrow the search by the age of the building.

You can narrow the guess further if you know when a building was renovated, or by observing the type of tile adhesive or mastic used.

The floor tile dimensions and thickness are also useful.

With that data you can choose among our floor tile or sheet flooring photo ID guides that are organized by year beginning at the link I gave above.

In any event I agree that there are so many manufactures and floor tile patterns, types, sizes, and colors over many years that they just look through catalogs organized by even color or pattern can daunting task. So you could skip straight to this advice:

ADVICE: For buildings with floor tiles that could be assumed to have been installed in North America before 1986 it would be prudent to treat the flooring as "PACM" or "Presumed Asbestos Containing Material".

The presence of known asbestos-containing flooring does not mean we should panic nor that we should undertake an expensive and dangerous asbestos removal project.

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.

Generally the safest approach is to leave such flooring alone and to cover it with a coating or with another layer of flooring.

On any of our asbestos-related InspectApedia pages, at More Reading you will find

a complete ARTICLE INDEX to ASBESTOS HAZARDS https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Index_Asbestos_Hazards.php

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

We would have much appreciated hearing any comments, criticize, suggestions, or further questions that you may have taken after you've taken a look at the articles I've cited.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information provided free to the public - we have no business or financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website. We do not sell products nor services.

We are dedicated to making our information as accurate, complete, useful, and unbiased as possible: we very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles.


Best wishes, and thank you again for contacting us.

On 2021-04-16 by Roy

This is from the garage of a home built in 1978 and finished in 1980. Every other part of the home has been remodeled, so I'm not positive it is the original tile from 1978.

The size is 12 x 12.

Asbestos, or no?

On 2021-04-06 - by (mod) -

@Whitney, For a better answer than an arm-waving guess on my part, please take a look through the 5 questions above on this page, then let me know what you answered or what you think and I'll be glad to discuss further.

On 2021-04-06 by Whitney

Flooring had mold seeping up through the tile grouts. I pulled it up and found this under it.

Should I be concerned

On 2021-03-29 - by (mod) -

@Kevin, From just the age and appearance of your tiles our options are to treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos, to review the suggestions on the page above to make an educated guess, or to have the material tested.

On 2021-03-29 by Kevin

House built 1968, not covered for some time. 12x12. Is this asbestos? the lighter red is the back of it.

On 2021-03-27 by Jane D

Other style

Late 1970 est. Full sheet flooring. Run away? Good condition but not full down in all areas some lift.

On 2021-03-21 - by (mod) -

@Asb, from just the little image of the floor tile I can't say much but if you would try stepping through the questions and answers that you can give for the article above you can make a more reasonable guess at the asbestos question

On 2021-03-20 by Asb

Hi there, I removed these tiles in my flat - they came up quite easily but left a sticky, gummy black substance behind. What is the likelihood that both the tiles and this adhesive contain asbestos? If so - I assume it’ll be the white type? Thanks for any help you can give.

On 2021-03-09 - by (mod) -

@Jenn,

Unfortunately fairly simple straightforward and popular flooring patterns or made over many years sometimes decades so I don't think that we could give a confident answer to the age of your flooring. It's most likely from the 1970s or later that's the closest one could get. If you take a look at the questions suggested on the page above you'll see that it makes more sense to collect some of the surrounding information such as when the building was constructed.

Even if you can't find a manufacturers identification stamp or product number you can at least find some surrounding information that gives you an idea of what's a reasonable guess as to the age of flooring or other building components.

On 2021-03-09 by Jenn

What year is this flooring from ?

On 2021-02-27 - by (mod) -

@Sara,

That sounds fine; walking barefoot over a floor tile that contains asbestos is not likely to have caused a detectable release of airborne asbestos fibres.

On 2021-02-27 by Sara

Thank you for your prompt response! You've given me much needed assurance. I will seal the hole. I'm still wrecking my brain to find out what caused the hole in the beginning. I have walked on it barefoot quite a bit before knowing about the asbestos factor. Thanks again!

On 2021-02-27 - by (mod) -

@Sara, there is certainly no reason to panic given that the total volume of material that could possibly be involved in the damage in your photos absolutely trivial. Certainly you can if you like seal that area of damage using any clear sealant or shellac in order to stabilize the remaining surface.

On 2021-02-27 by Sara

I'm not sure how this damage occurred. It happened about six months ago. The apartment was built in 1964. I'm not sure when this floor was installed. I scored a bit off of this the other day and it was very crisp and thin. I panicked after reading about asbestos. I have since chalked over it, but there were a lot of white sparkly granulated bits.

On 2021-02-24 by Anonymous

12x12?Armstrong premier solarian vinyl flooring. And 8x8 lamosa tile. House was built in the early 80s. Either of these contain asbestos?

On 2021-02-19 by (mod) - how to reduce the risk for 1964 9x9 floor tiles suspected to contain asbestos

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Hazard-Reduction.php may be of some help

On 2021-02-18 by jakubw

Good evening. We are going to purchase this home and one bonus room/attic space has these floor tiles. The home was built in 1964. Thanks!

On 2021-02-14 - by (mod) -

LINOLEUM & OTHER SHEET FLOORING https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Linoleum_Flooring.php

and

LINOLEUM ASBESTOS CONTENT? https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Linoleum-Asbestos-Content.php

may be of some help

On 2021-02-14 by Anna

Photo #2 of the back of the tile

On 2021-02-14 by Anna

Thanks very much - those articles do help, and I think we'll leave the kitchen tiles for the time being - sounds like they're the most likely to contain asbestos.

The linoleum, on the other hand...I'm wondering if this helps give any more clues: I found a spot where I was able to remove a piece of the linoleum, and I'm attaching a photo of the back of the lino and the hole left behind. It looks like a dark felt backing and there's a black shiny substance that could be the asphalt you mention?

It looks like there's also another layer of something else between the linoleum and the hardwood, though (at least in the small patch where we looked) it doesn't appear to be stuck to the wood as we were able to lift if easily to confirm there's wood underneath.

On 2021-02-13 - by (mod) -

Anna

Your first photo looks like an old linoleum sheet flooring material and the second, like a 1960s or so asphalt - or vinyl - floor tile;

On occasion old sheet flooring contains asbestos, such as in an asphalt-impregnated paper backer or a white papery-backer (later-floors);
Often older floor tiles contain asbestos, varying by country and age and thus the last date at which asbestos-containing materials were produced & sold.

[Click to enlarge any image]


I recommend taking a look at

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD LEVEL ASSESSMENT

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

whose "live" links are in the Recommended Articles listed at the end of the page.

On 2021-02-13 by Anna

Sheet flooring meets kitchen tiles. [Photo above]

Hi there. We have an 1890 home and are uncertain when the sheet flooring and floor tiles were laid. We'd love to get down to the hardwood we assume is underneath. Is this likely to contain asbestos? Is there any further investigation we can do on our own before getting a test? I'll add an additional photo in a second comment.

On 2021-02-12 - by (mod) -

Brown paper, without asphalt, is probably just a building paper product.

Black "roofing felt" type paper often constains asbestos.

On 2021-02-12 by Anon

Hello,

I recently removed 9x9 tiles with a black mastic attaching them. I treated them as presumed asbestos-containing. When pulling them up, underneath was a brown paper adhered to the wood floor underneath.

The tiles came up easily with the black mastic and a thin layer of the paper/felt attached. You can see in the image it looks like it was laid out in approximately 3ft wide rolls, and judging from the scrape marks it may have been a backing for a vinyl sheet flooring or similar that was removed before the tile was installed.

Is this brown paper/felt likely to contain asbestos? Judging from the site here and other resources, most asbestos felt/paper was black, white, or red.

Thank you!

On 2021-01-17 - by (mod) -

That's certainly reasonable. Particularly if the tiles are loose or easily lifted that could cause trouble if you simply installed new flooring on top of them

On 2021-01-17 by Anonymous

Since they can be removed easily as whole pieces, would you recommend removing them? They seem to be just sitting on top of the subflooring. These are just in the kitchen.

On 2021-01-17 - by (mod) -

R

avoid cutting, chopping, sanding, sawing, creating a dusty mess, and leave the floor in place, covering it over with new flooring as the least costly, safest approach recommended by authorities such as the US EPA.

If you must pursue a dusty demolition then either treat the floor as I indicated.

On 2021-01-16 by R

Hi, I couldn't seem to find something similar to compare to in the index to determine whether these contain asbestos. The subflooring is sticky but the tiles easily come off. The back of the tile says armstrong S0112032797. The house was built 1975 in ontario, canada. We've found other tiles under carpeting that look similar to a tile on your site, so we are not going to remove that. Thank you!

On 2020-09-12 by Linda

Hi
I have been trying to identify whether or not this flooring contains asbestos and hoping you can help.

It was found under the carpet my son pulled up in our kitchen.

There is sub flooring underneath and then hardwood flooring. Thank you for your time

On 2020-09-11 - by (mod) -

Angela

If there are loose floor tiles it's typical for those to be removed before you attempt and encapsulation. In the index to related articles above you will see detailed guidelines on procedures for removing flooring as well as for leaving flooring in place. Please take a look and don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions.

In our ARTICLE INDEX, be sure to see

ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE

On 2020-09-11 by Angela

I have what I suspect are 9 inch asbestos tiles in our 3 season porch. I did not know they were there until we pulled up the disgusting indoor/outdoor carpet. They appear to have been installed directly onto the poured concrete slab, which is damp and porous, as the tiles are loose. a few of them have cracked and pieces are missing in area where the water damage is worse.

Can I simply encapsulate this floor, or will I need to remove them? I am concerned that what ever I put down will not adhere, so I am looking at a self leveling concrete pour over, or mortaring flagstone or thin bricks down. This is a room that is high traffic access to the back yard and garage. House was built in 1950, although i suspect this was an add on in later years.

On 2020-08-27 by (mod) - hand-cut floor tiles with asphalt backer typicaly contain asbestos

Those hand-cut floor tiles, Peter, were a common, if labor-intensive flooring method even before the machine-made floor tiles of the 1940s, often cut out of linoleum or similar sheet flooring product.

The black felt backing usually contains asbestos.

On 2020-08-27 by Peter H

This pattern is in a house built in 1890 and is unlike any flooring I've ever seen. Each tile is individually cut and appears to be glued to a black felt backing. I found seams that are 18" apart that suggest that the flooring was laid down in long strips. Can you help identify the manufacturer, date range, and the possibility of asbestos? Thank you!

On 2020-08-23 by Ted

We have a patch of sheet vinyl flooring about 4' x 4' that was discovered under a fake rock like tile that was under a wood burning stove we removed. The pattern is in various almost squares of 1.5" to 2" red brick colored in a circular pattern. The home was built in 1977. The is no history as to the time the flooring or the stove was installed.

We started peeling the flooring up when we realized there was a possibility we could be dealing with asbestos. We don't know who the manufacturer may be. Can anyone give us a hint of anything else we should look for? Or do we just treat it as asbestos? Is there a way to test it? Thanks!

On 2020-08-15 - by (mod) -

Helen and Julia

Those floor tiles almost certainly contain asbestos.

There is no need to be terrified, but you will want to look at the guidelines in the live-links at CONTINUE READING or in our ARTICLE INDEX, for these articles

ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE

ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES

On 2020-08-15 by Helen: asbestos floor tiles in a London Flat

Hi, I've just been doing up my hallway in my London flat (house built 1910ish and converted into flats in the 1980s) and came across these tiles, have now started to panic that they may be asbestos. Help!

On 2020-08-15 by Julia: asbestos-containing floor tiles in a 1970s London house

Hi,

Please help. I am panicking. We bought a house and the floor looks like this. Some of the tidal are broken. House in London build in 1970s. We do not live there. Just started refurbishment. Is it dangerous if we just walk on it?(as we need to remove some old furniture etc ) We ordered a survey. Many thanks.Julia.

On 2020-07-16 - by (mod) - asbestos likely in this 9x9 floor tile

Sally

Those look like vinyl or asphalt-asbestos floor tiles.

Safest is to leave them in place and cover them over - but if they're loose and coming up in any quantity I'd reconsider that.

See the live links above for detailed advice on what to do with these tiles, in the following articles:

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE

ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES

Let me know if those leave you with further questions.

On 2020-07-16 by Sally

Hi! New to the whole asbestos convo... but after a google search for how to DIY remove "old ugly fake wood tiles" in my unfinished basement, I came across all of these articles about asbestos... & according to the internet, the tiles check all the boxes for containing asbestos. Wanted to get a final opinion before we dive into the complex removal process.

Location: unfinished basement with raw concrete flooring. Tiled area is almost perfect square, 144sqft and looks like it might've been a room at one point.

Info on the house: built in 1955, renovated in 1998. located in a flood zone, so a lot of renovations were stripping the basement down to make it FEMA compliant (moving appliances to the main floor, installing flood vents, tearing out walls to open the space up, removing possible carpet/plumbing/electrical wiring.) This tile area is the only thing not removed and stands out among the rest of the raw flooring down there.

Tiles: 9x9 inches, beige with loose striped patterns that look similar to wood texture. Edges are broken and uneven, some middle tiles have corners missing, definitely installed with something dark in color beneath (from the few areas where tiles are broken/missing)

Attached a picture that show the size, tile pattern/colors, condition/breaks, and how it's slightly elevated from the rest of the other floor, so adding another layer of flooring to cover it wouldn't be an option...

Let me know what you think, even if it's a strong guess but can't make any promises! And sorry for the extensive message! We don't want to deal with the wet vac, water sprayer, misc tools, etc unless we're pretty sure it's asbestos, and if so, we'll take the necessary precautions. Thank you!!

On 2020-05-26 - by (mod) -

Anita,

Looking closely at your antique linoleum-type sheet flooring I see what looks like a jute backer combined with a paper backing. See the closeup I'll post below. Those materials are not likely to contain asbestos.

Still, removing any old building materials it would be smart to treat the dust as hazardous and to control dust, wear appropriate protective gear and to damp wipe and HEPA vacuum to clean up the dust and debris.

On 2020-05-26 02:50:47.861118 by Anita

I live in a 1920’s house. I don’t know if the sheet material that I’d like to remove contains asbestos or not. It appears to have a darker, felt like backing. Any ideas?

On 2020-05-25 - by (mod) -

Yes, Tom.

As you can read in this article series the best option is to leave the flooring in place and cover it over.

On 2020-05-24 by Tom

Looking to renevate a 1930's home in the UK. Do these look like asbestos tiles?

On 2020-05-22 - by (mod) -

Those look like asphalt asbestos floor tiles.

On 2020-05-21 by CB

I couldn’t find a match for these in your guide. Our inspector flagged them as possibly containing asbestos. They are 9x9 in a house built in 1941. Thanks!

On 2020-05-21 by Anonymous

Thanks a lot you've been so helpful. I'm glad you're here as a resource!

On 2020-05-21 - by (mod) - Quebec position on asbestos hazards in residential buildings

Fresh air ventilation and a follow-up cleaning by damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming are reasonable if you're concerned about the airborne asbestos & demolition dust.

Quebec may not treat asbestos in a residence as "a hazard" -
Quebec's regulations that pertain to asbestos in the workplace can be found at
Chapter S-2.1, r. 13
Regulation respecting occupational health and safety
Act respecting occupational health and safety
(chapter S-2.1, s. 223).
http://legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/showdoc/cr/S-2.1,%20r.%2013

For a legal viewpoint see
Canada: Asbestos Regulation In Quebec
18 December 2009
by Katia Opalka
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
https://www.mondaq.com/canada/environmental-law/91226/asbestos-regulation-in-quebec

On 2020-05-20 by Kate

Thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate your input. I've been very worried.

That is slightly reassuring though I did do a bit of cutting with a knife and my partner broke some pieces in half to better dispose of them, and there was a little scraping (before I realized the trick to wet it first) overall there was not a large amount of dust but I fear just enough.

I mopped and cleaned the floors and opened the kitchen door to hopefully ventilate the area, unfortunately I also have a rack of clothing in the area (I live in a small rented apartment

. If I am dealing with asbestos, I heard it can linger in the air for a long time afterwards and in clothing, is this true? Would the air in my home remain unsafe for long after the clean up? (I should mention there is not much division between where I sleep and my kitchen.

I'm going to write my landlord a notification, I think this would qualify as urgent repairs given the floors were falling apart for so long but I'm not so sure about all my rights on the subject.
(sorry to bombard you with questions, I contacted the Quebec rental board but the guy didn't seem to know much about asbestos) Thanks again for your attention.

On 2020-05-20 - by (mod) - possible asbestos in sheet flooring backer, 1970s Montreal home

Kate

Thanks for the question and photos of asbestos-suspect flooring. From the limited information we have from you I agree that it's reasonable to either have a sample of the flooring and backer tested for asbestos or simply to treat it as presumed to contain asbestos.

Don't panic - that alone can be bad for your health as well as your wallet.

The flooring that comes-up easily, without much breakage and dust, is of minimal hazard. But where the flooring is disintegrating and separating from its backer, more care in removal and cleanup are warranted.

You can minimize risk by using proper wetting and cleanup methods and wearing a HEPA-rated respirator or mask etc.

Take a look at the detailed suggestions at ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

On 2020-05-20 by Kate

Hi, I'm living in Montreal, I believe my kitchen floors may have been put down in the 70s or perhaps early 80s, they started coming up and breaking apart and were no longer even glued to the floor beneath which I could see was some decent wood floors

so I made the rash decision to take it up on my own.

I'm about half way through now and they came up with great ease (with the exception of one corner) only now I've been doing some research and

I'm extremely concerned that the paper backing on this floor is a high contender for asbestos and from what I've seen online regarding these

paper backings, they may contain up to 70% or more of asbestos, which is frightening to consider given my exposure at this point.

I'm a little desperate to find out now and I came across your site,

I was wondering if you might be able to identify the floors?

Or have any idea what material I could be dealing with? Thanks.

Here is a closer image as well, for further examination of the paper lining

On 2020-05-18 - by (mod) - how you should proceed with your asbestos-suspect floor tiles

Erika

For a useful answer to your perfectly reasonable questions of what is your risk and how you should proceed with your asbestos-suspect floor tiles, please take a look at these two articles that give more-complete advice than if I make it up anew from memory

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD LEVEL ASSESSMENT

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

Most likely your risk is trivial as you report the floor is basically un-damaged,and a reasonable approach - most recommended by experts and authorities as safest and least costly - is to leave the floor in place and either seal its surface or cover it over with new flooring.

On 2020-05-18 by Erika

We started to take up carpet in the basement of our split level. The floor is in good condition except for where the carpet was staples to the floor and the edges of the floor where there was tack strips the tile has cracked. What is our risk here and how can we proceed ?

On 2020-05-20 - by (mod) -

Kate

Thanks for the question and photos of asbestos-suspect flooring. From the limited information we have from you I agree that it's reasonable to either have a sample of the flooring and backer tested for asbestos or simply to treat it as presumed to contain asbestos.

Don't panic - that alone can be bad for your health as well as your wallet.

The flooring that comes-up easily, without much breakage and dust, is of minimal hazard. But where the flooring is disintegrating and separating from its backer, more care in removal and cleanup are warranted.

You can minimize risk by using proper wetting and cleanup methods and wearing a HEPA-rated respirator or mask etc.

Take a look at the detailed suggestions at ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

On 2020-05-20 by Kate

Hi, I'm living in Montreal, I believe my kitchen floors may have been put down in the 70s or perhaps early 80s, they started coming up and breaking apart and were no longer even glued to the floor beneath which I could see was some decent wood floors so I made the rash decision to take it up on my own.

I'm about half way through now and they came up with great ease (with the exception of one corner) only now I've been doing some research and I'm extremely concerned that the paper backing on this floor is a high contender for asbestos and

from what I've seen online regarding these paper backings, they may contain up to 70% or more of it, which is frightening to consider given my exposure at this point.

I'm a little desperate to find out now and I came across your site, I was wondering if you might be able to identify the floors? Or have any idea what material I could be dealing with? Thanks.

Here is a closer image as well, for further examination of the paper lining

On 2020-05-18 - by (mod) -

Erika

For a useful answer to your perfectly reasonable questions of what is your risk and how you should proceed with your asbestos-suspect floor tiles, please take a look at these two articles that give more-complete advice than if I make it up anew from memory

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD LEVEL ASSESSMENT

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

Most likely your risk is trivial as you report the floor is basically un-damaged,
and
a reasonable approach - most recommended by experts and authorities as safest and least costly - is to leave the floor in place and either seal its surface or cover it over with new flooring.

On 2020-05-18 by Erika

We started to take up carpet in the basement of our split level.

The floor is in good condition except for where the carpet was staples to the floor and the edges of the floor where there was tack strips the tile has cracked. What is our risk here and how can we proceed ?

On 2020-05-14 - by (mod) -

Kevin, Jute backer is characteristic of linoleum.

Check out the linoleum articles in the ARTICLE INDEX to see backer and pattern photos.

Or see this article on LINOLEUM where we discuss jute backing

On 2020-05-14 by Kevin

Can't tell if this is vinyl or linoleum. Any guesses as to whether asbestos might be present? Unsure of age/date installed.

thanks

On 2020-05-08 - by (mod) -

Anabel,

Some older asphalt (black) based adhesives as well as some tan water-based adhesives used to adhere floor tiles contained asbestos.

You'll understand that just from a photo one can't assert for sure if your carpet adhesive contained asbestos or not.

You can review the questions above on this page to make a reasonable guess (such as figuring the age of the materials involved), or you can treat the material as presumed to contain asbestos, or you can have a sample of the material tested for asbestos.

See ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES

and also

ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

Seal off the work area to avoid tracking dust into other building areas, wear persona protective equipment (PPE), use damp wiping and HEPA vacuumng.

On 2020-05-08 by Anabel

Hi, I have just removed a carpet from a bedroom and found a kind of cement in some areas of the room. I am worried that it might contain asbestos, what should I do?

On 2020-04-26 - by (mod) -

Tom

Not a very easily-identified pattern, but it'd be prudent to treat that floor as presumed to contain asbestos. Take a look at the ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION article in the more-reading links.

On 2020-04-26 by tom6142@netscape.net

Trying to determine if this, circa 1967, is asbestos.

On 2020-02-26 - by (mod) -

Yes that floor could contain asbestos, based just on possible age.

Please step through the 5 easy questions at DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos

On 2020-02-26 by Anna

Recently pulled up carpet on a home that was originally built in 1957, but completely renovated in 2005, to find these 9x9 tiles on my hallway.

On 2020-02-25 - by (mod) -

Marz

I the ARTICLE INDEX you'll find out articles on asbestos in tile mastic adhesive and some advice. Regarding the little bit of cutting that you did seems to me that it's appropriate to clean up dust using wet or damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming

On 2020-02-25 by (mod)

Probably.

At the top of this article please see

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

On 2020-02-25 by Nina Stephens

Do these contain asbestos? I can find in your data base of photos

Or these?

On 2020-02-25 by Marz - white vinyl floor tiles containing asbestos

Removed some white vinyl floor tiles containing asbestos by wetting with mist sprayer and using a scraper to lift tiles away from ground, there was not any dusting during the process.

Once this had been done, I noticed a slight protrusion above the original ground surface of cement, which had covered an old copper pipe (central heating, 15mm).

This cement was chipped away and an angle grinder was used to cut away part of the protruding copper pipe so as re-cement flush with original floor. I tried to only cut the copper, however, the cement to the side of it was cut along with a fine layer of mastic coating (surface area 20mm x 3mm of mastic), there was dust.

My concern is that the mastic glue/adhesive that was beneath the vinyl tiles contained asbestos. My questions are: Should I be worried? By cutting such a small part, have I potentially contaminated my house (downstairs)? Is the mastic coating much of a concern if contained asbestos ?

The pictures shows the mastic layer on top of cement. I am assuming the cement itself doesn't contain anything harmful (?)

Since this happened, I've covered all remaining mastic with a coat of pva glue, to seal it in; I intend to continue laying stone tiling over the remaining exposed areas..

Any advise would be appreciated.

On 2020-02-23 - by (mod) - The contractor refused to clean it up saying it might be asbestos

Of course, Doug. Send a sample to a certified asbestos test lab.

See ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST

On 2020-02-23 by Doug

We were doing a flooring replacement in our kitchen and when they ripped out the MDF subflooring, there was this paper backing left over from a linoleum floor that had been installed in 1975.

The contractor refused to clean it up saying it might be asbestos and now our kitchen and dining room look like this.

I pulled a bit off and set it on fire and it burned quickly but us there any way of testing this? We may be stuck with this floor for a month as we need to change the kitchen cabinets before a new floor goes in.

On 2020-02-18 - by (mod) - white-backed sheet flooring could contain asbestos

Lolly

That white-backed sheet flooring could contain asbestos as does, sometimes, asphalt-saturated felt underlayment.

On 2020-02-18 by Lolly Kerr

Here’s a photo of the wood planks we found under the linoleum and oilcloth, any chance we are dealing with abestos

On 2020-02-18 - by (mod) -

Damp wipe, wash, HEPA vacuuming are fine.

On 2020-02-18 by Anonymous

Regrettably we have no photos, it was carted off to the dump as soon as we got it out. We did break it into manageable pieces before taking it out and that's the step I see we should have avoided.

It did have the old "asphalt/tarry kind of backing and would have been popular in the 40s.

I'm going to assume there was asbestos and wait a few days and wash the walls and the floor well, it that the right thing to do?

Also there is an oily residue in/on the wood floor, maybe from the oil cloth itself or the tarpaper, it's not anything that can be scarped off, seems to be in the wood.

Do you think it is hazardous in terms of asbestos? I'm planning to paint over it. Helpful idea?

On 2020-02-18 by (mod) -

Loreli

It is possible that the "tar paper" backer, (asphalt impregnated paper also known as "felt" or asphalt-felt) contained asbestos. If you simply rolled it up and carried it out without grinding, chopping, or making a dusty mess, the potential hazards from that material are minimal.

If you have photos of the front pattern and back surface those would be most helpful.

On 2020-02-18 by Lorelei Oulton-Kerr

We removed old oilcloth, the kind that came in large room size squares, often with decorations around the edges, from our old house.

There were newspapers underneath from 1949, and most of the room had tar paper between the newspaper and the oilcloth. Do you think the oilcloth or the tar paper from that era contained asbestos?

On 2020-02-08 by Terra Noland

Floor tiles in Audubon Elementary School within the Jefferson County Public School system in Louisville, KY. School built in 1954.

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

Quite possibly, David.

Step through the 5 easy questions above on this page beginning at https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php

to make a reasonable guess - or have a sample tested

On 2020-02-02 by David

Does this look like asbestos tile? Found after ripping kitchen floor.

 

On 2020-01-11 by (mod) -

Rah

Because your floor is most-likely an asphalt-asbestos floor tile and you describe it as breaking up and crumbling, it is potentially hazardous.

To know for certain you'd need to have a sample of the floor tested for asbestos (find labs using the ASBESTOS TEST LAB LIST given at the More Reading section of this article).

The safest course would be to cover over the floor but if it's too fragile you may need to have loose material removed before flooring-over.

On 2020-01-11 by Rah

Our house was built in 1960 and starting at basement steps we have black 12x12 tile that is likely asbestos.

Then cheap basement carpet in main area of basement ( looks like just glue type material underneath. Then in laundry room the black tile again but since it’s on concrete it’s breaking up , crumbling in many spots

( The tile) does that make it a hazard? Or is it still safe as long as we are not disturbing it. We moved in 3 years and I don’t believe there was mention of any issue. Thoughts ? Thanks

On 2019-11-29 by (mod) -

Rose

Sorry but I really can't see much in your photo except carpet padding. You might try the easy questions on this page to make a reasonable guess.

On 2019-11-29 by Rose

Does this look like it’s possibly asbestos contaminated? I’d like to remove the carpet but am concerned I’d make a bigger issue

On 2019-11-21 by max again- 9x9 paper back tile

it's 9x9 paper back tile and the house was built in 1983. it's really pliable and it definitely doesn't feel like "tile" . it's extremely thin and like i said has a paper backing.

On 2019-11-20 by (mod) -

Max

Without any other information, your best bet at making an intelligent guess is to go through the 5 easy questions found at the top of this page.

Let us know what your answers are.

On 2019-11-20 by max -

is this flooring known to have asbestos or not?

On 2019-10-22 by (mod) - Can I just install new vinyl plank floors over the cracked existing sheet vinyl tiles

Yes you can

On 2019-10-22 by Jack

Radon is not a concern in my location. Can I just install new vinyl plank floors over the cracked existing sheet vinyl tiles floors that possibly contain asbestos without having to seal the cracks on the existing asbestos floor?

On 2019-10-21 1 by (mod) - reasons for sealing cracks in floor covering on a concrete slab

Sometimes the reasons for sealing cracks in floor covering on a concrete slab if the building is in the area where radon is a concern.

The other reason for using a tile isolation membrane over such cracks is if we're going to install tile flooring through which the crack might Telegraph. Otherwise for example installing plank flooring that's not likely to be a concern.

So your plank flooring to recite would not show the presence of the cracks below

On 2019-10-21 by Jack

Would I need to seal the cracks on the existing vinyl floors first or could I just cover it with new flooring without having to seal cracks? Would luxury vinyl plank floors be suitable to cover the existing vinyl floor?

On 2019-10-17 by (mod) - tips for installing tile or vinyl over a cracked slab

Jack,

You can cover the existing floor with new sheet flooring, vinyl tile flooring, or another product. There is no reasonable probability that one could, after that step, detect [possible] asbestos particles nor any other particles passing from the original floor below up through the new floor.

If you're using any type of sheet or tile flooring over cracks in a concrete slab floor it is important first to

1. Diagnose the cause of the cracking and be sure that the slab has been stabilized against further movement

2. Seal and cover the existing cracks against radon, water seepage, and also against telegraphing of the existing cracks visually up through new sheet vinyl or vinyl tiles or as new hairline cracks in ceramic tiles - typically the crack is sealed and a mesh tape is applied over the crack to prevent that telegraphing

Some products and texts call this "un-coupling" and companies sell un-coupling tapes and mats such as "RedGard" - we discuss this topic

at CONCRETE SLAB CRACK REPAIR

See more details at TILE ISOLATION MEMBRANES where we discuss Custom Building Products' RedGuard Uncoupling Mat & Uncoupling Crack Isolation Seam Tape and membranes (shown above) and other Concrete Slab Crack Suppression and Isolation Joint Tape products.

Also see these articles

CONCRETE SLAB CRACK EVALUATION

SEAL CRACKS in CONCRETE, HOW TO

On 2019-10-17 06: by Jack

I am re posting another picture of the vinyl floors in my kitchen. This [above] is a better view so perhaps you might be able to identify the pattern floor this time.

This house was built in 1983 and these vinyl floors are the original back when the house was constructed in 1983.

My house has a major foundation problem and a large portion of these vinyl floors have cracked in multiple places measuring several about 3 feet in cracks in the tile.

I can still cover this existing floor with a new layer of floors correct?

On 2019-10-16 1 by (mod) - how do I manage the asbestos risk from this flooring?

Please See the advice in my first reply - there you'll see that for tiles or sheet flooring suspected to contain asbestos, the recommended approach that is safest and least expensive to boot is to simply cover over the flooring with new material.

See details at

• ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

and

• ASBESTOS FLOORING LEFT IN PLACE

On 2019-10-16 by Jack

Thanks for the response,

I do have another question to ask however.

As you can see from the image, the vinyl floor tile is damaged/has a rip. I don’t know how or when it happened as the house is being sold this way. Is it possible for asbestos fibers to be released in the air due to this rip/damage on the vinyl sheet tile?

Do I need to apply a special type of sealant on the ripped area or can I just install new kitchen floors over these existing tiles? Do I need to repair this damage before installing the new floors that will cover the existing vinyl sheet tiles?

I was considering removing these vinyl tiles out of the kitchen but doing so might cause more harm than good. Installing new floors over the existing tiles might be a safer and cheaper option. What do you think?

I just need to know if I should repair the damaged vinyl sheet tile before installing new floors, preferably luxury vinyl plank. I am concerned if the asbestos fibers in the damaged floor can find a way to creep through the new floors and be released into the air.

On 2019-10-15 by (mod) -

I don't recognize that exact flooring pattern, Jack and am guessing it's an early 1980s vinyl sheet flooring; vinyl floor tiles or sheet flooring were made or installed before 1986 should be treated as a floor covering presumed to contain asbestos or else have a sample tested (and report the results here please).

That doesn't mean there's reason to panic; avoid cutting, chopping, sanding, sawing, creating a dusty mess, and leave the floor in place, covering it over with new flooring as the least costly, safest approach recommended by authorities such as the US EPA.

If you must pursue a dusty demolition then either treat the floor as I indicated.

On 2019-10-15 by Jack

I forgot to mention in my earlier comment this house was constructed in Houston, Texas, United States. Custom home built in 1983. These are some type of plastic vinyl floor tiles in kitchen

Does this vinyl kitchen floor contain asbestos? This is a custom built house constructed in 1983 currently under contract I am purchasing. The interior of the house is very outdated with original carpet and I am assuming the vinyl tile floors in kitchen are the original floors from 1983.

On 2019-10-14 by (mod) -

Yes Ana some sheet flooring in the pattern of photos below contained asbestos;

On 2019-10-13 by Ana

Here is the light layer, in my previous comment.

On 2019-10-13 by Ana

We just bought a house built in 1979, North Carolina United States.

In the basement, there are several layers of flooring all of which are rolling back due to water damage. Do any of these fit the asbestos category? The light color is over the green layer.

The green layer is over cement.

On 2019-10-07 by (mod) -

CB

Probably the tile is not an asbestos-containing one but it COULD contain asbestos - sorry for talking like a politician. Unfortunately some peel and stick tiles made up to the early to mid 1980's contained asbestos

The 5 simple questions at the top of this page can help tell you if an unknown floor covering contains asbestos

Thanks for asking;

On 2019-10-07 by CB56

Does this tile contain asbestos? It is peel and stick. The tile is black with an olive green marbled vinyl layer on top and creamy colored trim around edges.

Would have been installed sometime after 1977.

On 2019-09-30 by (mod) -

Christi

If you reviewed the easy questions about the chances of your 1970s 12x12 floor tiles containing asbestos given in the article above and are still uncertain how to proceed, the short answer is either treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos or have a sample tested.

Unfortunately, particularly for 1970s and early 1980's vinyl floor tiles there were popular patterns that were originally produced using asbestos (fibers and filler) that later were produced in almost the identical design but without asbestos. So relying on the exact flooring pattern match alone to assume that the floor is asbestos-free is not reliable.

While there are some 12x12 vinyl tiles that don't contain asbestos, we've certainly had asbestos test lab reports back that did find asbestos in 12x12 vinyl flooring, so in my OPINION it makes sense to treat your 1970s flooring as containing asbestos OR to have a sample tested before removal.

The risk of not doing so is creating a dusty mess that might be hazardous and that might then require more-expensive cleaning of various building areas that become contaminated with that dust. In sum it's far cheaper to test a sample (less than $50. U.S.) than to have to do a costly cleanup later.

On 2019-09-30 by Christi W.

Hi - I am trying to figure out the likelihood if the basement floor under my carpet contains asbestos. The house was built in the early 70s and is in the suburbs of Washington, DC. The tiles are 12x12 and the mastic is NOT black. My contractor isn't concerned but I am and not sure how to research it before he starts demo.

Can you help me tell if this floor is likely to contain asbestos? It's 12x12 and the mastic is not black.

Question: worried the council is covering up an asbestos problem

I would really appreciate your help

I had a flood in my property and the tiles have started breaking in worried about the risk of asbestos.

The council is offering to retire the floor but to be honest I'm worried that they are covering the damages before I can gather proof I would really appreciate a second opinion if possible.

I appreciate that this might be inconvenient for you but it would help me greatly as I'm worrying out of my mind right now.

- Anonymous by private email 2019/08/23

Reply:

I'm unclear what proof you need or what problem you're solving but based just on your brief text I can offer a bit of advice..

If the floor is old enough to be an asbestos-containing vinyl or asphalt based tile, best would be to cover it over with new materials: safest and least costly.

To make an informed guess - before testing - at whether or not your floor contains asbestos take a look at the 5 easy questions found at

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS?

 

Watch out, however: if your floor flooded such that water entered the subfloor there may be hidden damage that ultimately will need repair, and if water entered building wall cavities there is a risk of a hidden mold contamination problem.

Watch out also for allowing your self to panic over this floor question. It's quite possible that the health injury from that worry is greater than that of picking up loose tile fragments and covering over the flooring.

More advice is at

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD LEVEL ASSESSMENT

where you'll see that the principal risk concerning asbestos containing floor tiles is the creation of a dusty mess during demolition, grinding, sanding, or chopping up of the material.

and

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

where we give examples of things to do to minimize the asbestos particle release risk for old floor coverings.

On 2019-07-18 by (mod) - Does this contain asbestos. The tile is 12 x 12

Pat,

We Can Make a Better guess if you could trouble to take a look at the five simple questions about on this page

On 2019-07-18 by Pat

Does this contain asbestos. The tile is 12 x 12

The back of the tiles have nothing on them other than maybe 2 blue arrows. I don’t know how old these floors are, but they look like they were the peel and stick vinyl tiles. The house was built around 1910’s.

On 2019-04-05 by (mod) -

Saif

Please take a look at, and see if you can answer at least 4 of the 5 easy questions at the top of this page to form a reasonable answer to the question "Does This Floor Contain Asbestos"

and let me know what you think.

On 2019-04-05 by saif

does this floor contain asbestos?

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

Question: do Vinylasa Floor Tiles Contain Asbestos?

Moved to: VINYLASA FLOOR TILE ASBESTOS?

...

Continue reading at DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos , or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE - home
• ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION COLOR KEY - 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 -
• FLOOR COVERINGS: 1900 - 1949
• MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS
• RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE

Suggested citation for this web page

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - FAQs 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

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca

Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---