Kentile Flooring identification requests, questions, answers:

FAQs about how to identify asbestos-containing Kentile or KenFlex floor tiles: Kentile ID requests & frequently-asked questions (and answers) about Kentile flooring and its asbestos hazard risks.

In this article series we provide a photo guide to Kentile asphalt-asbestos flooring & Kentile vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photographs, a list of product names, styles, colors, and vinyl-asbestos floor patterns, and colors for asbestos-containing floor tile products - flooring materials that are reported to or have been confirmed to contain asbestos in asbestos fiber or asbestos powder-filler form. We report on both asbestos-containing Kentile flooring and later Kentiles tested and found asbestos-free.

Kentile Flooring ID Requests & FAQs

These photos and questions and answers about identifying asbestos-containing Kentile flooring were posted originally at KENTILE KENFLEX ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE GUIDE - be sure to review that article for our best guide in identifying Kentile floors.

On 2018-05-06 by (mod) - treat this Kentile flooring as presumed to contain asbestos, or otherwise have a sample tested

Jim,

I would treat this Kentile flooring as presumed to contain asbestos, or otherwise have a sample tested using a certified lab: see ASBESTOS TESTING LABS

;As we've had only rare (and sometimes questionable) reports of Kentiles that did NOT contain asbestos, it would be prudent for you to treat the flooring as presumed to contain asbestos.

That's not a reason to panic; avoid making a dusty mess, grinding, sawing, etc. and the flooring isn't likely to produce a measurable asbestos hazard. Certainly not sitting in a box.

;Use the "Add Image" button next to the Comment button to post photos of the box and its labeling and of the tile pattern and of any markings on the tile back and I can research further.

On 2018-04-10 by vdesapio1

I have a box of Kentile 12" x 12" x 1/8" Parma Beige
The ID # is 610 2H038J
02810

Can it be determined from this information if this product contains asbestos?
Thank you, Jim DeSapio

On 2018-01-31 by (mod) - asbestos in Kentile Desert Sand floor pattern?

Excellent, thank you, Pat. I'll look further at the photos. Desert Sand was a long-popular pattern made by Kentile.

I'd like to find a date code de-coder for the Kentile box stampings adn am looking into that. I am very doubtful that the stamp at the upper right of the box photo "11/48" could really indicate the year since the Kentile company stopped operation in 1995.

091052 does not match contemporary manufacturing date encoding rules.

On 2018-01-30 by Pat - Kentile Desert Sand floor pattern & packaging photos

This is the picture of the tile.

Thank you for your quick response. I believe the pictures of the box and the tile are attached.

On 2018-01-30 by (mod) - a few readers report tests of late-produced Kentiles as not having asbestos - though I'm dubious.

Pat

;I agree with your position exactly. We have had a few readers report tests of late-produced Kentiles as not having asbestos - though I'm dubious.

If you particularly want to use the tile, the cost of testing a sample is low, usually less than $50. U.S. - search InspectApedia using the search box above to find ASBESTOS TEST LABS to see how to easily find a certified lab.
There could be other considerations:

The flooring at this point may be a bit brittle compared with when new.

Also unless you have enough material to keep some extra tiles aside you would not be able to match and replace flooring that might be damaged in the future.
I would like to see photos of the tile for pattern ID and also of all sides of the boxes so we can document its labeling.

You can use the picture frame ICON to attache those images if you're willing.
Thanks

;Daniel

On 2018-01-30 by Pat - Kentile vinyl compositon tile marked Desert Sand 15231 J256A.

I was given 4 boxes of Kentile vinyl compositon tile marked Desert Sand 15231 J256A.

The boxes have been stored for a number of years. I know they came from Lowe's, and a sticker on the box looks like it is marked 11/11/99.

I had planned to use the tile in my kitchen, but after reading information about Kentile products, I am not sure if that is wise. In your opinion, without having testing done, is is best to assume asbestos is present and not use the tile?

On 2017-09-17 by (mod) - Kentiles from 1976 most-likely contain asbestos.

Clyde,

Kentiles from 1976 most-likely contain asbestos. Only a few lab tests from the very last production runs seem to find no asbestos in Kentile products.
I recommend purchasing new vinyl floor tiles that won't contain asbestos.

OR if you love these tiles, have a sample tested - costs about $40. - see
inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Test_Lab_Lists.php

;I would not use vinyl tile for a sauna floor. The floor will be both hot, possibly uncomfortably so, and very slippery when wet.

;Typical sauna floors are over concrete slab or ceramic tile on subfloor with a drain, over which drop in panels of basswood, cedar, or pine wood that is comfortable and attractive and not slippery.

;If you are set on vinyl flooring then you'll want to add over it drop in rubber no-slip matting such as the Lok-Tile mat sold by Uline and other suppliers. Do NOT use an organic mastic, you're right that you need a heat tolerant adhesive, though that's more critical with fireplace tiles than sauna floor tiles.

Tile people will probably concur that best over a framed floor that may be slightly flexible would be a latex-based thinset mastic/adhesive that is also waterproof, such as products sold by Weldwood.

;You'll also see by reading their product labels or data specification sheets that adhesive manufacturers like Armstrong, Acryl-Pro, Roberts, Weldwood, have different products recommended for resilient flooring (vinyl) than for ceramic tile flooring.

;That leaves us at either a latex thinset (superior on plywood) or an epoxy based thinset (superior on concrete).

;Oh and please use the page top and bottom CONTACT link to find our email to send me some sharp photos of all sides of your tile box and of the front and backs of your tiles themselves. That'd be helpful.

On 2017-09-17 by Clyde White

I have a box of Kentile Georgetown Old Colonial Brick pattern floor tile.

The box says that it is a "solid vinyl tile" and makes no mention of asbestos. I think this box of tile was purchased around 1976. I am considering putting this tile down on the floor of a sauna that I am constructing in my home. Two questions:

First, does this tile contain asbestos.

Second, is there a preferred glue that would hold the tile down considering the high heat experienced in a sauna room?

On 2016-10-19 17:56:43.594144 by (mod) -

Sorry for the delayed reply, Ned, the moderator (me) has been traveling on assignment out of e-contact.

;You might find older Kentiles for sale at various old house restoration websites.

However since at least the older Kentiles are an asbestos-containing material it's not likely that they'll be easy to locate.

Please use the page bottom CONTACT link to send me photos of the box labeling and an image of the tiles as well as of any printing on the tile backer. If you know the year that the floor was installed or a manufacturing date of the flooring that'd be helpful.

On 2016-10-17 01:11:22.454811 by Ned W

I have Kentile reinforced vinyl tile and I need a few more to replace a few in my basement floor the the box says they are marble white chipstone and ithe box is embossed with letters that say 1M278B and also 1195 if anybody knows where I can get a box of these I would appreciate it these are 12 x 12" size with thickness of 1/16 of an inch

On 2016-10-04 03:23:53.538491 by Brian

I had some water damage and was wondering if there was a modern equivalent to the Kentile Carnival ceramic tiles.

On 2016-05-23 14:51:16.925948 by (mod) -

Kate the link you cited did not open at first but ultimately we were able to see it. It is reasonable to assume that Kentiles contain asbestos and to treat them accordingly. 9" Kentiles are even more likely to be an older product.

;These two pallets of about 65 boxes of [purportedly-mostly] Kentile flooring were being sold at purplewave.com, an auction website, and when we looked (23 May 2016) had a winning bid of $10. Described were Kentile-labe3led boxes of 9" x 1/8" thick "Asphalt Style Tile" (229 mm x 229 mm) labelled ????..

can J208A 08:22 00019 with a torn label reading in part 292?? Etruscan - the tile pattern of a box shown in close-up. The flooring was manufactured by Kentile Operating Company, Chicago, IL 60632 USA; Colors includes white, beige, green, gray, red, and perhaps others as we will illustrate.

The pallets of Kentile flooring were reported to be located at USD 308 Hutchinson Public Schools, 732 E 1st., Hutchinson KS 67501. The auction website added: "For information related to this specific item, please contact Vance Mayes at mayesv@usd308.com or 620.615.4045."

[Readers note: by the time you read this most likely this mateiral will no longer be at this site. We advise directing any inquires to the auction website. - Ed. ]

On 2016-05-23 14:27:03.679121 by (mod) -

re-posting

;Kate H said:
I was searching a Midwestern auction house this morning and found a listing for commercial Kentile 9" squares approx. 65 boxes of them.

In searching for more information about the product as a basement flooring option or contents of the tile as an art-printmaking supply like linoleum, I found your site and article.

These tiles look very like the marbleized patterns in your photos, though the boxes appear new. Is this an asbestos product and should the seller/auction house be contacted.

Possible Solid Color Hexagonal Kentile? Vinyl Asbestos Flooring

The floor tile photo shown here was provided by Meryl Silvers as a possible example of Kentile flooring that is being investigated.

The floor tiles shown at left were most-likely not a Kentile flooring product - Ed.

CONTACT us if you have additional information about or examples of this product. Testing for asbestos content is in process and will be reported here. Ms. Silvers describes the flooring as follows:

There is no writing at all on the back. Each of the 6 tile sides measures 4 inches. The tile is 8 inches wide and 7 inches long.

The tile is about 1/8th of an inch. From the edge view  it appears it has three thin layers. The top camel colored layer has a white colored edge.

The middle layer extends a bit past the top one to create a look of "grout". I believe this grout part also measures 1/8th of an inch. The backing is a light beige color, with a slight pattern(as opposed to being matte)

Reader questions about Kentile flooring Hazard:

In 1984 I put vinyl tile in my foyer and powder room. I was thinking of putting more in my laundry room, and even though it was a long shot, I did an internet search to see if I could find the same thing. Although I do not remember for sure what I have, the name Kentile popped in my head.

Needless to say I was quite upset to discover that my tile may contain asbestos, and what happened to the company. How can I determine if my tile was Kentile, and if it has asbestos.

As you can see from the picture, one of the tiles has a chip.(which I read could make it dangerous) I have an extra tile could be used for testing. Any suggestions you can give me would be quite helpful. I'm not sure who I should be turning to for help.

If it turns out I do have Kentile and you can use the pictures for your site , please do so. - M.S. 10/26/2010

Reply:

The approximate age of your Kentile flooring products (older than 1985) means you can make a fair guess at the chances that your tiles, if Kentiles, contain asbestos. (I haven't seen the particular tile pattern in your photos but will continue researching it - thanks for the photos) - Is there any printed information on the back of that tile you removed? And can you give me the dimensions including thickness?

You could also send a tile sample to an asbestos test lab for examination, or where the floors are in good condition, intact - and thus generally not harmfujl, you can just install new flooring overtop the old.

If you are going to remove asbestos-suspect flooring you'll need to have it done by someone who knows how to avoid creating an asbestos dust hazard in your home.

More complete advice is at https://InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse/asbestoslookB.htm and if that advice leaves you with questions just ask and I'll do my best to help further.

Don't panic - doing so will get you $$ gouged by someone. It's not radioactive, and if not damaged and friable, best left alone.

Reader follow-up: description of un-used Kentile Flooring

Thanks! I did not remove any tiles..I happen to have a few brand new ones. There is no writing at all on the back. Each of the 6 sections measure 4 inches. The tile is 8 inches wide and 7 inches long.The tile is very thin. I think it is measures 1/8th of an inch.From the side it appears it has three thin layers. The top camel colored layer has a white colored edge. The middle layer extends a bit past the top one to create a look of "grout".I believe this grout part also measures 1/8th of an inch. The backing is a light beige color, with a slight pattern(as opposed to being matte)

Since there are no Kentile pictures on the site you mention that look like mine it is hard to tell what I have.
I would not describe my floor as damaged in any way. If you look very carefully you can see some fine scratch lines, and one of the tiles has a chip. Otherwise I think it looks pretty good for it's age.

I will look into sending a tile somewhere to be tested. If it does turn out to have asbestos, is it safe for me to live with it the way it is? The area is large(175 sq feet), and it will probably cost several thousand dollars to cover it since I would probably want to use ceramic tile. Thanks so much for your help. Let me know if you need any more information. - M.S.

A flooring man was recently at my house.He told me that he used to rep Kentile, and he is pretty positive the vinly tile I have is from another company.(He couldn't remember which) He said Kentile did not make that shape, especially in that size. Of course that doesn't mean my tile does not have asbestos, ... M.S. 11/19/10

Kentile Buckskin Marbelized Asbestos Floor Tile Photos

Reader question: I have a floor that has a Kentile, tile floor. The numbers on the box are [ 551 Buckskin Marbleized 1H122C ] the floor was installed in 1978 or 1979. Can you tell me if these tiles contain asbestos without being tested. Thank You - R.F. South Dakota, U.S.A., 2/11/2014

The following Kentile identification photographs of both the floor tiles and their packaging were provided by reader R.F. We show Kentile pattern No. 551, Buck Skin, Marbelized, in lot No. 1HT22C, packaging.

Here is all the info & pics of the box along with a pics of the tile. They also show the tiles in place along with a new tile. I would like to know if these tiles contain asbestos, you would think with all the info we have that there would be on a list if some kind.

Reply:

R.F., as far as I have been able to determine from reading the company history, there was no Kentile flooring that was free of asbestos. Also the years you cite were when companies were still producing that form of flooring.

These photos will assist other readers in identifying asbestos-containing Kentile flooring in the Buck Skin color and marbelized pattern. Thanks so much, R.F.

Continuing with R.F.'s photographs of original Kentile floor tile packaging we have data that makes for virtually certainly-correct floor tile identification. Below left is more packaging at below right is a photograph of an individual Kentile Buck Skin marbelized floor tile pattern.

and here is the tile:

Below is the Kentile buckskin color and pattern flooring installed in the same home.

9" x 9" x 1/8" thick Kentile Fleecy Cerulian #D-225 & Kentile Napoleon Gray #C-222

These photographs of some beautiful Fleecy Cerulian Blue Kentile flooring (below left) and Napoleon Gray Kentile floor tiles were provided by reader Bob G. 7/8/2014.

and

These are 9" factory-waxed Kentile floor tiles for which Bob also provided this original packaging image shown just below.

and

Reader Question: Identify this as Kentile Flooring?

I have a solid vinyl kitchen floor which is almost as beautiful now as when it was installed 24 years ago.

As I described it to a very knowledgeable flooring store owner in Pasadena, CA, he says it is a Kentile floor. OK, interesting. But I just started looking for it on the Internet and found that Kentile manufactured Asbestos Vinyl tiles which led to mesothelioma and other significant diseases in installers.

I had been told, by a local flooring store (I live near Pasadena, CA) that this was a "new" solid vinyl tile and was the top quality available back in about 1986. It is a center blue tile with a modern pattern of white dots (not large polka dots) and then there are three pickets of vinyl "wood" in two colors surrounding each square.

It was very labor intensive to install. The company which installed it has closed due to retirement. Does this sound like a Kentile vinyl asbestos floor to you? I read an article on flooring on the Internet and it listed you as an expert on the topic willing to identify asbestos containing floors. knowledgeable person to whom I can turn.

Am I about to have an asbestos product removed from my house? Is this dangerous or has it been dangerous to my family? Perhaps the man at the store misidentified it. He hadn't seen it, just heard it described. Mr. Friedman, can you identify this tile? - 1/18/2011 W.F.

Reply:

Kentile produced flooring up to 1992, but I add that the floor pattern in your photo does not resemble any of the Kentile images we've been able to find. Kentiles produced approximately between 1986 and 1992 may not contain asbestos, as we found at KENTILES ASBESTOS-FREE.

At ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONSwe interpret the regulations to state clearly that it is in buildings constructed prior to 1980 that such flooring could be "presumed asbestos containing material" (PACM)

• The flooring company you consulted might be correct about an asbestos free floor product, but while I am continuing to research this question, I have not yet found an authoritative or confirmed indication that Kentile stopped using asbestos in their products before the company was bankrupt.
• In the U.S If a vinyl tile floor product was made (we emphasize "made" or "produced" as opposed to "installed") asbestos was used commonly into 1989 and was banned "entirely" by the US EPA in 1990 (The Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule) but that rule was overturned by an industry lawsuit in 1991 (Corrosion Proof Fittings v. EPA, 947 F.2d 1201 (5th Cir. 1991) - some products continue to legally contain asbestos.

Significantly the 1989 EPA ban clarification excluded vinyl-asbestos floor tile products.

Given the Kentile company history and the considerable dispute and need for two major clarifications by the US EPA extending to 1999, I would not assume without testing that your floor is asbestos free - safer to assume for now that it contains asbestos.

You can have a small floor sample tested for asbestos by a certified asbestos lab.

...

Continue reading  at KENTILE KENFLEX ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE GUIDE - topic home,or select a topic from closely-related articles below, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

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• FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS for a discussion of the ingredients and production of asbestos-containing flooring.
• KENTILE KenFlex Floor Tiles - home
• KENTILE COMPANY HISTORY
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KENTILE FLOOR ID REQUESTS & FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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