Marble chip or stone chip or shattered stone pattern vinyl floor tiles or sheet flooring that may contain asbestos is identified here with photos and asbestos test lab results.

Page top photo: Tests confirmed that this chip pattern sheet flooring installed in a Two Harbors Minnesota home in the early 1960s contains asbestos.

This article series describes sheet flooring products known to contain significant levels of asbestos. We include photographs for identification of known asbestos-containing resilient sheet flooring as well as unknown flooring submitted for identification.

Resilient Marble Chip Pattern Flooring or Sheet Flooring that May Contain Asbestos

Bottom line: asbestos-containing sheet flooring in good condition in a residential environment is not a high risk of causing airborne asbestos hazards as the material is not friable.

The safest as well as least-costly course of action is to leave such flooring in place, and to cover it over with other flooring material.

However if such flooring installed in North America before the early 1980's is in very poor condition or if it must be demolished as part of building renovations, it should be treated as presumed to contain asbestos and handled accordingly.

Flooring adhesives or mastics also may contain asbestos.

This photograph of random-shaped marble chip sheet flooring was identified by a reader in a 1964 home. She found remnants in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet on which was imprinted "Armstrong".

The sheet flooring shown at in the photograph at the top of this page is an Armstrong resilient flooring product known to contain chrysotile asbestos in the flooring backer.

Reader Comment: 70% asbestos content in this marble chip pattern flooring

In one of the asbestos pages of your site [RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE - Ed.], your second photo is of a sheet layment. The text about the photo clarifies that the person who sent the photo was confused about Armstrong and Congoleum.

I wanted to let you know that I have that exact same sheet layment and had it tested. It's 70% asbestos.

Thought you may want to let readers know so they can save the cost of testing and just deal with the issue accordingly.

I appreciate your site. Thank you for taking the time to put together all the information. - D.H. 10/11/2012

Reply:

Thank you so much D.H. for the floor covering test result confirming asbestos content in this material.

Vinyl Sheet Flooring Known to Contain Asbestos

Known-Asbestos-Containing Vinyl Based Sheet Flooring: Product Photos, both branded and un-known sheet flooring brands.

Asbestos test lab results have been obtained by readers or by InspectApedia.com confirming that the 1961 Armstrong Tessera Corlon pattern sheet flooring shown in this section contains asbestos.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Photographs: our forensic laboratory photographs of rectangular chip pattern resilient flooring installed in a northern Minnesota home built in 1960. We show the flooring pattern and also the textured white backing on this vinyl floor.

Here we see the same flooring sample magnified in our lab's stereo microscope. You can observe that colored vinyl chips in a rough-rectangular shape are bonded to the flooring's backer sheet (also shown below).

Below we examine the edge of this chip-pattern resilient flooring before sending our sample on to a certified asbestos test lab, EMS-Lab, for analysis.

In the flooring fragment photos above, viewed under our stereo microscope, you can see that the rectangular colored vinyl chips and a thin clear top coat make up most of this resilient floor material, carried on a grey-white backing sheet that, in many such floor products, contains asbestos in both fibre and small-particle filler forms.

Our testing lab examined this sample using Asbestos Analysis of Bulk Materials via EPA 600/R-93/116 Method using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) as reported below.

Below is the EMS-Lab test result using PLM (Polarized-Light Microscopy) for this sample, indicating that the flooring is comprised of

• 20% Chrysotile asbestos
• 70% non-fibrous (Other) - note that this could include non-fibrous asbestos [Ed]
• 10% Cellulose

[Click to enlarge any image]

Below is a low magnification stereoscopic microscope PLM photograph of this flooring sample, our sample ID No. 5, showing asbestos structures or "fragments" - photo by special request, prepared by EMS-Lab.

Special thanks to lab management and technicians at EMS Lab, a national U.S. testing laboratory who, among other services, provides asbestos testing for both environmental professionals and for the general public.

Below is the complete set of asbestos test lab results for all of our fourteen samples submitted in December 2019 and completed by 23 January 2020.

• ASBESTOS TEST DESCRIPTION: PLM and TEM EPA 600/R-93/116) [PDF] 2020-01-23, used for InspectApedia.com asbestos test analysis via two methods, polarized light microscopy (low magnification stereo microscopy) and transmission electron microscopy (at about 20,000x) PLM EPA 600/R-93/116 (< 1%) & TEM EPA 600/R-93/116 (<0.01%).
  
  for samples No. 001-005 and 008-014.
  
  This report includes Phase 1 - PLM photographs of samples 003, 004, 005, 009.
  
  Excerpts:
  
  Phase 1 Results (PLM):
  
  During PLM examination asbestos structures were observed on samples three, four, five, and nine. And, no asbestos was detected on samples one, two, eight, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen as described in EPA/600/R-93/116, Appendix A
  
  Phase 2 Results (TEM)
  
  The non-organically bound samples were analyzed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) at approximately 20,000 X magnification. Asbestos structures are identified by a combination of morphology, quantitative elemental chemistry via Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDXA), and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED).
  
  No asbestos was detected oim samples 042000629-0001, 042000629-0010, 042000629-0011.
  
  The detection limit for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) via EPA 600/R-93/116 is based on fiber dimensions, the density of the asbestos type(s) detected and the area analyzed.
  
  Interferences for this method include but are not limited to:
  
  Non-regulated asbestos minerals such as the two polymorphs of chrysotile, lizardite and antigorite; Non-regulated amphiboles such as winchite and richterite, and pyroxenes; cleavage fragments of the regulated asbestos types which may at times have morphologies and aspect ratios similar to the true asbestiform varieties; clay minerals that can have similar morphology to asbestos such as sepiolite and palygorskite; and all non-asbestos particulate, fibrous or not, which can partially or completely obscure asbestos fibers.
  
  Samples that were tested for this report are subject to the limitations expressed herein.
  
  
• ASBESTOS TEST RESULTS SUMMARY [PDF] 2020/01-18-20, Test Report: Asbestos Analysis of Bulk Materials via EPA 600/R-93/116 Method using Polarized Light Microscopy EMSL Ord No. 042000629 2019-12-26 for samples No. 001-005 and 008-015. For samples 001-005, and 008-014
  
  Sample No. 05: see details at MARBLE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS - 05
• Contact: EMSL Analytical, Inc., 200 Route 130 North, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077 USA, Tel: 856-303-2500 - Fax: 856-786-5974 - Toll Free: 800-220-3675
  Lab Hours: Mon-Friday 7AM-10PM, Saturday 8AM-5PM, Sunday On-Call.
• ASBESTOS TEST LABS in the USA - EXAMPLE REPORTS - provides fourteen example asbestos test results from EMSL

Armstrong Sheet Flooring Identification & Brand Markings

Above and below are two more identification photographs of the same flooring contributed later by reader R.B. who shows us the Armstrong® imprint on the reverse side of this product [photo at below right]. This confirmed the flooring brand: Armstrong.

Don't mix up product names. Armstrong is a separate company from Congoleum-Nairn.

Both companies produce several types and many patterns of sheet flooring.

As we discuss

at CONGOLEUM FLOORING HISTORY, Linoleum flooring advertised in 1955, the Congoleum Gold Seal series, was sold in both sheet and tile forms.

Shown below is very similar but more rectangular marble-chip type sheet flooring contributed by a reader - August 2015.

Examples of Armstrong Linoleum Flooring & Linowall Wall Covering

Above and below are two pages advertising Armstrong "Linoleum" sheet flooring from 1961 that include photos of marble chip pattern resilient flooring.

True Linoleum sheet flooring is discussed in detail

at LINOLEUM & SHEET FLOORING

1960s Marble Chip Flooring Patterns

Below are Armstrong floor tile patterns sold in North America in the 1960s. It is likely that all of these floor tiles (below) contain asbestos.

SWIRL CHIP style floor tiles (Rheims beige 54272) above from an Armstrong catalog, and below, an excerpt from a reader's photo showing this same floor tile in an actual installation in a 1969 California home.

Below, a similar pattern whose fragments are more angular, less rectangular, Metric Chip.

METRIC CHIP (Palma beige 54281) [Compare with Shattered Stone - 1973]

Armstrong Sheet Flooring After 1968

Above: Armstrong sheet flooring that is similar to the Armstrong Excelon Swirl Chip vinyl asbestos floor tile pattern released in 1968.

We think that the sheet flooring in these photos is probably of similar age.

Watch out: tests of similar-age Armstrong sheet flooring products with similar backing have found 70% asbestos content in the flooring backer layer.

It would be prudent to treat this white-backed sheet flooring as presumed to contain asbestos. If any readers have tested this flooring for asbestos we would be grateful to receive the test results - use the page top or bottom CONTACT link.

Click to enlarge the photo of the underside of this Armstrong flooring to see the company's imprint there.

Many tile patterns were also sold as a sheet flooring pattern, often in later years.

Other brands and patterns of sheet flooring begin

at RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE - (sheet flooring) organized by year and manufacturer.

1970 Green/ White Marble Sheet Flooring Asbestos test result: 70% asbestos

The green "swirl"pattern sheet flooring from a U.S. home built in 1970 and shown below was reported by our reader as containing Chrysotile asbestos.

We don't know the brand of the flooring shown above, but other sheet flooring in the same home and from the same era was an Armstrong floor product.

In one of the asbestos pages of your site ( this page - Ed.), your second photo is of a sheet layment.

The text about the photo clarifies that the person who sent the photo was confused about Armstrong and Congoleum.

I wanted to let you know that I have that exact same sheet layment and had it tested.

This floor [shattered stone pattern principally white and gray - Ed.] contains about 70% asbestos.

Thought you may want to let readers know so they can save the cost of testing and just deal with the issue accordingly.

I appreciate your site. Thank you for taking the time to put together all the information. - D.H. 10/11/2012

Reply:

Thank you so much D.H. for the floor covering test result confirming asbestos content in this material.

We a welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles, and as your feedback illustrates, working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.

Also see OLD PEBBLE PATTERN FLOOR TILE for discussion of a similar product image.

Watch out: confusion among sheet flooring names and terms can make it difficult to sort out which products contain asbestos.

For example we've read websites claiming that "in 1980 asbestos in linoleum was already banned" but in fact true linoleum, a type of sheet flooring discussed

at LINOLEUM & SHEET FLOORING is not and never was an asbestos-containing product.

The confusion stems from the use of the word "linoleum" as a generic term for "sheet flooring". Linoleum does not contain asbestos.

But many sheet flooring products do contain asbestos in a white or light colored core or in a black asphalt-impregnated felt backer.

Some readers have reported that their test of 1980-era Armstrong Solarian sheet flooring contained asbestos. Without confirming that the floor was properly identified and without seeing the lab report such reports may be true and accurate but still they're anecdotal.

Floor Tile & Sheet Flooring Patterns Similar to but NOT "Marble Chip"

Shown below, we don't consider these floor tile or resilient floor patterns "marble chip" flooring. We include these here for comparison.

Watch out: while the patterns below are not marble chip resilient floor patterns, it is likely that all of these floor tiles (below) contain asbestos.

Below are 1960's Armstrong floor tile patterns.

Above: CUSTOM SHALESTONE flooring (Tioga beige 57001)

EMBOSSED PEBBLETTE #4203 - above -

Shown above: MARBLE style (Quartz ivory 54231) floor tile.

Above: CUSTOM SHALESTONE (Bushkill white - left) 12" x 12" x 1/16" floor tile images from 1969

See our complete 1960-1969 ARMSTRONG EXCELON FLOOR TILE GUIDE

Below: more examples of Marble chip-like Armstrong floor tiles from 1973.

See our complete ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS 1973, COMPLETE GUIDE

Above: EMBOSSED CRAFTLON STONEFIELD WHITE 54472

Above: EXCELON SHATTERED STONE EMBOSSED patterned floor tiles in 12 x 12 x 1/16" size.

 

Bottom line on Asbestos-Containing or Asbestos-Suspect floor tiles

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.

Asbestos-containing sheet flooring in good condition in a residential environment is not a high risk of causing airborne asbestos hazards as the material is not friable.

The safest as well as least-costly course of action is to leave such flooring in place, and to cover it over with other flooring material.

However if such flooring installed in North America before the early 1980's is in very poor condition or if it must be demolished as part of building renovations, it should be treated as presumed to contain asbestos and handled accordingly.

Flooring adhesives or mastics also may contain asbestos.

Not all old flooring contains asbestos. For example SOME of Armstrong's 1955 Corlon flooring series was asbestos-free (Supreme Vinyl Corlon Tile).

See ARMSTRONG CORLON FLOORING for details.

 

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Mystery vinyl sheet flooring like that found on this page is coming up - lost its adhesivee

Hello all, Thank you for all the helpful info on this site! I have a mystery vinyl sheeting in a bathroom the matches Matts above and was curious if it has been identified.

This house is in St. Paul MN, built in 1940 and the owner believes it was installed around 1962. It was used as single sheets in the closets and left floating but the sheet in the bathroom has been adhered and is peeling away. - On 2022-05-28 by Miranda E.

This Q&A were posted originally at SHEET FLOORING POSSIBLE ASBESTOS - 1920-1988

Help me identify this sheet flooring from a 1956 home

Wondering if this pattern of sheet flooring contains asbestos. We just noticed that it was being used below kitchen sink on the bottom shelve that houses our kitchen garbage.

House built in 1956 and don’t think the kitchen was ever updated.

Concerned that the exposed edge is releasing fibers every time there is movement with sliding garbage can back and forth, moving around cleaning products, etc. Thanks.

- On 2021-06-29 by Matt -

This Q&A were posted originally at SHEET FLOORING POSSIBLE ASBESTOS - 1920-1988

Reply by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - identify this mystery vinyl sheeting in a bathroom in a St. Paul MN home

@Miranda E., and Matt:

In both Miranda's sheet flooring (photo above) and Matts (photo below) the flooring is most-likely an Armstrong Flooring product.

A lot of information about this particular floor pattern and others quite similar to it is found above on this page

We tested similar (not identical) Armstrong chip pattern flooring from a Two Harbors MN home, built in 1960. The backer contains asbestos.

SOP is leave it in place, cover it with new flooring.

OPINION: this flooring is a very durable product made generally of three layers: a thick asbestos-containing backing, a pattern layer of colored vinyl chips, and a heavy-duty top gloss layer that protects the flooring and resists wear.

If the top layer of your flooring has not been gouged, sanded, chopped and thus is undamaged, then left in place it's not likely that you could detect asbestos dust or airborne particles from that source in your home.

 

 

Is this 1950's big stone chip pattern floor tile likely to contain asbestos?

House built in 1950. No idea when these tiles were put down. Tiles are down firm with no broken pieces. Do you think they contain asbestos?

Time for kitchen remodel. House built in 1950, No idea when these tiles were put down. They are solid in place with no broken places. Do you think they contain asbestos? - On 2020-06-30 by rhondagc

Reply by (mod) - asbestos is likely in these 1950s white stone-like floor tiles

Yes, Rhonda.

Treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos.

Panic because daughter pulled up this Armstrong-like 1950s flooring

Please help. While quarantined at home due to Covid-19, our 22 year old daughter who has severe OCD decided to do some home improvements. She started ripping up the flooring in the bathroom hallway.

She already pulled up the linoleum floor and part of the under flooring and is scraping at the glue?

My dad built this house in 1955.

My parents are not alive, I am 59 and the floor has been there as long as I can remember.

I think it looks similar to an Armstrong floor tiling I found on your site. I am worried now and she is freaking out.

I made her stop, but she has already done a large amount. Thank you for any help you can give.

I am attaching photos, but it looks as though I can only attach one at a time.

If so, I will send several each in a different comment. Thank you so much! On 2020-04-01 by Marjorie DiRisio Duger -

...

I will [also] send pics in an email from annmargaret5@msn.com

Reply by (mod) - removing asbestos-suspect flooring & cleaning up dust - don't panic

Marjorie

There is absolutely no need to panic. and the health effects of panic may be worse than the potential health effects of a bit of dust from having torn up parts of the flooring in your photos.

To be on the safe side simply treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos, damp wipe up dust and debris, and then

Take a look

at ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES

 

Question: Green chip flooring asbestos test result: "High Asbestos"

I've utilized the information on your site quite a bit since we purchased our 1963 Ryan Homes ranch 2 years ago [in Pittsburgh PA].

We are currently in the process of remodeling our main family living areas and have discovered original vinyl sheet flooring under several layers of 1990's ceramic tile and plywood materials.

I've included photos of the vinyl in our kitchen (brown) and hallway powder room (green).

We JUST discovered the green in the powder room yesterday, but had the brown kitchen flooring tested earlier in the week (and they are obviously the same) and the material came back as positive for asbestos with "a high content", although I can't recall the exact percentage.

And the positive was for the flooring itself, not the adhesive on the back.

Just wanted to send the photos along in case you'd like to include them in your gallery.

And pardon the small swatches, as the plywood on top is nailed down like crazy and we didn't want to pull any of it up ourselves of course. - Anonymous by private email 2020/02/01

Reply: that flooring contains asbestos

I have had flooring of about the same age (1960-1962) and of the same pattern (as your first photo) in a Minnesota home tested and found that it contained asbestos - as did you.

See also ARMSTRONG CORLON FLOORING - Corlon® vinyl flooring & in CorAire, Hydrocord® & Nylex

Thank you for the photos, I will indeed include them in an appropriate spot.

1970's marble chip asbestos sheet flooring in same marble chip pattern found under other sheet flooring

I've been working on a house and started pulling up what looked like linoleum in the entryway this was at the bottom fo four layers,

it was stuck pretty well to the floor I wanted to send a picture and get your thoughts to see if you thought it could contain asbestos.

The house was built in 1970 and I have no idea if this is original stuff but I would guess that it was.

I don't think they were tiles I am pretty sure it was one long sheet I would say at least 5 ft long. On 2018-10-22 by Ryaneste

Reply by (mod) - probable asbestos in 1970s marble chip pattern sheet flooring

Ryan

You should treat the flooring as presumed to contain asbestos or have a sample tested.

Followup by Ryabneste

Lol, Yea kind of one of those hindsight is 20/20 kind of deals. The stuff it is stuck to the floor with is bright white the grey part looks almost like thin MDF (Medium density fiberboard) with the pattern in a thin layer on top.

Reply by (mod) - asbestos in marble chip sheet flooring from 1970s

So now the steps are to clean up any remaining dust and cover over the floor. You are certainly not the only one who's felt the sting of hindsight.

My flooring matches your photos: does that flooring in my 1955 home contain asbestos>

Here the same photo

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

I see a floor covering photo on this website that appears to match what I have in my 1955 home. I need to install new flooring in one of the rooms and found this under another layer of vinyl sheet flooring.

The image is shown here.

However, it isn't clear to me from the website if this flooring contains asbestos or not.
Can you please clarify for me?
Thanks - On 2018-05-10 by Cindy

Reply by (mod) - asbestos was found in marble chip type pattern sheet flooring

Yes our sample of this marble chip sheet flooring (below) contained asbestos

Does this look like 1968 Asbestos-containing flooring?

Home is 1968 original with a major reno done-3 additions in 1970, as well...does this flooring look like 1968 original, and could it contain asbestos? - On 2018-04-27 by Michelle

On 2018-04-27 by (mod) - yes

Yes and yes, though can't say that I've seen that exact pattern.

Are you sure this is a resilient flooring (vinyl) and not a stone chip or marble chip in concrete?

 

Does the flooring on these pages contain asbestos?

Hello, I have found your website very interesting. We just gutted our family room and kitchen two days ago. We came across a flooring from the original house (I think). I am concerned it my contain asbestos. My husband, however, says I am over reacting and it is fine.

I found on this page the exact pattern we have. It is labeled rectangular marble-chip type sheet flooring. Mine is stapled down sheets of 6 feet by 6 feet.

I am confused on your description if this has been known to contain asbestos? Thank you for your time.
Jenn - On 2016-07-27 by Jennifer Marks

Reply by (mod) - sheet flooring known to contain asbestos

Thanks for asking, Jennifer and apologies that our article was confusing. The flooring you describe is listed under a header titled

VINYL-ASBESTOS SHEET FLOORING - note our use of the word "asbestos"

 

Question: how to send flooring photos to InspectApedia

Karen Jarvis said:

I need help identifying my vinyl sheet paper backed flooring and whether it might contain asbestos. - (Oct 5, 2014)

Anonymous said:

I can't figure out how to look up a picture of my sheet flooring to help determine whether or not it may have asbestos. The links don't seem to have a date nor picture catalog of materials. DAF - (Oct 23, 2014)

jen said:

I have a pic of flooring that looks similar to swirl chip. How can I send a pic for identification - (Dec 31, 2014)

Reply by moderator

Use the "Add Image" button found at the Comments Box near the end of our pages.

For readers who don't want to post a public comment, you email at our CONTACT Link seen at page bottom or top. However on-page comments are responded-to first. .

...

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

If you are facing a large cost or have other reasons to be concerned about asbestos contamination in the building it would not be costly to have a small sample of the floor tested. The advice at the first four articles below should be helpful.

• ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
• ASBESTOS FLOOR IDENTIFICATION - home
• ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE
• ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES
• DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos -
• IDENTIFY SHEET FLOORING TYPE
• POURED-IN-PLACE FLOORING, RESILIENT
• RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE - home - various brands & countries
• SHEET FLOORING INSPECT / TEST
• SHEET FLOORING NON-ASBESTOS EXAMPLES
• SHEET FLOORING TYPE IDENTIFICATION

Suggested citation for this web page

MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to ASBESTOS HAZARDS

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Citations & References

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