Sheet flooring or resilient flooring identification requests & FAQs set #3:

Recent questions & answers about how to identify sheet flooring or resilient flooring, resilient flooring or what some readers call "linoleum".

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

FAQs about Asbestos in Resilient Flooring or Sheet Flooring

These questions and answers about identification of and asbestos content in older types of sheet flooring, linoleum, linoleum rugs, Armstrong sheet flooring, Congoleum and other products, were posted originally at RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE - be sure to see that article.

The photos and questions are arranged in order from oldest floor coverings (used in the 1800's to early 1900's) to the present.

Shown at above/left, antique jute-backed sheet flooring.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2018-12-29 by (mod) -

Aha

Well if you see black asphalt impregnated paper-like flooring backing that was made before 1985 in North America, that may contain asbestos.

On 2018-12-29 by Anonymous

Thanks for all the information. I'm checking water solubility of mastic now. Cheers.

On 2018-12-29 1 by R. Davis

@R. Davis, It's actually more like felt/paper.

On 2018-12-29 by (mod) - lower flooring layer has been confirmed by some tests as containing asbestos

The lower layer of flooring has been confirmed as containing asbestos - by some readers.

Usually you can remove sheet flooring without Creating excessive dust and debris. That's particularly true if the mastic is water-soluble.

On 2018-12-29 by R. Davis

Our house was built in 1914, with only the hardwoods in the kitchen covered with questionable sheet vinyl--the lower of two layers (the upper layer being similar to something my parents added to their kitchen in the early 1980s)

I could not find the pattern of the lower level sheet vinyl, but assume it is a PACM

I've ordered a test kit for the black mastic, which lies beneath the paper, but wondering if the lower level of sheet vinyl is more dangerous to handle than the wettable black mastic.

Thoughts on any of these?

On 2018-10-25 by (mod) -

That looks like a type of jute or burlap backed sheet flooring. Jute is not an asbestos material.

On 2018-10-25 by Hannah

I pulled up the carpet of our house built in 1905, what kind of flooring is this and does it contain asbestos?

On 2018-08-24 by Mary

Can anybody identify this sheet flooring, circa 1978?

On 2018-08-23 by Anonymous

On 2018-07-11 by (mod) -

Tasha that looks like sheet vinyl, not linoleum. IF it was installed before the 1980's it could contain asbestos as could the adhesive mastic that was used to install it.

Please keep us posted by comment or by email (page top or bottom CONTACT link) with lab test results, as that will certainly help other readers.

On 2018-07-10 by Tasha Miller

Our house was Built-in 1920 and we found this linoleum underneath our tile .

Not sure if it's safe to remove or the exact year it was put in since the house is so old. We cut a sample to be tested. Does it look like it contains asbestos?

On 2018-07-02 by (mod) - asbestos in Sheet Flooring by Scapa?

Charlotte,

In general if you have sheet vinyl flooring produced and used in North America before 1986 it would be prudent to treat it as presumed to contain asbestos.

Many sheet vinyl flooring products up to the 1980's used asbestos in the white or light colored *backer* layer of the flooring. That does not mean that the surface of the flooring is releasing asbestos. Most likely it's not.

I see some damage to your sheet flooring- the safest approach would be to leave it in place and cover it over.

If the flooring is not glued to the floor below, often it can be rolled up and removed with a minimum of dust hazard. If it's adhered then the argument for leaving it in place is stronger still, as the removal can be difficult to accomplish without creating a dust hazard from the flooring backer and possibly from the adhesive mastic.

In that case you'd either treat the floor as asbestos-containing material or if facing a significant removal cost, have a sample tested for asbestos first.

See ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Floor-Removal.php

and
ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Test_Lab_Lists.php

I have been unable to locate a reference that seems to be the lawsuit to which you refer, as a "company sued for selling a product containing asbestos as recent as 1999" and I'd be very grateful if you could post a reference or citation for that information so that we can improve the accuracy of the information we provide about Scapa below.

Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, SCAPA DRYER FABRICS, INC., et al. v. Carl L. SAVILLE. No. 540, Sept. Term, 2008. Decided: February 02, 2010 appealed an earlier ruling against Scapa: Appellee, Carl L. Saville (“Saville”), brought suit in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City against appellants, Scapa Dryer Fabrics (“Scapa”) and The Wallace & Gale Asbestos Settlement Trust (“W & G”), and against three other parties, alleging that his exposure to their asbestos-containing products caused his mesothelioma and carcinoma.

Appellee settled with the three other parties and proceeded to trial against appellants.

Appellants brought cross-claims against the settling defendants (the “Cross-Defendants”) and alleged that they were joint tort-feasors. After a trial of appellee's claims and appellants' cross-claims, a jury found the appellants liable and found the Cross-Defendants not liable.

This case has nothing to do with flooring products:
Excerpts:

From 1964 to 1978, appellee worked at the Westvaco Pulp and Paper Mill (the “Westvaco Mill”) in Luke, Maryland. During the relevant time period, appellee was a “broke hustler” responsible for cleaning dryer felts.

Scapa supplied the Westvaco Mill with dryer felts, some of which contained asbestos and were in use for approximately 13 months between 1968 and 1970, on the machine where appellee was stationed. Those dryer felts were composed of approximately 64.7% chrysotile asbestos, encased in tightly woven material and coated with resin.

You can see this case via findlaw or at https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/SCAPA-DRYER-FABRICS-Inc-v-SAVILLE.pdf

Scapa v. Knight: this was asbestos litigation involving the name "Scapa" was Scapa Dryer Fabrics, Inc. v. Knight S15G1278. Scapa Dryer Fabrics, Inc. v. Knight et al. July 5 2016.
Nothing about flooring is mentioned in this lawsuit.

Signifcantly, according to Products Liability Law Daily, July 18, 2016, the original judgement that found for the worker was reversed in this case.
Kathleen Kennedy-Luczak, J.D. wrote that The cumulative exposure theory testimony of an expert witness was erroneously admitted at trial where it failed to satisfy the legal standard for causation in an asbestos exposure case brought against a dryer felt manufacturer, the Supreme Court of Georgia has ruled in reversing a Georgia Court of Appeals judgment.

Although expert testimony based on a cumulative exposure theory could potentially be relevant to causation under Georgia law, the expert here failed to show that the exposure to asbestos was more than de minimis (Scapa Dryer Fabrics, Inc. v. Knight, July 5, 2016, Blackwell, K.). - retrieved 2018/07/02, original source: www.dailyreportingsuite.com/products-liability/news/judgment_for_worker_reversed_in_asbestos_exposure_case_expert_testimony_erroneously_admitted

Excerpts from the original lawsuit:

Scapa Dryer Fabrics, Inc. is a textile manufacturer, and in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it produced dryer felts at a manufacturing facility in Waycross. Some of the pipes and boilers in that facility were insulated with material containing asbestos, and Scapa used yarn containing asbestos in some of its manufacturing processes.

Between 1967 and 1973, Roy Knight worked on multiple occasions at theWaycross facility as an independent contractor.

Almost forty years later, Knight was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer most commonly associated with the inhalation or ingestion of asbestos fibers. After his mesothelioma was diagnosed, Knight and his wife sued Scapa, claiming that Scapa negligently exposed him to asbestos at the Waycross facility and caused his mesothelioma.

You can see a copy of the court's ruling at inspectapedia.com/hazmat/s15g1278-Scapa-Dryer-Fabrics-V-Knight.pdf
or from this U.S. government source: www.gasupreme.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/s15g1278.pdf

Looking at Scapa's current flooring-related products www.scapa.com/en/products/3599 you will see no reference to asbestos. (Image below).

The current company industrial product guide mentions asbestos only insofar as some of its products, including polyethylene tapes and coated-cloth with rubber adhesive are used in asbestos *removal*, principally in dust containment during asbestos removal projects.

Scapa can be contacted directly at www.scapa.com

 

On 2018-07-01 by Charlotte

I apologize if I am double posting. I accidentally hit refresh.

We have this in the laundry adjoining my little children’s bedroom. Never gave it a thought ( I didn’t know what asbestos was ) .Now I do. It is a Scapa vinyl sheet. Learned that Scapa Group was a paper mill business and adhesives company. Recently sued for selling a product containing asbestos as recently as 1999. Don’t know what it means for our sheet. Is there even a connection?? Have you ever heard of it?

On 2018-04-17 03:11:42.873474 by wiseguy

(Hi - tried posting several times but the post kept failing.) Any idea as to this flooring? I was in the house when we bought it in 97, and it looked old then.

I covered it with a plywood subfloor and new vinyl. Not we are tearing it all out and would like to get to the maple underneath.

I can't read enough of the back other than one 'm' that looked like Armstrong's font. The backing material is a silvery white.

Any idea as to this flooring? I was in the house when we bought it in 97, and it looked old then. I covered it with a plywood subfloor and new vinyl.

Not we are tearing it all out and would like to get to the maple underneath. I can't read enough of the back other than one 'm' that looked like Armstrong's font. The backing material is a silvery white.

On 2018-03-07 21:57:26.448113 by (mod) -

Kelly,

Help me out by avoiding doubling our workload by posting a question just once on one page. Thanks.

See https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Sheet_Flooring_Identification.php#FAQ

On 2018-03-07 21:25:40.215667 by Kelly

My SO ripped this off of a shelf it was stapled to before I told him it might be asbestos. I don't see any marks on back just a white/cream paper and underneath a shiny fiber. We are both freaking out now.

On 2017-07-19 by (mod) -

Got your email;
If the flooring is pre 1982 it could contain asbestos;
You're going to have a sample tested.
We suggested links to find a lab and links to show how to collect a dust sample.
We suggested cleaning up clothing and any dust tracked in.

On 2017-07-19 17:10:54.623331 by Anonymous

@Emily Fischer,
I emailed the photo to editor@inspectapedia.com

On 2017-07-19 16:59:08.511741 by Emily Fischer - We used a sledgehammer to break up the floor

My husband and I went to the landfill yesterday to demo our popup camper down to the metal frame. We removed everything including the flooring, which looked like vinyl sheet flooring. Under the vinyl sheet was a grey layer that looked like construction paper.

We used a sledgehammer to break up the floor and then threw the pieces into the dump. There was dust from this procedure, however we were outside with plenty of ventilation and a breeze. I am worried that there was asbestos in the air that we inhaled. Can you help me identify this vinyl sheet flooring? I have a photo but I do not know how to upload it on this website.

On 2018-11-19 by (mod) - older sheet flooring may be a linoleum-type product: check the backing

Your floor looks like a spatter or color fleck pattern popular from about 1960-1970, similar to floor tile patterns popularized by Kentile that would be presumed to contain asbestos.

However take closer look at the back of your flooring.

I suspect this is a linoleum type product. If you see black asphalt-impregnated paper backing I'd treat that too as presumed to contain asbestos.

On 2018-11-19 by Norm

Any ideas? [photo shown above]

Sheet flooring, house was built in 1919. Looks like the spatter design...

On 2018-10-27 by (mod) - treat this sheet flooring as PACM

This floor probably contains asbestos.

See the 5 "does this floor contain asbestos?"

Diagnostic questions at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION - 5 easy steps to decide if an older floor covering probably contains asbestos

On 2018-10-27 by oreta1

Does this 1977 flooring [shown above] ontain asbestos?

On 2018-10-18 by (mod) - pebble pattern asbesstos-containing sheet flooring

John

in a companion article at https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Floor-Tile-Identification.php

we give 5 steps to form a reasonable opinion about whether or not a floor, including your sheet flooring, is likely to contain asbestos. Please take a look and let me know if you want further help.

On 2018-10-18 20:23:05.711885 by John

I'm trying to figure out if this flooring present at a job site is hazardous but I'm having a hard time identifying this type of sheet linoleum

On 2018-10-13 by (mod) - Treat older Armstrong flooring as PACM - Presumed Asbestos Containing Material

That floor pattern, if manufactured before ca. 1985, should be treated as presumed to contain asbestos.

Watch out: the uppermost layer of floor tiles - light coloured - in your photo in the foreground also shoudl be treated as PACM

On 2018-10-13 by Ben

Trying to get some more information about this flooring. Backing said Armstrong and I think it was laid in the 1980s.

On 2018-08-30 by (mod) - asbestos in poured liquid resilient flooring 1965 - Hubbellite & others

Anon

If you could find the product name I would be happy to research specifics on the use of asbestos in pour-able resilient floor coverings.

Certainly for poured floor covering from the mid 1960s it would be prudent to treat the flooring as presumed to contain asbestos, probably as a filler and as a binder or fibre reniforcer, until you have a sample tested.

Watch out: Our research identifies at least some older seamless flooring productrs such as Hubbellite as containing about 10% chrysotile asbestos. (Olah 2005).

Details are at POURED-IN-PLACE FLOORING, RESILIENT

On 2018-08-29 by Anonymous

It's on the second floor, it was poured in as a liquid substance that hardened, no seams, not tile.

On 2018-08-27 by (mod) -

I'm not sure what a poured-in floor is - perhaps polished concrete? Poured resilient? In any event if it's a slab construction you ought to be able to tile over it.

On 2018-08-27 y Todd Slenning

This flooring was installed in 1965. It's poured in, covering the kitchen and dinning room. I want to know if it's advisable to tile over it.

On 2018-08-14 by (mod) - Armstrong vinyl floor tiles in a 1953 home

The exact for tile pattern is not one that I have seen, but it certainly looks much newer than your house. See if you can find a date code on the box. Or attach some photos of all of the labeling and writing on the box and on the back of the tiles and I will research further.

On 2018-08-13 by Anna

Our house was built in 1953. Laundry room has this self-adhesive ARMSTRONG vinyl tiles. Some of them are loose. The extra tiles left by the previous owner have a sticker on them ARMSTRONG item#21001. Any idea if they contain asbestos?

On 2018-07-25 01:47:26.504645 by JM

Just an update on our vinyl flooring in the kitchen. The flooring and mastic contained some asbestos. We were already planning to float a new floor over the vinyl.

On 2018-07-17 by (mod) - black felt paper backed sheet flooring may contain asbestos

Tim

The thinness and the black edge of the material you are showing suggests that it is a sheet flooring with an asphalt type backing. Some of those contain asbestos.

On 2018-07-17 by timro071

Sorry I guess the pic I added did not work. I will try again.

Can you tell me anything about this? Don't have a date or anything. There are gold flecks in it. Thanks (and I think I posted this on the wrong page before!)

On 2018-07-17 by (mod) - white backed vinyl sheet flooring pre-1985 should be presumed to contain asbestos or be tested

Sorry but our answer is the same as it was on the other page where you posted these same questions.

Just saying that flooring has gold flecks puts it in a group with a large number of flooring patterns.

On 2018-07-02 by JM

I found an older picture of the laundry room that had some of the sheet removed. Shown above.

Larger picture of the kitchen sheet flooring.

Our house is a 1961 with one previous owner. There have been no renovations to the original flooring. The kitchen has a sheet material. The rest of the room has what looks to be cork (6" x 12"). Any thoughts?

On 2018-06-23 by (mod) - floor tile with black & paper backing may contain asbestos - 1928 home

Thank you for the photo, Jon.

It would make sense to treat that floor is presumed to contain asbestos.

If you have to demolish the floor (which is not recommended) have a sample tested before disturbing int.

On 2018-06-23 by Jon

I have a 1928 home, this floor was under more recent vinyl tile. It has black and cardboard backing. Thoughts? Please let me know if other pictures would be helpful.

...

Continue reading  at RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID FAQs-4 - more-recent questions & answers on identifying sheet flooring or resilient flooring that might contain asbestos

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
• ASBESTOS FLOOR IDENTIFICATION - home



• DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if your FLOOR probably contains asbestos -
• DOES THIS MATERIAL CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - 5 easy questions to tell if a BUILDING MATERIAL probably contains asbestos -
• ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
• ASBESTOS FLOORING IDENTIFICATION
• ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE
• ASBESTOS REMOVAL, WETTING GUIDELINES
• ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST
• IDENTIFY SHEET FLOORING TYPE
• POURED-IN-PLACE FLOORING, RESILIENT
• RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID GUIDE - home
• SHEET FLOORING INSPECT / TEST
• SHEET FLOORING NON-ASBESTOS EXAMPLES
• SHEET FLOORING POSSIBLE ASBESTOS - 1960-1987
• SHEET FLOORING INSPECT / TEST
• SHEET FLOORING TYPE IDENTIFICATION

Suggested citation for this web page

RESILIENT SHEET FLOORING ID FAQs-3 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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