How To Identify Asbestos In Vinyl Sheet Flooring

As with any asbestos containing material acm the first step to finding asbestos in linoleum sheet flooring and vinyl tiles is.

How to identify asbestos in vinyl sheet flooring. To identify a particular asphalt asbestos or vinyl asbestos floor tile pattern color start in the image group most likely to be the same age as your building. In north america if asphalt or vinyl floor tiles or sheet flooring were made or installed before 1986 treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos. Asbestos mastic will also always be black in color. Possible signs of asbestos mastic include discoloration and an oily texture.

Product photos both branded and un known sheet flooring brands. If black tar is adhering to the vinyl it is almost a 100 asbestos containing fiber product. Always test for asbestos fibers before removing any older vinyl sheeting. The vinyl asbestos floor tile package label information combined with a simple comparison of tiles in the package with tiles installed in the building may be sound confirmation of asbestos containing materials.

If your building was built before 1980 mastic mixed with asbestos may have been used to seal your tiles to the floor. Historical information about the dates of flooring installation may also be sufficient to rule in or out the possibility that flooring in a building contains asbestos. A vinyl sheet flooring that looks like the above has a high chance of asbestos. Asbestos was used in vinyl wallpaper from the 1920s and in the vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring that rose to prominence in the 1950s.

Click here to read more. Vinyl sheet flooring known to contain asbestos known asbestos containing vinyl based sheet flooring.