Identify Asbestos Vinyl Sheet Flooring

Click here to read more.

Identify asbestos vinyl sheet flooring.

Always test for asbestos fibers before removing any older vinyl sheeting. This article describes sheet flooring products known to contain significant levels of asbestos. The asbestos floor tile identification articles in this series illustrate that with the combination of design appearance and an idea of floor tile age many asbestos containing floor tiles or sheet flooring products can be reliably identified even before confirmation by a test by a certified asbestos testing laboratory. But other asphalt impregnated felt products and floor backers did contain asbestos so unless you have had a lab test performed it would be prudent to assume that the material contains asbestos.

If black tar is adhering to the vinyl it is almost a 100 asbestos containing fiber product. Possible signs of asbestos mastic include discoloration and an oily texture. Sheet vinyl flooring should be removed to avoid or minimize disturbance of the asbestos containing backing. Stain proof fireproof stylish and affordable vinyl products strengthened through the inclusion asbestos in their manufacture were a very popular choice in many new zealand houses.

Like floor tiles vinyl sheet flooring is a long lasting and economical material and it also offers more aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste. This will entail peeling the sheet vinyl from the flooring beneath if the backing does not separate in the process or removing the sheet vinyl in sections with the underlayment attached. At asphalt based sheet flooring we report that some tests of red backed asphalt core vinyl sheet flooring found that the floor did not contain asbestos. We describe sources of asbestos in older forms of sheet flooring including felt backed flooring rubber backed flooring and vinyl cushion backed resilient flooring products.

Asbestos containing sheet flooring or resilient flooring product identification. 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. A vinyl sheet flooring that looks like the above has a high chance of asbestos. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed.

Mastic is a type of glue used to adhere tiles and vinyl flooring to the subfloor. As with any asbestos containing material acm the first step to finding asbestos in linoleum sheet flooring and vinyl tiles is.