What Does Old Asbestos Flooring Look Like

Asbestos flooring often has black mastic which is a type of adhesive on the back.

What does old asbestos flooring look like.

The best thing to do with asbestos material in good condition is leave it alone. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. Here is the flooring in question from a 1962 home. The health risks of asbestos have been common knowledge for decades which gives many people the false impression that this problem has been dealt with.

Common in homes built in the 20th century black mastic was used as an adhesive for ceramic tile linoleum and other flooring materials. Over time asphalt which was a main ingredient in asbestos tiles can degrade and cause the tiles to look grimy or discolored in spots. The mastic itself usually has asbestos in it. Pretty much all asphalt based darker core floor tiles and most vinyl floor tiles from the 1960s would contain asbestos.

The risk for many people who live or work in buildings with old flooring is that it s hard to know if the building has asbestos floor tiles just by looking. I am not sure the right image attached. 9 9 floor tiles with asbestos. Asbestos that crumbles easily if handled or that has been sawed scraped or sanded into a powder is likely to release asbestos fibers and create a health hazard.

Some of the flooring tiles have come off and you see. When you remove that floor covering to make way for new flooring you may encounter the mastic and wonder whether it is safe to remove the main concern surrounding this question is that black mastic often contains asbestos. You can t see it if the floor is intact but you can spot the black adhesive if some of the tiles have already popped off the floor. Josh that looks like a vinyl asbestos floor tile.

Asbestos was commonly used in vinyl flooring. However asbestos mining is a big industry in canada and lobbying by the asbestos industry held back regulation for decades. Gather information about the age of the tiles. I took up 6 tiles of this stuff in a friend s basement.

This commonly consisted of both vinyl fleet flooring and vinyl asbestos tiles. The tiles may have asbestos too. If you know when the building was built or renovated this might help you estimate when the tiles were installed. Asbestos flooring was made into the 1980s though its heyday was the 1920s through the 1960s.

On 2020 06 13 by josh. 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. What do asbestos floors look like. The danger comes from asbestos material that has been damaged over time.