What Is Vinyl Asbestos Tile

What are asbestos floor tiles.

What is vinyl asbestos tile.

Who produced vinyl or asphalt asbestos flooring. Step 3 date the tiles. Vinyl asbestos floor tiles were produced by a number of manufacturers and the decorative tile patterns were varied often annually as styles and tastes changed. If you aren t removing the old floor you may be creating a new floor that is too thick for doors to open and shut or for thresholds to have clearance.

Many asbestos floor tiles including old vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around. But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it. Vinyl tile is an excellent option for sealing in asbestos tiles. Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets.

One of the biggest factors of installing a new floor over the old is thickness. However once considerable testing proved that it was a killer the miracle became a nightmare to deal with and remove. Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around. But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it.

For about 35 years flooring companies included asbestos when they manufactured the vinyl tiles. The old tiles are relatively thin around 1 8 inch thick so installing new flooring on top. Asbestos floor tiles were manufactured in three sizes. One of the main ingredients used in old asbestos tiles was asphalt so they were primarily made in dark colors only.

9 x9 12 x12 and 18 x18. It is possible to make a tentative identification of floor tiles based on the individual tile pattern color and thickness. 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. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed.

Vinyl or asphalt tiles that have these colors in it have a high likelihood of asbestos fibers. Tiles that are disintegrating should be. Examine the condition of the tiles. But the flooring companies aim wasn t so much to make the floor tiles fireproof as it was to make the tiles more durable.

Asbestos is a mineral that lends fireproofing qualities to any substance it is mixed with. Sbestos was once considered a miracle material used in everything from paint and pipe insulation to even tiling. Intact asbestos tiles are not a major risk and can in fact be left in place and covered with other materials such as carpet vinyl linoleum or concrete.