If asbestos tiles are covered with carpeting or a floating floor made of wood bamboo cork linoleum or vinyl along with the appropriate vapor.
Asbestos floor tiles green.
The use of asbestos in building materials such as insulation rolled roofing siding and floor tiles was common in the first half of the 20th century and if you have an older home it may be lurking in your floor tiles.
Asbestos containing floor tiles were produced in a wide range of thicknesses and dimensions as well as in custom sizes patterns shapes and cutouts.
See asbestos floor tile dimensions for details.
Identification photographs product names styles colors and vinyl asbestos floor patterns and colors for asbestos containing floor tile products made between about 1930 and 1986.
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.
However as a favor to future owners of your house make some note of the fact that asbestos tiles are under the new flooring.
Asbestos floor tiles will not release toxic fibers and pose a health risk unless they are disturbed.
What most people tend to do with asbestos tile is cover it and forget it partly because professional abatement is so expensive and partly because the risks with tiles in good condition are low.
Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed.
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.
Here is an asbestos floor tile identification key sorted by primary flooring color.
Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets.
You could also cover the tiles with new vinyl flooring linoleum or even ceramic tiles.
Photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles 1900 1986.
Beige black blue brown tan wood tone gray green red white yellow etc.
Sanding sawing drilling or tearing the tiles out however can release fibers into the air.
That way no one will be endangered years from now when they start to rip up the new flooring and find asbestos tiles beneath.
But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it.
Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around.
Dominant floor tile colors discussed next.