Old Vinyl Sheet Flooring Asbestos

This article describes sheet flooring products known to contain significant levels of asbestos.

Old vinyl sheet flooring 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. Sheet vinyl flooring should be removed to avoid or minimize disturbance of the asbestos containing backing. Dry asbestos particles are lighter than air wet ones are less prone to become air borne. If you are removing the original vinyl floor from a home prior to 1980 you will need to locate a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to test your floor.

If black tar is adhering to the vinyl it is almost a 100 asbestos containing fiber product. 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. Such products some sold under the brand name solarian were installed as recently as 1980 long after governmental restrictions on asbestos were initiated. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring can be more dangerous to remove than tiles if proper precautions are not practiced.

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. 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. Prior to the 1980s asbestos vinyl sheet flooring was very popular in homes. A majority of the vinyl.

Asbestos containing sheet flooring or resilient flooring product identification. A vinyl sheet flooring that looks like the above has a high chance of asbestos. Before you begin the project to remove old vinyl flooring in your home you need to determine if the flooring contains asbestos. Always test for asbestos fibers before removing any older vinyl sheeting.

Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. Asbestos removal is a hazardous process best undertaken only by a qualified professional. 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. Asbestos vinyl flooring was a durable and economical material that offered many aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste.

Removing old vinyl flooring techniques.