Do Asphalt Floor Tiles Have Asbestos

Black mastic also known as cutback adhesive was commonly used to glue the flooring tiles down.

Do asphalt floor tiles have asbestos.

As you can see this method is not an exact science. Asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles were produced in 9 x 9 12 x 12 and even 18 x 18 as well as in decorative strips and in thicknesses of 1 16 3 32 and 1 8 also in 0 08 gauge. Tiles that are disintegrating should be handled with extreme care. Asphalt based asbestos floor tiles and later plastic or vinyl based asbestos flooring were popular in the u s.

Some asbestos containing flooring products were manufactured we estimate as early as the late 1920 s. Some sheet flooring or resilient flooring also contained asbestos as did floor tile mastics. To identify a particular asphalt asbestos or vinyl asbestos floor tile pattern color start in the image group most likely to be the same age as your building. In the 1940 s 1970 s and were produced by some manufacturers armstrong as late as 1980.

Later improvements in the manufacturing process made the production of flooring more consistent in appearance. Similarly among some floor tile products especially the earlier asphalt asbestos and some early vinyl asbestos flooring flooring sold with the same pattern and hue name may vary by manufacturing batch. Asphalt is one of the main materials used for the manufacturing of asbestos floor tiles and leakages of the oil incorporated in it can occur causing the color of the tiles to fade. Asphalt is a main ingredient in asbestos tiles and the oil from the asphalt can leach out.

In north america if asphalt or vinyl floor tiles or sheet flooring were made or installed before 1986 treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos. If the tiles or the floor beneath show oily discoloration the tiles very likely contain asbestos. 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 only true way to tell if the tiles contain asbestos is by checking the package or having a lab test a piece of the tile for asbestos.