Asbestos Vinyl Floor Sheeting

Asbestos backed vinyl sheet flooring is where the backing the side attached to the floor see figure 1 contains friable easily broken asbestos material.

Asbestos vinyl floor sheeting.

The vinyl sheeting itself does not contain asbestos. Old vinyl products that contain asbestos remain in many buildings across the u s creating a hazard for contractors and do it yourself renovators. It is possible to make a tentative identification of floor tiles based on the individual tile pattern color and thickness. 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.

However you re not completely in the clear because asbestos was a common ingredient in the mastic used to hold these flooring materials to the subfloor. Figure 1 asbestos backed vinyl sheet flooring. Tiles are safer to remove than the sheeting because the asbestos is held together by the vinyl which is not hazardous. 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.

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. You can visually identify vinyl flooring materials that contain asbestos by reviewing the vinyl asbestos floor tiles and sheet flooring identification photo guide see resources. Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets. 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.

Asbestos containing sheet flooring or resilient flooring product identification. Sheet vinyl flooring should be removed to avoid or minimize disturbance of the asbestos containing backing. Vinyl asbestos tiles should not be sanded and the glue that holds the tiles to the floor should not be sanded either. Must be implemented to control.

This article describes sheet flooring products known to contain significant levels of asbestos. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. 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.