Does Old Vinyl Flooring Contain Asbestos

Adding to modern confusion about which vinyl floor tiles from the 1950 s to 1980 s do or do not contain asbestos some lines such as the excelon supreme ca 1977 did not contain asbestos.

Does old vinyl flooring contain asbestos.

On 2019 10 14 by mod. This is a custom built house constructed in 1983 currently under contract i am purchasing. Does this vinyl kitchen floor contain asbestos. We are told that the paper layer can contain from 40 to 70 percent asbestos.

Working with asbestos flooring can release toxic dust. Asbestos is a mineral that lends fireproofing qualities to any substance it is mixed with. Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring has two layers a top layer of vinyl and a bottom layer made from paper that contains asbestos.

For about 35 years flooring companies included asbestos when they manufactured the vinyl tiles. Click here to read more. If the material is in good condition it normally does not pose a threat because the asbestos is enclosed in vinyl preventing the fibres from escaping. Vinyl flooring and wallpaper that contain asbestos cannot be recognized on sight.

Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring can be more dangerous to remove than tiles if proper precautions are not practiced. But the flooring companies aim wasn t so much to make the floor tiles fireproof as it was to make the tiles more durable. Unfortunately vinyl tiles and sheet flooring that contain asbestos pose a potential exposure risk. Old vinyl products that contain asbestos remain in many buildings across the u s creating a hazard for contractors and do it yourself renovators.

The interior of the house is very outdated with original carpet and i am assuming the vinyl tile floors in kitchen are the original floors from 1983. The vinyl acts as a binder that holds the asbestos fibres within a solid matrix. Not all old floor tiles or sheet flooring contain asbestos.