Asbestos Sheet Vinyl

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 sheet vinyl.

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. Asbestos backed sheet vinyl flooring was commonly installed in many ways including over hardwood softwood and concrete floors. Vinyl floor tiles or sheet flooring were made or installed before 1986 should be treated as a floor covering presumed to contain asbestos or else have a sample tested and report the results here please.

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. Asbestos containing sheet flooring or resilient flooring product identification. This article describes sheet flooring products known to contain significant levels of asbestos. The removal procedures described in this publication address the removal of asbestos backed sheet vinyl only if.

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. Old vinyl products that contain asbestos remain in many buildings across the u s creating a hazard for contractors and do it yourself renovators. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed.

While asbestos is useful as a binding agent in the manufacture of vinyl and rubber floor coverings it isn t needed to make linoleum tiles or sheet flooring. We are told that the paper layer can contain from 40 to 70 percent asbestos. Working with asbestos flooring can release toxic dust. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring can be more dangerous to remove than tiles if proper precautions are not practiced.

Before you begin the project to remove old vinyl flooring in your home you need to determine if the flooring contains asbestos. The resilient sheet flooring shown at above left is a modern product we are using this photo as a placeholder and does not contain asbestos. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring has two layers a top layer of vinyl and a bottom layer made from paper that contains asbestos. I don t recognize that exact flooring pattern jack and am guessing it s an early 1980s vinyl sheet flooring.

It also was installed over tongue and groove wood floors particleboard and plywood.