This is why it is incredibly important to learn how to recognize asbestos floor tiles. , an educational resource providing the latest medical information on asbestos, reports that vinyl and asphalt tiles could contain up to 70% asbestos by weight. Most asbestos floor tiles during this time were usually made with either vinyl tiles or asphalt tiles. Homes built between the 1920s and the 1980s are at a high risk of having asbestos floor tiles. Unfortunately, asbestos floor tiles can be very difficult to recognize. Is that old tile in your home actually asbestos floor tiles? If it is, how do you identify it? Asbestos is nothing to mess around with, so it’s critically important to learn how to recognize Asbestos floor tiles. This will ensure the entire removal process is done per regulation to keep you safe during and after the process.How to Recognize Asbestos Floor Tiles, An Expert Guide. The safest removal option is to have an asbestos remediation contractor remove the tiles. When you’re ready to remove the asbestos, seek direction from your local authorities and talk with a flooring expert before you being the process. New vinyl, laminate flooring, hardwood, even carpet can successfully be installed over asbestos flooring without disturbing it and creating a further problem. One of the best ways to deal with asbestos tiles is to leave them in place. You might also see a black adhesive underneath, which was commonly used to glue the flooring tiles down. You may also notice a stained or oily appearance, which comes from asphalt, it’s main ingredient. However, they did come in 12×12 and 18×18 as well, so size isn’t everything. The most popular size tile during this timeframe was 9×9. If your home was built before 1980, there’s a good chance they contain asbestos because most flooring tiles manufactured during this time did. The kit comes with instructions and you should wear gloves and a dust mask during the process. You can either hire an asbestos remediation expert or obtain a test kit in which you remove a floor sample, and mail it into an asbestos testing lab. The only way to find out for sure is to have them tested. When you saw, sand, drill, or tear the tiles out, this can release fibers into the air where they can be inhaled. Mesothelioma – cancer of the lining surrounding the lungs, heart, and abdomenĪsbestos floor tiles do not post a problem unless they are disturbed.Asbestosis – a non-cancer respiratory disease.Over time, this can lead to illness, including: When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they lodge in the lungs and do not break down. If you live in an older home that may have asbestos floor tiles in place, how you handle removal is of the utmost importance to your family’s health and safety.Īccording to the EPA, asbestos fibers pose a health risk when they are friable, meaning they crumble easily and release into the air. It doesn’t cause a problem until you start to remove it. But banning it from production of current building materials doesn’t eliminate the fact that it still exists in homes and commercial properties that have been in place for decades. It was banned once the list of health risks began to form. And if you have an older home, chances are you may have asbestos in certain locations.Īsbestos is a heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that was common in construction until the 1980s. Asbestos is something we hear a lot about.
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