How To Know If Flooring Has Asbestos

Look for residue of old flooring tiles that may have contained asbestos.

How to know if flooring has asbestos.

If the tiles are older than 1980 and there is a dark discoloration in your floor it s a sign that you may have asbestos underneath. If you re renovating a building or redoing the flooring in a room look for the pattern of older tiles that could indicate that asbestos tiles were present. Gather information about the age of the tiles. You should examine the material to determine its condition.

You can t see it if the floor is intact but you can spot the black adhesive if some of the tiles have already popped off the floor. Step 1 examine the tiles closely for decay. Many old flooring tiles that contained asbestos were designed and arranged in a 9 in 23 cm by 9 in 23 cm pattern. The mastic itself usually has asbestos in it.

Asbestos mastic is made with asphalt which can degrade the tiles over time as it grinds against the backs of the tiles. Asbestos will not be harmful if it is fully intact and in good condition. The definitive way to find out if tiles contain asbestos is to have them tested. You should examine the material closely to determine its condition.

Look carefully at your tiles to see if they have a uniform color or pattern. If your flooring is installed between 1920 and 1960 it has a higher chance of containing asbestos. While it can be costly to do so the safest course of action is to assume that there is in fact asbestos in your tiles and get it treated especially if your floor was installed in the 1980 s or before the heyday of asbestos tiling. The only sure way to know whether your tiles contain asbestos is to have a licensed asbestos inspector check your house and send a sample of the material to a certified laboratory.

Asbestos flooring often has black mastic which is a type of adhesive on the back. To help you with here are 4 signs you need to know if your flooring may possibly contain asbestos. As long as the tiles are fully intact and in good condition there is little. Asbestos flooring was made into the 1980s though its heyday was the 1920s through the 1960s.

If you know when the building was built or renovated this might help you estimate when the tiles were installed. It s when the material is broken up that you risk releasing the.