How To Assess Sheet Vinyl Flooring For Asbestos

Unfortunately vinyl tiles and sheet flooring that contain asbestos pose a potential exposure risk.

How to assess sheet vinyl flooring for asbestos.

Place the sample into a bag and seal it. It is important to take samples of all layers that you will be removing. Most often people will not remove asbestos materials due to cost and encapsulate them my adding additional layers. Use a utility knife or a chisel to cut off a small piece of flooring.

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. Historical information about the dates of flooring installation may also be sufficient to rule in or out the possibility that flooring in a building contains asbestos. In north america if asphalt or vinyl floor tiles or sheet flooring were made or installed before 1986 treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos. Take the samples to an asbestos testing lab.

In order to reduce the analysis cost you may instruct the lab to test the samples only until they find the first positive sample for asbestos. Take the samples in random areas throughout the sheet vinyl floor. The vinyl asbestos floor tile package label information combined with a simple comparison of tiles in the package with tiles installed in the building may be sound confirmation of asbestos containing materials. You could also seal it with a coat of epoxy floor paint.

You will only need a piece the size of a dime. See vinyl asbestos floor tile packaging. 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. However if the asbestos backing tears away as you peel which is what usually happens it means your asbestos backed sheet vinyl flooring is tightly adhered and will have to be removed in sections with the underlayment attached.

In cases where vinyl sheet flooring has been damaged to the extent where the asbestos containing material on the underside is disturbed a hazard assessment must be undertaken by a competent person to assess what control measures any risk. Where asbestos backed vinyl sheet flooring is to be removed it must only be removed by an a class. But when vinyl asbestos flooring is in good condition it is considered nonfriable. Flooring glue mastic underlay down to plywood or concrete.

Place the sample into the bag close it and label the bag with a permanent marker. This is generally not a problem if they are not disturbed. That means it is safe to walk on but not safe to scrape sand or use power tools on. To identify a particular asphalt asbestos or vinyl asbestos floor tile pattern color start in the image group most likely to be the same age as your building.