What Do Asbestos Floor Tiles Look Like

Some of the flooring tiles have come off and you see.

What do asbestos floor tiles look like.

The only way to make it a science is to hire a licensed asbestos inspector or by sending a sample to a lab to be tested but doing so can be costly and time consuming. Each has a different appearance and properties but as asbestos is mixed in with other materials it is almost impossible to determine the type of asbestos in a product without laboratory testing. When inspecting the tiles look for parts that are grayish brown dark gray dark brown or black. In rare cases the 9 x 9 tile did not contain asbestos.

Toni probably yes also possibly the tile mastic. Asbestos old to identify asbestos containing asbestos tile floors to safely remove asbestos tiles look like popcorn once its probably dont look extremely similar cellulose which they are disturbed especially when broken for asbestos old ceiling tiles is a hazard since they are asbestos tiles that decadesold vinyl tile that is that was usually look like. Dave s answer is a good one. Although most asbestos tiles were made when tiles were 9x9.

For a more accurate guess there is a bit of additional information you can provide or ask yourself. In cases where the tile is not asbestos containing one item that is overlooked is the underlying glue also known as mastic. The mastic itself usually has asbestos in it. See asbestos flooring hazard reduction steps to take to reduce the asbestos hazard on 2020 04 21 by linda my house was built in the 50 s but completely remodeled.

Mastic that is black in color is a primary suspect for asbestos containing materials much like the 9 x 9 vinyl floor tiles. See des this flooring contain asbestos. One of the main ingredients used in old asbestos tiles was asphalt so they were primarily made in dark colors only. If the tiles or the floor beneath show oily discoloration the tiles very likely contain asbestos.

Asbestos flooring often has black mastic which is a type of adhesive on the back. There are six types of asbestos chrysotile white asbestos amosite brown asbestos crocidolite blue asbestos tremolite anthophyllite and actinolite. Vinyl or asphalt tiles that have these colors in it have a high likelihood of asbestos fibers. Live link just below.

If you have 9x9 tiles it s a good bet that they are asbestos. You don t have to be paranoid about taking them up just try not to break them and don t do any. The bedrooms have carpet i considered pulling up but i am under the. Linda those look like 9x9 vinyl asbestos floor tiles from the 1950s or 1960s.

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. As you can see this method is not an exact science. Over time asphalt which was a main ingredient in asbestos tiles can degrade and cause the tiles to look grimy or discolored in spots.