Ceramic Tiles Contain Asbestos

If floor tiles were installed between 1920 and 1960 there s a good chance they contain asbestos because most flooring tiles manufactured during this period did.

Ceramic tiles contain asbestos.

Asbestos in ceiling tiles. The asbestos floor tile identification articles in this series illustrate that with the combination of design appearance and an idea of floor tile age many asbestos containing floor tiles or sheet flooring products can be reliably identified even before confirmation by a test by a certified asbestos testing laboratory. Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets. Asbestos is used in these products for a variety of reasons.

However as a favor to future owners of your house make some note of the fact that asbestos tiles are under the new flooring. Common in homes built in the 20th century black mastic was used as an adhesive for ceramic tile linoleum and other flooring materials. You could also cover the tiles with new vinyl flooring linoleum or even ceramic tiles. Asbestos flooring only causes potential health problems when it gets disturbed so don t panic if you think your home has asbestos tiles.

As you can see this method is not an exact science. Vinyl flooring and wallpaper that contain asbestos cannot be recognized on sight. But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it. 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.

If the tiles or the floor beneath show oily discoloration the tiles very likely contain asbestos. Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around. In ceiling tiles asbestos is most commonly used for reducing the amount of noise that spreads from one room to another. That way no one will be endangered years from now when they start to rip up the new flooring and find asbestos tiles beneath.

Identifying building materials containing asbestos helps you plan for removal if you want them gone. Abating asbestos vinyl wallpaper and floor tiles does not typically require a license. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring should only be removed by a licensed abatement professional. The tiles most likely to contain asbestos are ceiling and flooring tiles.

When you remove that floor covering to make way for new flooring you may encounter the mastic and wonder whether it is safe to remove the main concern surrounding this question is that black mastic often contains asbestos.