Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed.
Abestos vinyl sheet flooring.
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.
We are told that the paper layer can contain from 40 to 70 percent asbestos.
Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring can be more dangerous to remove than tiles if proper precautions are not practiced.
Sheet vinyl flooring should be removed to avoid or minimize disturbance of the asbestos containing backing.
Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring has two layers a top layer of vinyl and a bottom layer made from paper that contains asbestos.
This will entail peeling the sheet vinyl from the flooring beneath if the backing does not separate in the process or removing the sheet vinyl in sections with the underlayment attached.
Asbestos was used in vinyl wallpaper from the 1920s and in the vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring that rose to prominence in the 1950s.
Like floor tiles vinyl sheet flooring is a long lasting and economical material and it also offers more aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste.
This article describes sheet flooring products known to contain significant levels of asbestos.