How To Tell If Old Floor Tiles Have Asbestos

If your tiles are thicker you may not be able to see any discoloration.

How to tell if old floor tiles have asbestos.

Identifying asbestos floor tiles. The mastic itself usually has asbestos in it. Vinyl or asphalt tiles that have these colors in it have a high likelihood of asbestos fibers. Asphalt is a main ingredient in asbestos tiles and the oil from the asphalt can leach out.

Click here to read more. One of the main ingredients used in old asbestos tiles was asphalt so they were primarily made in dark colors only. The definitive way to find out if tiles contain asbestos is to have them tested. They may not know for sure but they may be able to tell you the age of the tiles which will be a good indicator.

Talk to a previous owner or if you re renting the landlord and ask if the tiles contain asbestos. As with any asbestos containing material acm the first step to finding asbestos in linoleum sheet flooring and vinyl tiles is. Step 3 date the tiles. When inspecting the tiles look for parts that are grayish brown dark gray dark brown or black.

If the tiles or the floor beneath show oily discoloration the tiles very likely contain asbestos. 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. Asbestos flooring often has black mastic which is a type of adhesive on the back. The tiles may have asbestos too.

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. Tiles that are disintegrating should be handled with extreme care. In older homes it is possible that asbestos tiles were removed and replaced during a home renovation or improvement project. 4 look to see if cracked tiles are black or dark gray underneath.

As you can see this method is not an exact science.