Asbestos Floor Tiles Low Risk

Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring poses a significantly greater asbestos exposure risk than floor tiles or wallpaper.

Asbestos floor tiles low risk.

In many cases the best thing to do about vinyl asbestos flooring is put a new layer of flooring on top of it. If the asbestos floor tiles or sheet flooring have been painted coated with a sealant or floored over using carpet laminate or any other continuous flooring so that the original floor is not exposed the risk level provided by the original asbestos containing flooring is low to beneath the level of detection in the building. Both these options will keep the asbestos trapped in the floor. Floor tiles can become friable if they are mishandled damaged or are in a badly worn or weathered condition.

If the floor is true linoleum damage does not present a danger of asbestos inhalation unless it extends all the way to the subfloor and exposes the mastic which may contain asbestos. Asbestos floor tiles will not release toxic fibers and pose a health risk unless they are disturbed. Therefore they generally pose a lower risk to health. You could also seal it with a coat of epoxy floor paint.

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. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. Sanding sawing drilling or tearing the tiles out however can release fibers into the air. In most cases vinyl tiles are considered non friable.

Manufacturers often made this type of flooring with a friable asbestos backing which means asbestos fibres are easily released into the air if the sheet flooring. Older vinyl or rubber floors that are damaged are a different story because the tiles can release asbestos so they need to be removed.