At above left is a 12 x 12 vinyl asbestos floor tile found in a home built in 1969.
Floor tile adhesive containing asbestos.
But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it.
The adhesives used in numerous homes businesses and public buildings constructed before 1980 often contain between 1 and 25 percent asbestos depending on the purpose of the adhesive.
Containing between 15 and 85 percent asbestos these adhesives were manufactured mostly in the first half of the 20th century.
Therefore if your house was built or remodeled around 1984 or before there is a chance that black mastic adhesive on your floor may contain asbestos.
This article provides dates of manufacture of asbestos containing adhesives mastics sealants and includes photographs and text describing the appearance of such products.
How to recognize roof or floor adhesive mastic or sealant that may contain asbestos.
Although it can be partly removed using organic solvents that approach is dangerous and unnecessary unless you are trying to restore a historic and valuable wood floor below.
While an expert test by a certified asbestos testing lab is required for sure identification of the asbestos content of most materials.
This material is not friable unless some fool runs a power sander or scraper over it.
Asbestos adhesive was used for asphalt flooring tiles and vinyl or linoleum sheet tile because it strengthened the flooring and made it more durable.
These asbestos products can become hazardous as the adhesives become brittle and break down over time potentially releasing asbestos fibers into the air.
Thanks to reader r m.
I ve read that black floor adhesive contains asbestos but what about non black wall tile glue.
This type of adhesive was asphalt based and most likely contains asbestos whether or not the tiles.
Black mastic also known as cutback adhesive was commonly used to glue flooring tiles down.
See armstrong floor tile list 1969.
Home was built in 1967 so asbestos was a concern the floor tiles are vinyl 8x8 and possibly contain asbestos so i am leaving those there and laying over them but the wall also had a different 4x4 ceramic tiles.
Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets.
Testing found 3 chrysotile asbestos in this floor tile sample.
Ceramic floor tiles that are being demolished ground sanded or cut with a tile saw sometimes do contain asbestos if they are old enough to have been installed when asbestos was in common when used in grout tile bedding or in older homes with thin set tile mastic these tiles are deadly and could be hazardous and should be handled.
It is likely that this is an asbestos containing floor tile.
Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around.
Here is a picture.
For the photo and test information.
Black asphalt based floor tile adhesive often containing asbestos.
