Abestos Vinyl Sheet Flooring

We are told that the paper layer can contain from 40 to 70 percent asbestos.

Abestos vinyl sheet flooring.

Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. 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. This article describes sheet flooring products known to contain significant levels of asbestos.

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. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring has two layers a top layer of vinyl and a bottom layer made from paper that contains asbestos. Sheet vinyl flooring should be removed to avoid or minimize disturbance of the asbestos containing backing. Asbestos vinyl flooring was a durable and economical material that offered many aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste.

Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring can be more dangerous to remove than tiles if proper precautions are not practiced.