Is Vinyl Composition Floor Tile Asbestos Free

Vinyl composition tile is a flooring material used primarily in commercial applications.

Is vinyl composition floor tile asbestos free.

Our photo left shows armstrong excelon 12x12 vinyl asbestos flooring made in 1972 identified in our floor tile photo guide asbestos floor tile identification photos 1949 1959 detailed photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles and resilient flooring produced in 1900 1980. An asbestos free composition suitable for the manufacture of vinyl floor tile comprises a substantially uniform mixture of a minor portion of vinyl polymer resin and a major portion of mineral filler consisting essentially of calcium carbonate and kaolin clay. New ceramic tile looks so much better. Asbestos vinyl floor tiles.

Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around. Manufacturers have reformulated their mixtures using a combination of synthetic fibers fillers binders resins and glass. There are two types of vinyl composition tile vinyl asbestos tiles vat and vinyl composition tile or vct. The only way to be certain about the asbestos content of any floor tile is to have them sampled and analysed by a ukas accredited asbestos laboratory.

The manufacture of vinyl asbestos tile was discontinued in 1982 due to health concerns connected to asbestos. Some vinyl floors were made with asbestos but i do not recall any adhesives. I spent 3 days on a 400 square foot room pulling tile bagging the stuff for proper disposal and removing the mastic. Softer and more flexible than thermoplastic floor tiles the vinyl floor tiles are easy to confuse with the modern non asbestos floor tile types.

Asbestos vinyl floor tiles. Formulations using such a mineral filler have been found processible into floor tile using the same basic production equipment and. The major substitute for vinyl asbestos floor tile is asbestos free vinyl composition tile. The binders and fillers include limestone clay and talc.

Vinyl made for a safer alternative to asbestos tile which was in common use through the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Asbestos free vinyl floor tile in accordance with the invention is manufactured from a composition comprising a minor proportion of vinyl polymer and a major proportion of a mineral filler consisting essentially of selected bulking agents and kaoline clay as a reinforcing agent. Vinylite contained asbestos as a filler. Most of the old stuff is a black tar based mastic which is a messy cleanup but can be done.

Vinyl composition tile was invented in the 1930 s and was first presented in the vinylite house at chicago s 1933 century of progress exhibition. But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it.