Is Vinyl Composition Floor Tile Asbestos Free

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.

Is vinyl composition floor tile asbestos free.

Vinylite contained asbestos as a filler. 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.

Asbestos vinyl floor tiles. There are two types of vinyl composition tile vinyl asbestos tiles vat and vinyl composition tile or vct. Some vinyl floors were made with asbestos but i do not recall any adhesives. The major substitute for vinyl asbestos floor tile is asbestos free vinyl composition tile.

The binders and fillers include limestone clay and talc. Asbestos in vinyl products becomes dangerous when microscopic fibers of the mineral are released and become airborne. Formulations using such a mineral filler have been found processible into floor tile using the same basic production equipment and. Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around.

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. The manufacture of vinyl asbestos tile was discontinued in 1982 due to health concerns connected to asbestos. Vinyl composition tile is a flooring material used primarily in commercial applications.

Manufacturers have reformulated their mixtures using a combination of synthetic fibers fillers binders resins and glass. If the material is in good condition it normally does not pose a threat because the asbestos is enclosed in vinyl preventing the fibers from escaping. 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. 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.

Vinyl made for a safer alternative to asbestos tile which was in common use through the first three quarters of the twentieth century. New ceramic tile looks so much better.