Asbestos Tile Testing

If you have time and about 40.

Asbestos tile testing.

One of the main ingredients used in old asbestos tiles was asphalt so they were primarily made in dark colors only. Vinyl is a type of plastic that has long been a popular material for floor tiles and sheets. When pricing out asbestos testing kits be sure to ascertain whether you must pay twice. Lab testing of flooring for asbestos content.

Step 3 date the tiles. The same applies to medium risk. If you face a costly dusty messy demolition it may be appropriate to have a sample of the flooring tested. Vinyl or asphalt tiles that have these colors in it have a high likelihood of asbestos fibers.

Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around. 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 exposure may pose serious health risks. With both low and medium results you could consider laying new flooring over the existing.

You can test the tile yourself or hire an asbestos professional to inspect and. Other times you pay twice. But that changes as soon as you decide to remove it. Asbestos tiles can be difficult to identify because you can t see the asbestos in the tile.

Exposure to asbestos from flooring that contains vinyl tiles in good condition is considered low. Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally in the environment that is made up of long thin fibers that look similar to fiberglass. Because asbestos was widely used before 1980 if you have flooring tiles that were installed before then you need to test a piece of the flooring to make sure it s safe. For example if the test comes back as low risk you might want to get an expert in to repair any damage.

One of the best ways to deal with asbestos tile is to leave it in place and cover it with new flooring. A small fee for the kit then a larger fee for the lab results. Sometimes the initial asbestos testing kit includes both the kit fee and the laboratory fee. Asbestos testing kits are available in diy stores and online for between 10 and 45.

Another time period that asbestos floors were popular in was between the years of 1920 and 1960. Samples tested will reveal whether there is a high medium low or negative asbestos risk. However if the vinyl material is damaged or disturbed there is a risk of exposure to asbestos fibres. Therefore it is recommended to test for asbestos before any renovations are undertaken so necessary precautions can be made to minimise exposure.