Test For Asbestos Flooring

Tiles of this age often contain white asbestos chrysolite set in polymer.

Test for asbestos flooring. If floor tiles are more than 30 years old it s likely you ll want to replace them. You can also have a flooring sample tested for asbestos using one of the certified asbestos testing labs in this asbestos testing lab list. However asbestos testing is essential before you rip them up. If you want to test for asbestos keep in mind that asbestos is only dangerous when it degrades and becomes airborne.

If you face a costly dusty messy demolition it may be appropriate to have a sample of the flooring tested. Many older homes have asbestos tiles for flooring. The risk for many people who live or work in buildings with old flooring is that it s hard to know if the building has asbestos floor tiles just by looking. As time goes by and more homes are remodeled fewer homes contain asbestos tiles.

Asbestos is actually a silicate based material that used to be commonly used in building construction for surfaces as common as walls or floor tiles. 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. Lab testing of flooring for asbestos content. Sometimes the initial asbestos testing kit includes both the kit fee and the laboratory fee.

You can either engage an asbestos remediation expert or obtain a test kit for. If you have time and about 40. Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally in the environment that is made up of long thin fibers that look similar to fiberglass. A small fee for the kit then a larger fee for the lab results.

Also it helps to know whether or not a pre paid mailer is included. Identifying asbestos floor tiles. Asbestos exposure may pose serious health risks. When pricing out asbestos testing kits be sure to ascertain whether you must pay twice.

Found in many manufactured products prior to the mid 1980 such as pipe insulation ceiling and floor tiles paints caulking fire resistant clothing and brake pads. But if you have a home built before the mid 20th century there is a good chance that the floor tiles contain 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. Therefore if you don t see signs of disintegrating pipes insulation walls vinyl flooring or other old materials in your home testing for asbestos may not be necessary.

They are not particularly high risk unless damaged resulting in the release of the asbestos fibres.