How to Know if You Have Asbestos Flooring

Asbestos was a major component in many structure materials upwardly until the 1980s because of its durability and oestrus-resistant properties. Today, materials with high asbestos content are banned in the U.S. due to the very serious associated health risks. Even so, many homes built earlier the 1980s still take many asbestos-containing materials , including types of insulation, textured ceilings, drywall, and many types of floor.

If you doubtable your flooring could contain asbestos, it's important to have steps to identify it and remove it. This is especially important if you're planning a renovation or other project that could disrupt the flooring in your home, every bit disturbing asbestos floor can create asbestos-containing dust, which is hazardous to breathe. Continue reading to learn how to identify asbestos in your floor and what to do if yous notice information technology in your home.

What is Asbestos?

Virtually homeowners and homebuyers know that finding asbestos in our homes is generally non a good thing. But what is asbestos? How mutual is information technology in homes? How exercise nosotros place it and what should you do if you notice it in your space? If you're a homeowner or in the process of buying an older home, these are questions worth getting answers to.

The wide term "asbestos" refers to a grouping of 6 naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals :

• Chrysotile
• Amosite
• Crocidolite
• Tremolite
• Anthophyllite
• Actinolite

Asbestos offers heat and chemic resistance, in addition to fireproofing and immovability. This explains why it was and so frequently included in building materials, and especially flooring materials, prior to regulation in the 1980s.

The Health Risks of Asbestos in Flooring

If it's left undisturbed, asbestos-containing floor tiles or other materials more often than not don't pose a serious health gamble. However, disrupting or disturbing asbestos flooring in any way during a remodel or other project can release pocket-sized particles of hazardous asbestos grit into the air in your home. Although these particles may be undetectable by sight or odour, yous can easily breathe them into your lungs and expose yourself to serious long-term health risks, including:

• Chronic coughing
• Difficulty breathing
• Asbestosis
• Chest pain
• Mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Other cancers

If yous suspect there is asbestos in your flooring, it'southward worth identifying it through certified lab testing and taking steps toward remediation before you brainstorm replacing your flooring or undergoing other dwelling house renovations.

How to Identify Asbestos in Floor

Asbestos in flooring is extremely common, especially in older homes. Many types of floor may contain asbestos, including vinyl tiles, vinyl canvass floor, linoleum flooring, and laminate floor. Information technology's also common to find asbestos in flooring adhesives .

Although the merely way to know for sure whether your floor contains asbestos is to have it professionally tested, in that location are a few factors that may point that your floor has asbestos. These include the post-obit:

• Your dwelling house was congenital earlier 1980
• The floor looks oily, greasy, or discolored
• You lot have 9-inch, 12-inch, or 18-inch flooring tiles
• The flooring adhesive is black

Asbestos in Tile Flooring

Many homes have asbestos-containing floor tiles , especially those built or updated in the 1970s and before. Prior to regulation that banned their use, many flooring companies produced tiles that contained high concentrations of asbestos. Since asbestos is known for its heat-resistant properties and durability, asbestos tiles were frequently installed in high-traffic areas in homes, including kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and entryways.

Asbestos in Sheet Flooring

In older homes, information technology'due south common to discover asbestos in vinyl canvass flooring, every bit well as linoleum and laminate. Generally, the sail floor itself does not contain asbestos. Prior to the 1980s, withal, manufacturers would oftentimes incorporate a felt-like backing to provide a cushion underneath the flooring surface. This felt-like bankroll often contains very loftier concentrations of asbestos .

Asbestos in Floor Adhesives

Your flooring tiles or sheet flooring may or may non include asbestos. In addition to the flooring itself, the adhesives used to install your floor may likewise comprise the toxic mineral compound. In the 20th century, blackness mastic was used frequently as an adhesive to install floor tiles and other types of floor, and many black mastic adhesives contain asbestos. If y'all pull up your flooring and find black agglutinative underneath, information technology'south a practiced thought to stop and get a sample of the adhesive tested to identify whether or non it contains asbestos earlier y'all keep.

Get Your Flooring Lab Tested For Asbestos

If yous own an older dwelling or are planning to buy a home that was built before 1980, it's worth taking steps to determine whether or not asbestos is present in the flooring, every bit well equally other areas in the home. Information technology's specially important to know if your floors contain asbestos before you begin any kind of domicile renovation or floor replacement.

There are factors that tin can requite you some hints as to whether asbestos is present, but the only style to know for certain is to get a sample professionally tested at a lab. JSE Labs offers condom, authentic, and quick asbestos testing and results that you lot know you tin trust.

Collect and drop off your own sample , or schedule an in-home visit to accept your sample tested by one of our experts. Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions and to get your sample tested.

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Source: https://jselabs.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-asbestos-in-flooring/