What Asbestos Tiles Look Like

When inspecting the tiles look for parts that are grayish brown dark gray dark brown or black.

What asbestos tiles look like.

If you are unsure whether asbestos is present don t start work. Like floor tiles vinyl sheet flooring is a long lasting and economical material and it also offers more aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste. Tiles that are disintegrating should be handled with extreme care. Over time asphalt which was a main ingredient in asbestos tiles can degrade and cause the tiles to look grimy or discolored in spots.

One of the main ingredients used in old asbestos tiles was asphalt so they were primarily made in dark colors only. Flooring made with asbestos often becomes discolored as it ages. The materials below represent some common places where asbestos can be found. As you can see this method is not an exact science.

Oily discoloration is often a strong indicator of asbestos in the tiles. Step 3 date the tiles. Some ceiling tiles or suspended ceiling drop in panels are quite obviously made of fiberglass by visual inspection. In most cases it is extremely difficult to determine the difference between an asbestos insulation board and a non asbestos material without specialist testing.

We also seen very small asphalt asbestos floor tiles in a 1 1 2 size bonded to a jute backer fabric. Asbestos is a highly fibrous material and these fibers interlock to help strengthen mastic insulation and many other household building products. Asphalt asbestos plastic asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles were sold in 6 x6 9 x 9 and in some years 12 x 12 sizes. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed.

That s because the asphalt in the tiles breaks down over time and oil from the asphalt comes out of the tiles. While it is not possible to identify all forms of asbestos by mere visual inspection it is possible to identify some materials that are definitely not asbestos. Asphalt is a main ingredient in asbestos tiles and the oil from the asphalt can leach out. Aibs are often hard to identify as they often look like normal building materials such as ceiling tiles plasterboard and panels.

Details of asbestos floor tile identification. The tiles may appear stained or oily. If the tiles or the floor beneath show oily discoloration the tiles very likely contain asbestos. What does black mastic look like.

You will only see black asbestos mastic after a floor covering has been removed. Look at the ceiling tile material. As the name suggests black is its predominant color. Vinyl or asphalt tiles that have these colors in it have a high likelihood of asbestos fibers.