When vinyl asbestos flooring is crumbling or damaged it is considered friable.
Vinyl flooring and asbestos.
An example would be a floor slab made from asbestos cement.
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.
Asbestos is a mineral that lends fireproofing qualities to any substance it is mixed with.
But when vinyl asbestos flooring is in good condition it is considered nonfriable.
But the flooring companies aim wasn t so much to make the floor tiles fireproof as it was to make the tiles more durable.
What are asbestos floor tiles.
Our photo left shows armstrong excelon 12x12 vinyl asbestos flooring made in 1972 identified in our floor tile photo guide asbestos floor tile identification photos 1949 1959 detailed photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles and resilient flooring produced in 1900 1980.
Asbestos vinyl floor tiles.
For about 35 years flooring companies included asbestos when they manufactured the vinyl tiles.
Asbestos vinyl flooring was a durable and economical material that offered many aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste.