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 Armstrong Floor Tiles & Sheet Flooring Identification Photos 1960-1969
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles, 1900 -1986: this article provides a guide to identifying asphalt-asbestos flooring (1917 - ca 1960) & vinyl asbestos floor tile (ca 1952 - 1986): identification photographs, product names, styles, colors, and vinyl-asbestos floor patterns, and colors for asbestos-containing floor tile products made between about 1930 and 1986 - flooring materials that are reported to or have been confirmed to contain asbestos in asbestos fiber or asbestos powder-filler form. These flooring products typically contain chrysotile asbestos, and possibly other asbestos forms.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles Product History and Product Name List
Asphalt asbestos and vinyl-asbestos floor tiles were produced in 9" x 9", 12" x 12", and even 18" x 18" as well as in decorative strips, and in thicknesses of 1/16", 3/32", and 1/8", also in 0.08 gauge.This photo guide to asphalt asbestos & vinyl asbestos floor tiles for each year shows at least one color photo of each floor tile style or pattern in an example color. A list below each group of photos includes the names of and links to additional photos for other colors of these styles.
Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos
materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air.
Below we provide an extensive photo-dictionary of resilient flooring, floor tiles, and sheet flooring, with focus on older floor coverings that are known to contain asbestos. Also see the following articles on types, ages, characteristics, ingredients, & inspection of different types of floor coverings:
Armstrong Floor Tile Photo Identification Guide 1960 - 1969
How to Find Your Floor Tile or Sheet Flooring in this Flooring Reference Photo Guide
  
Asphalt asbestos and vinyl-asbestos floor tiles were produced in 9" x 9", 12" x 12", and even 18" x 18" as well as in decorative strips, and in thicknesses of 1/16", 3/32", and 1/8", also in 0.08 gauge. Some sheet flooring or resilient flooring also contained asbestos, as did floor tile mastics.
This photo guide to asphalt asbestos & vinyl asbestos floor tiles for each year shows at least one color photo of each floor tile style or pattern in an example color. A list below each group of photos includes the names of and links to additional photos for other colors of these styles.
Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos
materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air.
To identify a particular asphalt-asbestos or vinyl-asbestos floor tile pattern & color, start in the image group most likely to be the same age as your building.
If you don't find your floor tile or sheet flooring by looking forward from that that year, you should also look backwards in the earlier years as your specific flooring pattern & color may have first appeared in an earlier year. For other tile brands than Armstrong, see the brand name floor tile links included in this list.
If you can identify your floor tile collection name or model number, or if you recognize it in the extensive library of flooring color and pattern photographs provided in these pages, laboratory testing of the sample to screen the flooring for asbestos may be unnecessary. Our home page for asbestos-containing floor tiles is at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE To send us photographs of possible asbestos-containing flooring that you are trying to identify, use the email address found at CONTACT. |
We have split this guide to Armstrong Asphalt Asbestos or Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles into the individual year range pages (dates of production) below in order to cut web page load time. If you prefer to see all of the reference photos in a single scrollable file, contact us and we can provide the full list in a single big and slow-loading file.
Many of the colors and patterns of asphalt-asbestos or vinyl-asbestos floor tiles were manufactured over many years and may appear in more than one of the floor tile photo collections listed by date range here.
For each year we list the names of the tile patterns sold during that year, we include representative color images of the floor tiles, and throughout the entire floor tile pattern & color history series we include each floor tile color & pattern of the floor tile in the first year that it appeared , and we include representative colors and patterns in other years.
Examples of floor tile packaging, labeling, and other information can be found throughout the flooring photo collections listed here.
1960 - Armstrong Excelon Floor Vinyl Plastic Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9" & beginning in 1960 available in 12" x 12" size
Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Tiles were produced in both 9" x 9" and for order quantities over 9,000 sq.ft. also in 12" x 12" size. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.
- Excelon Corkstyle in Light, Medium, Dark shades
Colors:
(See color images from 1956, 1957, 1958)
- Excelon Designer tone-on-tone colors 9" x 9" x 1/16" (some patterns) & 1/8"
Colors: Mint Green 760, Sand Beige 762, Ecru 767, Kasha Taupe 769 -new (See 1957 - 1958 for other color photos)
- Excelon Imperial 9 x 9 x 3/32 & 1/8"
Colors: Mint Green 871, Pebble Beige 872, Gull Gray 873, Dusty Cedar 874
- Excelon Metallic Spatter pattern vinyl-asbestos floor tiles new in 1959-1960 9" x 9" x 1/16" vinyl asbestos flooring (only in 1/16" "service gauge" for this pattern). These floor tiles include metallic accents, metallic highlights in gold, silver or bronze dispersed through the pattern.
Colors: Metallic spatter patterns: (shown above from left to right) Beige Gold 300, Mint gold 301, Slate Gold 302, Pink Gold 303
- Excelon Metallic Straight grain floor tiles were new in 1959-1960 9" x 9" x 1/16" vinyl asbestos flooring (sold in both 1/16" service gauge and 3/32" gauge). These tiles also include metallic accents, metallic highlights in gold, silver or bronze dispersed through the pattern.
Colors: Metallic straight grain patterns Black gold 351 above left, Redwood Gold 353, Gray Silvergold 354, Taupe Bronze 355 at above right
- Excelon Spatter (distinct from the Metallic spatter pattern above) 9" x 9" x 1/16" service gauge (for light commercial and residential interiors only)
Colors: produced in a wide variety of shades incuding Chelsea White 731 and Meridian Taupe 747. ((See same tile pattern & color photos from prior years.)
- Excelon Straight-grain 9" x 9" x 1/16" & 1/8" gauge floor tiles,
Colors:
Seneca White 770, Mohawk gray 771,Apache Red 777, Osage Green 780, Iroquois Tan 783, Mohave Charcoal 786 (See same tile pattern & color photos from prior years)
- Excelon Styletone series vinyl-asbestos floortiles (similar to Cork patterns + monochromatic colors)
Colors: Sandtone 830, Mintone 831, Rosetone 834, Cedartone 835 (See same tile pattern & color photos from 1959 for color photos)
- Excelon Woodtone
Colors:
Light Woodtone 788, Dark Woodtone 799 (See same tile pattern & color photos from 1958 for color photos)
1961 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9", 12 x 12, Patterns & Color Guide
For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Tiles were produced in 1961 in both 9" x 9" and for order quantities over 9,000 sq.ft. also in 12" x 12" size.
- Centennial Series floor tiles include ovate spots on a soft background, with pearlescent/metallic highlights (above left)
Colors:
(Sonata Beige 800, Allegro White 801, Polka gray No. 802, Ballet Taupe 803, Overture Green 804, Concerto White 805, Prelude ivory 806, Metro Taupe 807)
- Corkstyle floor tiles fpr 1961 - as in prior and subsequent years
Colors:
(see light Cork 840 from 1963, also see mediuim cork from 1965 and dark cork from 1962)
- Designers Series vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors:
(Mint Green 760 in 1/8" & 3/32", Sienna Copper 765 1/8" gauge only, Ecru 767 sold in all gauges, Kasha Taupe 769 in 1/8" & 3/32")
- Imperial pattern vinyl asbestos floor tiles for 1961 sold as 9" x 9"x 3/32 or 1/8" gauge
Colors:
(Pastel Gray 870, Mint Green 871, Pebble Beige 872, Dusty cedar 874)
- Metallic series floor tiles for 1961, straight grain
Colors: (Black gold No. 351, Ivory gold 352, Redwood Gold 353, White Gold 356)
- Spatter series
Colors:
(Andover White 735, Meridian taupe 747, Worcester Gray 749)
- Standard straight grained pattern flooring tiles 1961
Colors: (Algonquin Green 704, Acoma blue 705)
- Styletone floor tiles 1961
Colors: (Mintone 831, Rosetone 834, Beigtone 839)
- Woodtone vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1961
Colors: (Light woodtone 788, Dark Woodtone 789)
- Feature Strips and Insets solid color vinyl-asbestos flooring were sold in 1" x 24" c 1/8" gauge; also "die cuts" 18" x 18" solid color tiles
Colors: (Black 790, White 791, Red 792, Yellow 793,
Green 794, Brown 795)
(See the strip guide at 1956, also see this installed solid tile and feature strip floor example from 1971.)
1962 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9", 12 x 12, Patterns & Color Guide
For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Tiles were produced in 1962 in both 9" x 9" and for order quantities over 9,000 sq.ft. also in 12" x 12" size.
Nikita Kruschev banging his shoe on the table at the United Nations, shouting "We will bury you", the Cuban Missle crisis nor the Kennedy Assassination did not deter the production of the wide variety of vinyl-asbestos flooring products described below for 1962.
- Centennial style vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1962 (above left)
Colors: (Polka Gray 802, Rhapsody Green 815, Largo White 818, Coda bisque 819 above left)
- Corkstyle
Colors: (Dark cork style 842 above 2d from left) (see other colors, photos earlier years)
- Excelon Imperial style vinyl asbestos floor tiles in 1962 in a wide range of colors:
Colors: (Ancestral white 861, Maplewood 863, Pilgrim Taupe 864, Coppertone Beige 865, Corsair Black 867,
Mint White 868,
Ivory Tan 869,
Pastel Gray 870, Mint Green 871, Pebble Beige 872, Dusty Cedar 874, Wild Honey 876, Nutmeg Brown 877, Granite Gray 878, Autumn gray 879)
- Metallic style flooring tiles
Colors: (Ivory Gold 352, White gold 356)
- Spatter style floor tiles
Colors: (Andover White 735, Meridian Taupe 747, Worcester Gray 749 above 5th from left)
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- Standard (straight grain) Standard and Woodtone (below) were the most popular selling vinyl asbestos floor tile patterns in 1962 according to Armstrong.
Colors: (Waco Sand 702 above left, Isleta Blue 711, Dakota White 713, Cayuga Brown 715, Mint Green 760, Silver Gray 761, Sand Beige 762, Rose Taupe 763, Sienna Copper 765, Ecru 767, Mineral Gray 768, Kasha taupe 769, Seneca White 770)
- Styletone floor tiles
Colors: (Mintone 831, Ivorytone 833, Rosetone 834, Beigetone 839)
- Woodtone vinyl asbestos floor tiles in 1962 sold 9" x 9" x 1/8" & 1/16" thicknesses
Colors: Light Oak 850, Medium Oak 851, Dark Oak 852(see the 1961 photos)
- Feature Strips solid color vinyl-asbestos flooring accent strips were sold in 1", 2", and 3" widths and 24" in length, in solid colors in vinyl-asbetstos flooring for 1962, in 1/16" and 1/8" gauge thicknesses.
Colors: (See the strip guide at 1956, also see this installed solid tile and feature strip floor example from 1971.)
1963 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9", 12 x 12, Patterns & Color Guide
For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Tiles were produced in 1963 in both 9" x 9" and for order quantities over 9,000 sq.ft. also in 12" x 12" size.
- Centennial style
(Rhapsody green 815) (above left)
- Corkstyle
(light Cork 840 from 1963, also see mediuim cork from 1965 and dark cork from 1962)
- Custom style
(shown, Hampton black 1106) vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1963
- Imperial style (shown Wild honey 876)
- Metallic
(see 1960-1962 photo examples)
- Spatter
(see 1956-1960 photo examples)
- Standard straight grain floor tiles
(shown Ecru 767)
- Styletone floor tiles (shown Glacier 838, above right)
- Woodtone
(see the 1961 photos)
- Feature Strips
(see 1956 examples of solid color feature strips)
1964 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9", Patterns & Color Guide
For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. We have found records only of 9" x 9" vinyl asbestos floor tiles for 1964, in 1/16", 3/32" or 1/8" gauges.
Armstrong vs. Congoleum-Nairn vs. Linoleum vs. Lincrusta
This photograph of sheet flooring was identified by a reader in a 1964 home. She found remnants in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet on which was imprinted "Armstrong".
While the reader referred to this as "Armstrong Congoleum sheet flooring", Armstrong and Congoleum are separate individual companies.
The sheet flooring shown at left is identified as an Armstrong resilient flooring product. As we detail at our FAQs section at the bottom of this page, another reader had a sample of this resilient flooring tested and confirmed a 70% asbestos content.
Dont' mix up product names. Armstrong is a separate company from Congoleum-Nairn.
Linoleum is a term invented in 1860 by Frederick Walton to describe sheet flooring. Original linoleum products were made using linseed oil as an ingredient, often with a jute (burlap or fabric) backing. Descendents of Linoleum include Anaglypta and Lincrusta (many writers spell it "Linocrusta or linacrusta", an embossed patterned covering used on walls and ceilings.
NOTE: Armstrong, although an enormous producer of flooring, was by no means the only manufacturer of floor covering products that contained asbestos as fibers or asbestos powder filler. Below we provide photographs and descriptions from a variety of flooring manufacturers, followed by a detailed list of floor tile product names we've been able to collect. You'll note that the Armstrong product list extends from 1954 to 1980. Other asbestos-containing flooring products from various manufacturers were produced between around 1920 to 1986.
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1965 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9" & 12" x 12", Patterns & Color Guide
Shown below: Armstrong Standard Excelon Tile - straight striations (available in 16 colors)
Armstrong Commercial products in 1965, Patterns & Color Guide
- - Armstrong Custom Imperial
- Imperial
- Standard
- Travertex
- Travertine Embossed
- Woodtone
1966 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9" & 12" x 12", Patterns & Color Guide
For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.
1967 no data
1968 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9" & 12" x 12" (Residential), Patterns & Color Guide
For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.
- Caligula style (Dianna white 51202, above left) all vinyl asbestos floor tile images from 1968
- Centennial style (Largo white 56818)
- Coastal Stone style (Castle beige 51793)
- Custom Excelon (See 1963 photo example)
- Custom Shalestone flooring (Tioga beige 57001)
- Driftstone style (Amazon white 51866)
- Embossed Excelon (See 1965-1966 styles of embossed floor tiles)
- Excelon Feature Floor Tiles
- Feature style (colid color floor tiles & strips - color chart)
- Imperial style (Mint green 56871, Medium cork 51855)
- Imperial modern style (Shadow brown 51853, above left, not produced in 1973)
- Marble style (Quartz ivory 54231)
- Metric Chip (Palma beige 54281) [Compare with Shattered Stone - 1973]
- Olympus style (Dianna white 51200)
- Palatial style (Royal rouge 51600, also in lighter colors, 7 colors total)
- Parquet style (Light oak 54240)
- Polished Marble vinyl asbestos floor tiles (Meadow white 54193, above left)
- Pompeii style (Dianna white 51201)
- Random Mosaic style (Terra cotta red 54262)
- Standard straigt grain vinyl asbestos flooring (Smooth Surface) (Bayberry beige 56721)
- Swirl Chip style floor tiles (Rheims beige 54272)
- Tidestone style asbestos vinyl floor tiles (Malibu beige 51764)
Armstrong Cork & Vinyl Cork Floor Tiles 1968 - features, Patterns & Color Guide
- Custom vinyl cork floor tile ingredients: raw cork & vinyl resins (literature does not cite asbestos)
- Cork floor tile ingredients: raw cork, resins
- Patterns: Cork floor tiles and cork parquet floor tiles, in both material types
Armstrong Commercial Use Flooring in 1968
- Excelon Feature
- Standard Excelon
- Imperial Excelon
- Imperial Modern Excelon
- Travertex Excelon
1969 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, Patterns & Color Guide, 9x9 & 12x12-inch
For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.
- Standard 12" x 12"
- Embossed (9 x 9 & 12" x 12")
(See 1965-1966 styles of embossed floor tiles)
- Custom Shalestone (Bushkill white - left) 12" x 12" x 1/16" floor tile images from 1969
- Imperial Modern (9 x 9 & 12" x 12") (see 1968)
- Excelon Feature (9 x 9 & 12" x 12")
- Travertex (9 x 9 & 12" x 12" )
- Imperial (9 x 9 & 12" x 12")
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This 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tile found in a 1969 home. Testing for asbestos was completed on a fragment of this flooring material.
The asbestos test lab found 3% chrysotile asbestos in this floor tile sample. [Actually we suspect the total asbestos content of the floor may be much greater.
Thanks to reader R.M. for the photo and test information.
This flooring has not been identified for sure, but it resembles an Armstrong tile (See the Armstrong Craftlon Collection 12" x 12" Adelphi II Aalst 54431 (showing a second color, Aalst).
CONTACT us if you can identify with certainty this floor tile image and brand. |
1969 - Armstrong Self-Adhesive Floor Tiles
Armstrong Peel-and-Stick Floor vinyl floor tiles were introduced late in 1969. As we discuss at Peel and Stick / Self-Adhesive Floor Tiles
Some self-adhesive floor tiles made by Armstrong also contained asbestos. Armstrong introduced peel and stick tiles in late 1969. The company stopped manufacturing these tiles with asbestos in December of 1982. Not all adhesive floor tiles produced during this period contain asbestos. It is necessary to know the flooring product model number or collection name of a tile in question, or to submit a sample to an asbestos test laboratory to make a final determination. - information courtesy of Armstrong Corporation. If you can identify your floor tile collection name or model number, laboratory testing of the sample to screen for asbestos may be unnecessary. (See ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE)
More Reading
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the brands & types of vinyl & vinyl-asbestos floor tiles & sheet flooring & about the asbestos content of these products
Question: Armstrong diecut inserts from around 1952 - ways to seal these floors?
Am looking for information on Armstrong diecut inserts from around 1952. Also are there any recommended ways to seal these floors so you can enjoy the look but without any asbestos concerns? Thanks, Sarah - Sarah 6/23/11
Reply: gentle cleaning followed by floor restorer clear coating protects from asbestos fiber release
Sarah:
Our photos show examples of some of the diecut flooring inserts from the 1950's; I'm not sure what other information you seek.
About sealing vinyl-asbestos tile floors, especially in residential use where school or public regulations and public access worries don't apply, I've had great success using clear-coating floor restorer products.
As you can see at Leave in Place Strategy: how to clean, restore & seal vinyl-asbestos flooring, we just did this recently in a New York home. The floor was washed with mild detergent and water. Then we used a spray cleaner recommended by the floor resetorer manufacturer. The spray cleaner removes old wax residues. Next we used a magic marker to color in some gouges that had marred the floor surface. Finally we coated the flooring with the floor restorer product. The floor looked new, and great.
In sum, if you maintain a hard clear coating on top of the floor surface you won't be releasing any measurable level of asbestos fibers by normal foot traffic.
Also see ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION for more ways to reduce the asbestos hazard in asbestos-suspect or presumed asbestos-containing flooring.
Question: 12x12 code 422 80 made by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Plant C Akron, Oh
Do you have info about whether the following 2 tiles contain asbestos?
1. Box says Color Tile vinyl floor tile 12x12 code 422 80 made by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Plant C Akron, Oh. and sold by color tile supermart with a Vancouver, Wa address.
2. Box says Amtico Suravinyl Tile 12x12 1/16 ga 7LDF18 AH084 1 AL1102 and also says Zip Stik self adhering duravinyl tile; made by American Biltrite INc. Trenton, NJ.
Do I need to send photos to make ID possible? Any help is appreciated. - Nan Duncan 8/28/11
My previous email had a typo-- 2. should read Amtico Duravinyl.
Reply:
Nan,
American Biltrite in Trenton produced asbestos-containing floor tiles; if your American Biltrite flooring was installed before 1980 it's likely that it contains asbestos.
Goodyear also produced asbestos-containing floor tiles. I'd make the same suggestion: if your Goodyear flooring was installed before 1980 it's likely that it contains asbestos.
Question
Found what I believe to be asbestos tiles under carpet in all 4 bedrooms of a house my daughter purchased. The house is 100 + age so this indicates these tiles would be asbestos. Some are damaged through age and also have been stapled to hold the underpad of carpeting and also the carpet tack around the edges. What is the hazard of the staples and tack? Should we be concerned about fiber leakage thru these holes and various damage in the rooms. Thank you - Leaha 9/7/11
Reply:
Leaha
Shile one cannot assert the age of a flooring material necessarily from the age of a house (as flooring can be installed long after original construction) it's reasonable to use caution about old-looking flooring in a 100 year old home before knowing much more.
But it's unlikely that there would be measurable asbestos particle movement up through wall to wall carpeting over floor tiles; the hazards would more likely arise during demolition.
See ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION (article link at Related Topics ) for advice about minimizing the hazards should you need to remove material.
If nevertheless you are worried about the health and safety of building occupants, you'd want a professional inspection for all conditions there; a loose railing or step or a fire hazard could be a greater risk that should not go ignored. Finally, you could order asbestos tests on settled house dust or even air sampling if you are very anxious about the matter; frankly those steps would not be my first concern.
Question: identifying various other brands and product numbers of floor tiles
do you know if the SEARS brand HOMART 64-7169 asphalt floor tile contained asbestos? - Paul Wright 9/22/11
Have you heard of Dura Floor Plastic Asphalt Tiles? Do they contain asbestos? - Jo Lynn Judka 10/24/11
I have 12" x 12" tile in the basement just like the pattern San Roque Gold 57161 from 1980.
However, this tile is not 1/8 thick but 1/16 and it was peel & stick. Would this contain asbestos? - David 11/27/11
Is there a way I can forward someone a photo of a school floor to determine if it contains asbestos? I am unable to get back into the building It is closed, but the school dept wants to open it again and is saying that there isn't a problem. I looked through the tiles on your site, but oculdn't find an exact match. The school was built in 1950-1960, but we have no evidence that the tiles have been replaced. Can you help? -
we have an armstrong floor tile (black color) with the following numbers on the back L4 1230 021898. We don't know the year it was installed. Does it contain asbestos? Is there a way to cross reference these numbers? - Dan 5/1/12
We have the San Roque pattern sheet vinyl. Did Armstrong use the same patterns at a later date for their sheet vinyl but without asbestos? We have already started to remove it and I am concerned. - Sue 10/24/2012
We have vinyl sheet flooring that was put in about mid 1984. Is this anything to worry about? When exactly was asbestos banned in the manufacture of sheet flooring? - Peter 11/6/2012
Reply:
David, naturally by email alone no one can say with certainty whether or not a floor tile contains asbestos, but if your flooring matches one of the ACM floor tiles we illustrate here, AND if you are confident about the age (as you suggest) most likely it is an asbestos-containing product. And yes, for sure there were some peel-and-stick floor tiles that contained asbestos in the tile baking.
That does not necessarily mean that you need a costly asbestos remediation job - it depends on the condition of the surface, use made of the area, etc. If the floor is sound you may have the option of simply covering it with a new material.
JoLynn, sorry we don't have information about DuraFloor plastic asphalt tiles. Do you know the age of the product? You're welcome to send us photos (see the CONTACT link at top, side, bottom of our pages), and I'll research further. Certainly up to the early 1980's many asphalt floor tile products contained asbestos.
Dan, while we have published product and lot numbers for some floor tile products, there are just too many of them, thousands. Unlike mechanical equipment like water heaters or furnaces, I have not found a standard of correlation between product numbers and date of manufacture, though it probably was included in widely varying ways by individual manufacturers.
You can narrow down the asbestos question by:
- noting the age of the building itself as that sets the earliest plausible date for its floor materials +/- a year or so to allow for flooring sold from stock
- noting the date of any renovations of the building
- noting whether or not there are multiple layers of flooring or other similar changes that give a renovation history
- noting information on any packaging used for the floor tiles - sometimes an extra box of floor tiles is left and stored in a building, intended to supply future repairs or changes to the floor
- comparing the appearance of your flooring to the photographs we provide in these tile identification articles
- sending a small sample of flooring to a certified asbestos testing lab
For a tile floor of unknown constituents, do not do something foolish such as grinding, sanding, power sawing, or a dusty messy demolition.
Peter,
I think you mngh want to ask Armstrong, but in NY case, if you remove materials following the recommended procedures and avoid making a dusty ness you should be OK
Question: how much asbestos was in floor tile?
How much asbestos did the Armstrong Excelon Standard 12"x12" tiles contain - Loretta D 12/21/11
How much asbestos did the Armstrong Excelon vinyl asbestos floor tiles contain (12"x12", 1972/1973)? - Loretta 12/22/11
Hi! Would you expect the armstrong corlon resilent flooring with the hydrocord backing from the mid 1960s to contain significant amounts of asbestos? I am trying to find some information on it as I think that may be what is in our home...the only info I can find is that the backing probably did contain an asbestos and latex composite...I am wondering how likely the composite material would become easily friable if we attempted to remove it... - Kate 2/16/12
Reply:
Loretta, lacking hard science facts I have to give an OPINION that the material is high in asbestos content because in addition to asbestos fibers that gave strength to the tiles, many such floor tiles included a high level of asbestos filler - very ultrafine particles. We'd need to have a sample for specific testing to obtain an content level measurement.
Question
Hi there, being naive and not aware that floor tiles may contain asbestos - I began removing some older tiles from under the carpet in my kids room. After seeing a warning on a Home Depot website - we stopped the removal. Is there any way of testing or visually confirming the possibility of it containing asbestos? I was working in the area for approximately 2 hours without any breathing apartus, etc. What are my options at this point? My wife is freaking out. Thanks - Sean M 1/22/12
Reply:
x
Question
I think I've looked through all the photos here and fortunately, the only one that appears to resemble what I have is in the "1989 & Later Armstrong Accoflex Series Flooring Tiles" image just above this comment box. UNfortuneately, it is very difficult to be sure from this small image and i am sure what I have is NOT from the UK. The tiles I have are 12" x 12", 1/8" thick light blue and white (like streaked clouds on a blue sky) resembling "Spruce" above. The tiles are VERY heavy, quite inflexible and have very tiny sparkling crystals throughout. These physical apsects make me very uneasy. Since the tiles are at least 25 years or more old, should I be concerned? Where might I go for an expert opinion? Thanks. - Scott 2/1/2012
Question: Test Results for Armstrong Sheet Flooring - 70% Asbestos
In one of the asbestos pages of your site ( this page - Ed.), your second photo is of a sheet layment. The text about the photo clarifies that the person who sent the photo was confused about Armstrong and Congoleum.
I wanted to let you know that I have that exact same sheet layment and had it tested. It's 70% asbestos. Thought you may want to let readers know so they can save the cost of testing and just deal with the issue accordingly.
I appreciate your site. Thank you for taking the time to put together all the information. - D.H. 10/11/2012
Reply:
Thank you so much D.H. for the floor covering test result confirming asbestos content in this material. We a welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles, and as your feedback illustrates, working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.
Also see old pebble-pattern floor tile for a similar product image.
Question: How much asbestos hazard was I exposed to during our floor renovation project?
We recently partially demo'd a ceramic tile floor in the kitchen of a home built in 1970. We popped the ceramic tiles up with a pry bar and sledge hammer. Beneath the tiles was a linoleum floor covering. I've visually identified the flooring on your website. It is Armstrong, Excelon, Custon Burnham 1972, 57080 Blue.
How much asbestos does this contain? Also, we didn't bother peeling it all up because it was too difficult. We chipped up the remaining ceramic tile on top of it and just covered the remainder of the floor with plywood and fastened the plywood with split drive fasteners. We then nailed pine plank flooring over the plywood. Do we have any reason to worry about asbestos exposure??? My husband wore a dust mask. - Kelly McCullin 11/13/2012
I have ArmStrong sheet layment in my kicten.There was a layer of newer layment on top I did realize it was the orignal under it. The house was built in 1974. I removed about a there foot area before I realized it. If i was exsposed to it how much does it take to make you sick and what are the symptoms.I have to think I am not the only one who has done this. - David 11/28/2012
Reply: it depends ... Here is a list of some risk factors when removing flooring that may contain asbestos
David, and also Kelly McKullin:
Unfortunately no one can say with any accuracy whatsoever just what level of hazard you were exposed to during your asbestos floor removal. The variables include:
- the total amount of material disturbed and removed
- the actual asbestos content of the flooring and of other materials, such as mastic, that were disturbed
- the removal methods used to take up flooring, and just how much dust you created
- nature of demolition dust and debris - particle size, therefore airborne particulate levels & duration of particles in the air. For example, picking up a whole floor tile that is already loose may produce almost no detectable airborne particulates, while running power tools, saws, grinders, sanders, hammers, can make a lot of dust
- dust control measures used during the project
- cleanup methods used after the project both in and out of the work area
- remaining dust that could have led to longer term exposure
- individual health history, respiration rate, personal protective gear used or not
- other site & individual -specific data not listed here
If you have specific individual health questions those should be posed to your doctor who knows your personal health history
Presuming that your project is now long over, if you have reason to be concerned, you might want to do some strategic dust sampling to see whether or not the building needs further cleanup
See ASBESTOS REMOVAL GUIDE, FLOORING and ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Wetting Guidelines
Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Questions & answers about how to identify brands & types of vinyl & vinyl-asbestos floor tiles & sheet flooring & about the asbestos content of these products.
Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below.
Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- [1] Armstrong ® Residential Flooring - Website 05/15/2010 http://www.armstrong.com/ lists current flooring products provided by the Armstrong Corporation, including Armstrong's current vinyl floor tile products at http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/products/vinyl-floors
- [2] Armstrong Corporation, Corporate History - http://www.armstrong.com/corporate/corporate-history.html - Web Search 05/19/2010
- [3] Armstrong vinyl asbestos floor tiles: photos of asbestos-vinyl floor tiles as catalog pages (PDF form) are at www.asbestosresource.com/asbestos/tile.html
- [4] Accoflex 2005 series semi-flexible vinyl tile Wonder flooring product description; Armstrong's Accoflex is a vinyl composition floor tile. WonderFlooring, Private Bag X02, Fordsburg 2033, Telephone: 011 298 8100, Fax: 011 836 4450, National Call Centere: 0860-29-80-80, Email: info@wonderflooring.com & marketing@wonfloor.com/ [2nd is a defective email address]
Web search 01/29/2011, original source: http://www.wonderflooring.com/accoflex/accoflextech2.pdf
Reference: Armstrong Flooring: Accotile, Accoflex & Coke Tile. Publication 333, Armstrong Flooring.
Note on use of the "Accoflex" name:
In addition to Accoflex flooring produced by Armstrong, Accoflex® is also a U.S. registered trademark used for Insulation Jackets For Industrial Pipes, Tanks and Conduits Including Flexible and Rigid Insulation In the Form of Foamed Synthetic Material Sheeting, owned by Armacell Enterprise Gmbh, Armstrong World Industries, Inc, also distributed in the U.K., Australia, & New Zealand, also in Indonesia. Armacell Australia Pty Ltd, a producer of engineered foams, (http://www.armacell.com/) was founded officially in August 2000 when the then Armstrong Insulation Products (Australia) became a separate legal entity from Armstrong World Industries group.
- [5] "Asbestos in your home or at work," Forsyth County Environmental Affairs Department, Winston-Salem NC
12/08
- [6] "Asbestos Floor Tile Removal", the University of Minnesota's advice on removing VAT (vinyl asbestos or asphalt asbestos floor tile) can be read in detail at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/floortile/index.html
- [7] Copy on file as - /hazmat/Asbestos_in_Your_Home_US_EPA.pdf - Asbestos in Your Home - U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
- [8] Resilient Floor Covering Institute, 1030 15th St. NW, suite 350, Washington D.C.
- [9] Inspiring Interiors from Armstrong 1950s from Armstrong, [Paperback], Schiffer Publishing (March 1998), ISBN-10: 0764304585, ISBN-13: 978-0764304583 (Available from Amazon)
- [1] Interior Solutions from Armstrong the 1960s from Armstrong, [Paperback], Schiffer Publishing (March 1999), ISBN-10: 0764307002, ISBN-13: 978-0764307003 (Available from Amazon)
- [10] Mechanix Illustrated How-to-do-it Encyclopedia Vol 2. -1961
- [11] Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print).
- [12] Congoleum Corporation, "Company History", Congoleum Corporation, Department C, P.O. Box 3127, Mercerville, NJ 08619-0127 1-609-584-3601, web-search 03/14/2011, original source: http://www.congoleum.com/history.html
- [13] David Grudzinski,
Advantage Home Inspections,
is a professional home inspector in Cranston, RI. 02910. He can be reached at 401-935-6547,
fax- 401-490-0607 or by email to contact/us@advantagehomeinspections.us 04/26/2009
- [14] EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
- [15] EPA Asbestos Materials Bans: Clarification 1999
- [16] EVER WEAR TILE CO is currently (2009) in the Terrazzo, Tile, Marble, and Mosaic Work industry in Fallon, NV. 775) 423-6221. [We do not know the company history nor whether there is an association with EverWear vinyl asbestos floor tiles discussed in this article.]
- [17] Kentile KenFlex flooring photographs: Flickr web search 5/15/2010 - see original material and other asbestos product photos
- [18] "Plastic Flooring Spreads Through the House", Jackson Hand, Guide to Home-Improvement Materials, Popular Science, April 1969, p. 154-158
- [19] Thomas Hauswirth, Managing Member of Beacon Fine Home Inspections, LLC and (in 2007) Vice President, Connecticut Association of Home Inspectors
Ph. 860-526-3355 Fax 860-526-2942 beaconinspections@sbcglobal.net 06/07: thanks for photographs of transite asbestos heating ducts
- [20] Gary Randolph, Ounce of Prevention Home Inspection, LLC Buffalo, NY, for attentive reading and editing suggestions. Mr. Randolph can be reached in Buffalo, NY, at (716) 636-3865
or email: gary@ouncehome.com
3/07
- [21] Thanks to reader Matt Abel, Design Services Department, Strongwood Log Home Company,
711 Shadow Road, Waupaca WI 54981, Office (715) 258-4818, Toll Free (866) 258-4818, www.gostrongwood.com
"Begin your journey home.." for vinyl asbestos floor photos, October 2010.
- [22] Thanks to reader Meryl Silvers for hexagonal floor tile photos showing a possilbe Kentile product that contained asbestos. October 2010.
- [23] Thanks to reader N.H. for providing a photo of 1970's era vinyl asbestos floor tile that we identify as most likely Armstrong Solarian Devonport white.
- [24] M.B. provided photographs of Congoleum linoleum flooring from a 1960's Tampa Florida home.
- [25] L.R. provided photographs of Armstrong Palimino Beige and Pecan Beige asphalt asbestos floor tiles, floor tile packaging and identification details, along with asbestos test lab results. Personal correspondence with DF, 10/22/2012
- [26] Window Putty - OSHA case cites contractor for asbestos exposure during removal of window putty http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=1091 June 1997 -
- Asbestos Identification and Testing References
- [27] Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed
the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
- [28] Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
- [20] Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone
- [30] Asbestos in Your Home U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
- Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print, text and images available at InspectAPedia.com).
- [31] "Handling Asbestos-Containing roofing material - an update", Carl Good, NRCA Associate Executive Director, Professional Roofing, February 1992, p. 38-43
- [32] EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
- ...
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