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 Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles & Sheet Flooring Identification Photo Guide
Combined: all years
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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
Sorting out Flooring Names: Armstrong, Congoleum-Nairn, Linoleum, 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.
Amitco International, another larger producer of floor tiles has operated from 1964 to the present. Amico flooring is discussed at Amitco floor tiles. |
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.
Modern Armstrong 12"x12" x 1/16" (1.5mm) Self-Adhesive "Stick-on" Floor Tiles
Self-Adhesive Stick-on Tiles, Asbestos - peel and stick floor tiles that contain asbestos
Self-Adhesive Stick-on Tiles, Current - modern peel and stick floor tiles: information below.
This Armstrong flooring tile is 12" x 12" x 1/16" or 1.5mm thick.
Unlike the older vinyl-asbestos floor tiles whose photographs we provide below, this more recent flooring product is built from a thin vinyl layer containing the tile's design pattern and a fiber/paper backer (shown in our photo above) to which an adhesive was coated so that the tile could be installed without use of a mastic.
A typical pattern is the embossed design shown at left.
The floor tile thickness (about 1.5mm or 1/16") suggests that this product was produced after 1980 and probably does not contain asbestos. |
Below we show a photo of the Armstrong© Stamp found on the under-side or "back" of 12 x 12 "stick-on" self-adhesive floor tiles produced by Armstrong.
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Depending on the age of manufacture, some paper-backed flooring products used asbestos as a primary ingredient (see Asphalt & Vinyl Floor Tile History). Tests of our example floor sample (above) for asbestos confirmed that some early peel-and-stick floor tiles sold in the 1980's did contain asbestos.
Contemporary resilient flooring products do not contain asbestos however.
Shown at left: Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Floor tile, contemporary, popular, sold in 70 colors at retail outlets including Home Depot stores, this modern resilient floor tile does not contain asbestos. [Click any image to see an enlarged, detailed version].
A catalog of floor tile identification photographs for products that contained asbestos, 1952 - 1980, is provided below at Armstrong Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile Photo ID Catalog - 1952 - 1986. And at Armstrong flooring history we provide a history of Armstrong flooring and links to company information.
Contact Us to send a photograph of your own floor tile pattern or for assistance in identification if you can't find your floor tile image, pattern, or design in this floor tile color and pattern library.
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Asphalt & Vinyl Asbestos based Floor Coverings & Floor Tiles 1900 - 1986
Asphalt resilient floor tiles Manufacturers, Brands, Styles, Photo Guide
Armstrong Asphalt Floor Tiles - 1950's to 1980's Compared to Contemporary Vinyl Flooring Products
 Armstrong produced asphalt-based floor tiles, possibly including asbestos in their formulation, before 1952 and in later years as we indicate with examples and photographs in the detailed photo guide that is found below.
For more information about these older flooring types, see Asphalt & Vinyl Floor Tile History - history, dates, and description of the production process and ingredients in asphalt floor tiles, asphalt-asbestos floor tiles, & vinyl-asbestos floor tiles 1900 to present. Kentile flooring produced through 1986 may contain asbestos.
Also don't assume that only "vinyl asbestos floor tiles" include asbestos. According to Rosato, asbestos filler (powder) and fibers were used in asphalt based products too. "The first publicized installation of asphalt tile was in the Western Union office in New York City (1920). By the end of 1930, 3 million square yards of tile was being produced annually.
Below in this document we provide detailed year-by-year photos of Armstrong asphalt or vinyl-asbestos flooring products from 1952 to 1982. Records show that many but not all flooring products produced during these years, including 9" floor tiles, 12" floor tiles, peel-and-stick floor tiles, and sheet flooring indeed contain asbestos.
Later Armstrong flooring products, for example Armstrong's Accoflex 2005 series semi-flexible vinyl tile sold (at least) in the U.K. were produced from " ground limestone bound with polymers, plasticizers, and stabilizers, and colored by pigments" not including asbestos.
At FLOOR, RESILIENT VINYL or CORK we discuss the choices, selection and installation details for contemporary vinyl and other resilient flooring products.
Styles, & Pictures of Congoleum-Nairn Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles & Congoleum Linoleum Sheet Flooring: Resilient Floors
Details about Congoleum floor tiles and resilient sheet flooring and linoleum are found at Congoleum-Nairn Floor Tiles, Linoleum. Excerpts are below.
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 Congoleum Nairn, was established in 1886, and presently headquartered in Mercerville, NJ, U.S., produced resilient sheet flooring, vinyl asbestos floor tiles in patterns such as their Congoleum-Nair Romanaire pattern
Details about the history of Congoleum Nairn flooring are at Congoleum Flooring History and at FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS.
Sequin Pattern for Congoleum resilient flooring is shown at left.
Congoleum Gold Seal Rugs along with Nairn Linoleum were marketed from the 1920's into the 1950's when Congoleum-Nairn was producing 12-foot wide sheet vinyl-based flooring.
Watch out: the backing on some of these vinyl flooring or linoleum products may also contain asbestos. |
The Congoleum linoleum photograph (left) of Congoleum sheet flooring installed in a 1949 Tampa Florida home is provided courtesy of M.B. in Tampa, FL.
See Congoleum-Nairn Floor Tiles, Linoleum for our complete set of photos and text about Congoleum Nairn flooring products that may contain asbestos. |
Photo Guide to Ever-Wear Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile
Kentile Floors: KenFlex Asphalt-asbestos & Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles - 1950's - 1980's Photo Guide
A detailed photo guide to identifying Kentile and KenFlex flooring is at Kentile KenFlex Floor Tiles and Kentile history and dates are found at Kentile Flooring History. Excepts are below.
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As we detail at Kentile Flooring History KenFlex floor tiles were produced by Kentile Floors, a Brooklyn NY company that filed bankruptcy in 1992. (founder Arthur Kennedy 1898) (at least) as 9" x 9" resilient flooring in a variety of patterns (left) and shades (below).
Kentile produced both Asphalt floor tiles using an asbestos filler (see our Rosato comment above), and Vinyl-Asbestos floor tiles. The dark floor tiles shown at left may have been asphalt-asbestos. If the floor tile is thicker than 1/16", particularly, 1/8" or more, we suspect you're looking at an asphalt based tile, rather than a later vinyl-asbestos floor tile. |
(Additional Kentile floor covering photos wanted - CONTACT US)
Montgomery Ward Asbestos-Containing Floor Tiles, Photo Guide
Sears & Roebuck asbestos-Containing Floor Tiles & Flooring, Photo Guide
Details about Sears vinyl asbestos tile flooring are at Sears Roebuck Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles . Excepts are below.
Below our photographs show the embossed pattern on these Sears vinyl asbestos floor tiles. The tiles are solid through in color and material and are about 1/16" thick and 9" x 9" in size. Below right shows these Sears floor tiles installed. |
(photos wanted for Sears Roebuck, Montgomery Ward and other asphalt & vinyl-asbestos floor tile producers or distributors - CONTACT US)
Armstrong Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile Photo ID Catalog - 1951 - 1986
 Our reproduction of vinyl-asbestos floor tile patterns and colors below selected representative images of each style or floor tile identification pattern in which tiles were produced. Within each pattern there were various colors available as well. By minimizing repetition of patterns and colors, across the set of years we show at least one example of nearly every pattern and color produced for these floor tiles.
Our photo (left) from Rosato, shows an Armstrong asphalt floor tile installation.
On occasion, the original flooring packaging or installation literature may be available for a given home: often an extra box of floor tiles was kept for future repairs.
The vinyl-asbestos floor tile package label information, combined with a simple comparison of tiles in the package with tiles installed in the building may be sound confirmation of asbestos-containing materials. See Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Packaging.
Historical information about the dates of flooring installation may also be sufficient to rule in or out the possibility that flooring in a building contains asbestos.
 Where the same floor style pattern was produced for multiple years, in subsequent years we show other colors in which the tile pattern was made. Just scroll through this vinyl asbestos floor tile photo guide to find the first occurrence of each floor tile style, pattern, name, dimensions, and colors. Or if you know the approximate year that your floor was installed you can scroll down to that very year in our photo library.
It is instructive to take a close look at our tile photos from 1973 and 1974. Some floor tile colors and patterns, especially among the "standard" tiles, include both asphalt-based tiles and vinyl-asbestos tiles that look quite alike. But the combination of color, pattern, and size can help distinguish among these.
For example, "Standard Pattern" floor tiles were produced in both vinyl-asbestos form and in an asphalt tile without asbestos in 1973. But asphalt-based tiles that did not contain asbestos were produced in 1973 only in 9"x9". So flooring made for that year and particular pattern, the tile size provides important information.
Watch out: Because flooring products may have been produced in years earlier than the year of installation, don't assume that a floor installed in a building built shortly after 1980 could not possibly contain vinyl-asbestos product.
As we warned just above, don't assume that only "vinyl asbestos floor tiles" include asbestos.
Armstrong Floor Tile Photo Identification Guide 1950 - 1959
Armstrong Accoflex, [Estimated 1950's] - Contain Asbestos?
At left is an excerpt from a 1950's era Armstrong Accoflex "easy-lay" floor tiles advertising poster. These tiles may contain asbestos. [Research in process]. |
1951 Armstrong Asphalt Asbestos Floor Tiles Patterns & Color Guide, 9"x9"x1/8"
According to Armstrong vinyl-asbestos floor tiles such as those shown here were produced by the company from 1951 through 1973. These examples illustrate two shades of Palimino Beige 9"x9"x1/8"-thick asphalt-asbestos tile (AAT) whose asbestos content has been confirmed by asbestos test lab results generoudsly provided along with these photographs by reader L.R. (October 2012).[25] Our own field work has found that this tile pattern, in a range of colors illustrated below, was enormously popular and can still be found installed in thousands of homes built betweeen 1951 and the early 1970's. The most common colors we have found include the beige shades shown below along with green, white, black, and Apache red illustrated further below.
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The Armstrong Pecan Beige asphalt asbestos floor tile illustrated at above left (pattern C-913) has been confirmed by independent testing to contain about 10% asbestos while the Armstrong Palimino Beige asphalt floor tile (above right, pattern C-926) was confirmed at 6.4% asbestos.
 Our photo at left, courtesy of reader L.N. illustrates the original packaging usef for Armstrong asphalt floor tiles - Armstrong Asphalt Floor Tile, produced by Armstrong’s Cork division.
The tile pattern identified as C-926 Palimon Beige corresponds to the tile photograph at above right, a 1/8" gauge asphalt asbestos floor tile.
These tiles are mostly asphalt with the percentages of asbestos given above, as tested by the reader's asbestos lab. Armstrong has indicated that that these tiles almost certainly contained asbestos but they said that as long as the tiles are not ground or sanded there should not be a detectable asbestos hazard in residential use.
See ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION for recommendations useful for leaving this flooring in place, or see ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Wetting Guidelines if your asbestos-suspect or presumed-asbestos-containing flooring is in very poor condition or has to be removed. |
1952 - 1953 - Armstrong Excelon Plastic Asbestos Floor Tiles, Patterns & Color Guide
Definition & Composition o fAsphalt based asbestos resilient floor tiles
Asphalt asbestos floor tiles (AAT) refers to resilient flooring that was asphalt based. While thicknesses vary, most often if the floor tiles are 1/8" thick and are of this vintage you will find that they have an asphalt and asbestos base.
Definition & Composition of Vinyl based asbestos resilient floor tiles
Vinyl asbestos floor tiles (VAT) refers to resilient flooring whose basic binding material was a vinyl plastic, replacing asphalt as the primary ingredient.
The 1954 catalog refers to the existence of at least a 1952 version of this vinyl-asbestos resilient floor tile product:
"Federal Specfications - Interim Federal Specifications No. L T 751 (GSA-FSS) dated March 18, 1952, defines Armstrong's Excelon Tile and other similar plastic asbstos tiles as Type I Semi Flexible Vinyl Plastic Floor Tile. ...
... the thermoplastic binder of a viny plastic floor tile shall consist of only a limited group of certain specific types of polyvinyl chloride resins despite the fact that a wide range of vinyl resins could be used. ...
... note that while Excelon Tile does not the exact material composition of Interim Specifications No. L T 751, it does meet all the physical tests listed."
1954 - Armstrong Excelon Plastic Asbestos Floor Tiles, Patterns & Color Guide
- One pattern of softly merged colors that Armstrong described as "swirl graining" in 10 colors, these 1954 floor tiles were sold only in 9" x 9" 1/8" gauge
1954 Floor Tile Color List: Chalk White 750, Slate Gray 751, Charcoal Black 752, Gypsy Red 753, Gretna Green 754, Formosa coral 755 show at left, Manila Tan 756, Sirocco taupe 757, Brittany Blue 758, Ming Yellow 759,)
Library of vinyl asbestos floor tile and flooring strip images from 1954 - 1980, Armstrong and others. |
1955 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Plastic Asbestos Floor Tiles, Patterns & Color Guide
- Seneca white (above left), shown was a popular color. 1955 vinyl asbestos floor tiles were sold only in 9" x 9" 1/16" or 1/8" gauge sizes, in one pattern (above) in seventeen colors. The new 1955 pattern was a change from the swirl graining pattern used in 1954. 1/16" was referred to as service gauge.
1955 Floor Tile Color List: Senaca White 770 above left, Mohawk Gray 771, Commanche Black 772, Shawnee Blue 773, Seminole yellow 774, Aztec Gray 775, Cherokee white 776, Apache Red 777 - first year for this long-running favorite color, Pawnee Beige 778, Mohican Cedar 779, Osage Green 780, Navaho Gray 781 (above right), Sioux Pink 782, Iroquois Tan 783).
- Apache red (above-center shown as an installed vinyl asbestos floor)
- Navajo Gray No. 781 (above right) vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1955
- No solid color feature strips were sold in 1955.
1956 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Plastic Asbestos 9 x 9 Floor Floor Tiles, 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.
- Corkstyle Excelon vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1956
1956 Floor Tile Colors: (Light 798 - first year for this floor tile pattern. also sold as Medium 797 shown at above left, and Dark 799.) These colors remained unchanged into future product years. (See 1957, 1958)
- Designer Series (sold only in 9" x 9", either service gauge (1/16") or 1/8" gauge)
Colors: (Mint green 760 above 2nd from left, Silver Gray 761, Sand Beige 762, Rose Taupe 763, Mauve Taupe 764, Sienna Copper 765
- Regular Excelon (sold only in 9" x 9", either service gauge (1/16") or 1/8" gauge),
Colors: (New floor tile colors for 1965 are included here. For colors continued from 1955 see links at 1955 above. ) Seneca White 770, Mohawk Gray 771, Commanche black 772, Seminole Yellow 774, Aztec Gray 775, Cherokee White 776, Apache Red 777, Mohican Cedar 779, Osage Green 780, Navajao Gray 781, Sioux Pink 782, Iroquois Tan 783, Choctaw Green 784 (3rd from left above), Zuni Brown 785, Mojave Charcoal 786, Powhatan Turquoise 787, Light Woodtone 788, Dark Woodtone 789,
- Spatter Excelon 9 (sold only in 9" x 9", either service gauge (1/16") or 1/8" gauge
Colors: Andover White 735, Bedford Gray 736, Cape Cod Beige 737, Lexington Green 738, Providence Charcoal 739, Arlington Cedar 740, Exeter red 741 (above 4th from left), Concord yellow 742, Norwich turquoise 743 (example of installed floor), Bangor Copper 744, Plymouth Pink 745,
- Excelon Feature Strips (above right) 1" wide x 24" long x 1/8" thick solid color vinyl asbestos flooring strips). See a better image of these solid color feature strips at 1957 below.
Colors: Plain Red 792, Plain White 791, Plain Brown 795, Plain Yellow 793, Plain Black 790, Plain Green 794
Also see this installed solid floor tile and feature strip example from 1971.
1957 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Floor Tiles, 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 Corkstyle 9 x 9 x 1/16" only
Colors:
(Medium Corkstyle 797, Light Corkstyle 798 shown above left, Dark Corkstyle 799) (see 1956, 1958)
- Excelon Designers Series 9 x 9 x 1/16" & 1/8"
Colors:
(Mint Green 760, Silver Gray 761, Sand Beige 762, Rose taupe 763 2nd from left, Mauve Taupe 764, Sienna Copper 765) (See color samples from 1956).
- Excelon Straight-grained 9 x 9 x 1/16" & 1/8"
Colors:
(Seneca white 770, Mohawk gray 771 3rd from left, Commanche Black 772, Seminole Yellow 774, Aztec Gray 775, Cherokee White 776, Apache red 777, Pawnee beige No. 778 4th from left, Mohican Cedar 779, Osage Green 780, Navajo Gray 781, Sioux Pink 782, Iroquois Tan 783, Choctaw green 784, Zuni Brown 785, Mojave Charcoal 786, Powhatan Turquoise 787 )
- Excelon Spatter
Colors: (Andover white No. 735 5th from left, Bedford Gray 736, Cape Cod Beige 737, Lexington Green 738, Providence Charcoal 739, Arlington Cedar 740, Exeter Red 741, Concord Yellow 742, Norwich Turquoise 743, Bangor Copper 744, Plymouth Pink 745, )
- Excelon Woodtone 9 x 9 x 1/16" & 1/8" Floor Tiles
Colors: (Light Woodtone 788 (See 1956), Dark woodtone No. 789, above right)
- Excelon Beveled Edging (not shown, photo needed) 1/16" plain black only;
- Asphalt-based Beveled Edging (not shown, photo needed) 1/8"
- Excelon Feature Strips, Also see this installed solid tile and feature strip floor example from 1971.
1958 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Floor Tiles, 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 Corkstyle 9 x 9 x 1/16" not recommended for heavy traffic areas
Colors:
(Medium 797, Light 798, Dark 799 above at left) (Medium & Light example colors from 1956, 1957).
- Excelon Designer series floor tiles
Colors:
(Sand Beige 762, Maur tiles for 1958, (tile size not given, presumed 9 x 9) available in 1/16" & 1/8" (Mint Green 760, Silver Gray 761, ve Taupe 764, Rose Taupe 765, Sienna Copper 765, Ivory Tan 766 - new above 2nd from left, Ecru 767 - new 3rd from left) (See other color examples from 1957) Also see this Designer Series installed floor example.
- Excelon Spatter 9 x 9 x 1/16" only,
Colors:
(Andover White 735, Bedford Gray 736, Cape Cod Beige 737, Lexington Green 738, Providence Charcoal 739, Arlington Cedar 740, Exeter red 741, Concord Yellow 742, Norwich Turquoise 743, Bangor Copper 744, Plymouth Pink 745) (See other color examples from 1957).
- Excelon Straight-grained 9 x 9 x 1/16" & 1/8"
Colors:
(Powhatan turquoise No. 787) (See color examples from 1957).
- Excelon Woodtone 9 x 9 x 1/16" or 1/8"
Colors:
(Light Woodtone 788, Dark Woodtone 789, Redwoodtone 796 - new 4th from left) (See other color examples from 1957).
1959 - Armstrong Excelon Floor Vinyl Plastic Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9"
For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.
- Excelon Corkstyle Floor Tiles
vinyl asbestos flooring 9 x 9 x 1/16" light duty use
Colors:
(See corkstyle vinyl-asbestos floor color images from 1956, 1957, 1958)
- Designers Series Excelon Floor (see the 1957-58 examples)
- Excelon Imperial Floor Tiles
Colors:
(above left, 1959 Arbor green No. 862, above left) Tiles vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1959 - 1960
- Excelon Metallic Series Floor Tiles New in 1959-60, see the 1960 information below
Colors: (Photos needed - uncertain if this tile was produced in 1959)
- Metallic Series Excelon 9x9x 1/16" or 3/32" thickness gauge floor tiles were sold in one pattern, four colors
Colors:
(Taupe bronze 355, Black gold 351 shown above 3rd from left, Gray silvergold 354, and Redwood gold 353).
- Excelon Spatter Floor Tiles
Colors:
(Dorset Black 732 - new, Cornwall blue No. 733 4th from left above, Andover White 735, Bedford Gray 736, Cape Cod Beige 737, Rutland Beige 746, Worcester Gray 749 )
- Excelon Straight Grained Floor Tiles (See tile pattern & color photos from prior years + the examples below)
Colors:
(1959 Chippewa gray No. 703 5th from left above, 1960 Mohave charcoal No. 786)
- Excelon Styletone Floor Tiles (New in 1959)
Colors:
(Sandtone 830, Mintone 831, Ivorytone 833, Rosetone 834, Cedartone No. 835 shown at above right)
- Woodtone Excelon Floor Tiles (see 1957-58 photos)
Armstrong Floor Tile Photo Identification Guide 1960 - 1969
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.
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)
Armstrong Floor Tile Photo Identification Guide 1970 - 1972
1970 - 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.
- Custom San Miguel 12x12x1/16"vinyl asbestos floor tile images from 1970 (shown at left)
- Custom Tenolla 12x12x1/16" vinyl asbestos floor tiles produced in 1970
- Embossed (9 x 9 & 12" x 12" floor tiles) (See 1965-1966 styles of embossed floor tiles)
- Standard (9 x 9 & 12" x 12" floor tiles)
- Montreal ( 12" x 12" only)
- Presidential ( 12" x 12" only)
- Travertine ( 12" x 12" only)
- Feature Floor Tiles ( 12" x 12" only)
- Travertex ( 12" x 12" only)
- Imperial Texture ( 12" x 12" only)
- Imperial ( 12" x 12" only)
- Imperial Modern ( 12" x 12" only)
1971 - 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.
- Montrel 12" x 12"x 1/8" thick (Cafe white) floor tile images from 1971
- Presidential 12" x 12" x 1/8" (Montpelier beige)
- Feature strips (shown at left, assembled, these permitted modern Mondrian like designs by assembly) 24" x 1", 24" x 2", 24" x 3", accent strips
- Feature tiles (solid colors) 12" x 12" x 1/8"
- Travertex 12" x 12" (Tan)
- Travertine Swirl12" x 12" x 3/32" (Ivory)
- Imperial Texture 12" x 12" (Cottage tan)
- Imperial 12" x 12"
- Imperial Modern 12" x 12"
x 1/8" or 3/32" (see 1972 photos)
- Standard (9" x 9")
- Craftlon Collection (9 x 9 & 12" x 12") Stockbridge (darkl brown) also in Devonshire inset and brick patterns (see 1974 photos)
- Custom 12" x 12" Decoresque 12" x 12" x 1/16"
- Embossed 12" x 12"
- Smooth Surface (9 x 9 & 12" x 12")
- Embossed Tavarra (White) (Also see 1965-1966 styles of embossed floor tiles)
- Embossed Topiary 12" x 12" x 1/16" (Orange)
- Embossed Tortise Shell 12" x 12" x 1/16" (Rattler gold)
1972 - 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.
- Imperial Modern 12" x 12" x 1/8" or 3/32" (Fleece white 51850 above left) See more colors at 1973.
- Imperial Modern 12" x 12" x 1/8" or 3/32" (additional colors, 2nd from left)
- Imperial Texture 12" x 12"
x 1/8" (see 1971/ 1973 photos)
- Imperial 12" x 12"
x 1/8"
- Excelon Embossed: Custom Bisque 12" x 12"
x 1/16" - New (notice the larger scale in this 1972 pattern than the similar but smaller-scale pattern produced in 1973 and later.)
- Feature 12" x 12" (solid colors & feature strips - see prior years above)
- Presidential 12" x 12"
- Classic Travertine 12" x 12"
- Standard 12" x 12"
- Travertex 12" x 12"
1973 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, Complete Pattern & 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.
Floor tiles shown above correspond left to right to the patterns named below where we also include links to additional colors for each style or pattern.
- Imperial Modern 12" x 12" x 1/8" & 3/32" gauge (produced in Fleece white 51850, Mellow sand 51851, above left, Smoke Beige 51852, Char Brown 51854, Medium Cork 51855, Bayberry white 51856, Olive 51857, Sandrift white 51858, Light Umber 51860, Powder gray 51861)
- Imperial Texture 12" x 12"x 1/8" (as Cottage Tan 51830, Tower Gold 51831, Temple Orange 51833, Cabana olive 51857, 2nd from left and Shelter White 51836, Palace Beige 51837, Mansion Gold 51838, Fortress White 51839, Tent Olive 51840, Castle Greige 51841)
- Travertex 12" x 12" x 1/8" (Briar tan 51130, 3rd from left, Frost White 51131, Cream White 51133, Mist White 51135, Harvest Ivory 51137, Nougat Beige 51138)
- Standard 12" x 12" x 1/8" (Bayberry beige 56721, 4th from left - see our complete color series for both vinyl-asbestos and asphalt Standard tile patterns for 1973 just below.)
- Presidential 12" x 12" x 1/8" (Montpelier Beige 51950, Wheatland White 51951, Monticello Gold 51952, Mt. Vernon Taupe 51953, (Sagamore green 51954, also see 1974, 5th from left)
- Craftlon Devonshire inset 12" x 12" x 3/32 (Brown 54451, Gold 54452 above right, , White 54453, Red 54454)
Floor tiles shown above correspond left to right to the patterns named below where we also include links to additional colors for each style or pattern.
Also see two embossed versions of the Travertine floor tile identification pattern
- Feature solid color floor tiles & accent strips 12" x 12" x 1/8" solid color floor tiles and 1" x 24" solid color vinyl-asbestos flooring accent strips in the colors shown just below. These tiles were intended for accent spots, not for tiling an entire floor, because the solid color flooring would show scratches.
- Craftlon/Adelphi II 12" x 12" x 3/32" vinyl asbestos floor tile images - 1973 (Olive 54430, Aalst 54431, Beige 54432 shown at above left, Baal 54433, Gold 54434)
- Craftlon Rancho Grande 12" x 12" x 3/32" vinyl asbestos floor tile images - 1973 (White 54490, Gold 54491, Green 54492, Terra Cotta 54493, & Beige 54494 above 2nd from left)
- Embossed Craftlon Stonefield 12" x 12"
x 3/32" (Slate 54770, Olive 54771, White 54472 above 3rd from left, Red 54773) [Compare with Shattered Stone pattern below & with Metric Chip 1968]
- Embossed Craftlon Bristol Slate 12" x 12"
x 3/32" (Gold 54560 above 4th from left, Terra Cotta 54561, Olive 54562, Slate 45463) embossed floor tile surface, no pattern but surface texture looks like slate.
- Embossed Craftlon Devonport 12" x 12"
x 3/32" (Brown 534461, Gold 54462 5th from left above, White 54463, Red 54464)
- Excelon Imperial floor tiles 12" x 12" x 1/8" in Terrace White 56880 (above right) were produced only in this shade in 1973.
Patterns below are shown, left to right, with links to additional colors for each style
- Custom Glenmore Brick 12" x 12"
x 1/16" (Red 57130, White 57131 above left, Gold 57132)
- Custom Old Forge 12" x 12"
x 1/16" (White 57061 above 2d from left, and Terra Cotta 57062)
- Custom Eden Wood 12" x 12"
x 1/16" (Walnut 57140, Saddle 57141, White 57142, above 3rd from left)
- Custom San Pedro 12" x 12"
x 1/16" (Blue white 57070 above 4th from left, Olive 57071, Gold 57072, Orange 57073, Gold White 57074, Red 57075)
- Custom Bisque 12" x 12"
x 1/16" (White 57090 above 5th from left, Rust 57091, Beige 57092, Brown 57093, Bronze 57094, Olive 57095) Compare this new smaller scale pattern with the larger-scale version produced ony in 1972 (above).
- Custom Burnham 12" x 12"
x 1/16" (Blue 57080 shown above right, Olive 57081, Gold 57082, Tan 57083 Brown 57084 - all of these color shades are quite similar)
- Excelon Polished Marble, embossed 12" x 12" x 1/16" floor tiles in three colors: (Statuary White 54190, Peruvian Beige 54192 2nd from left)
- Excelon Polished Marble, embossed 12" x 12" x 1/16" floor tiles same series above, but this tile pattern looks a bit different: 2nd from left, above, Meadow White 54193 at left, above.
- Excelon Chandelle embossed 12" x 12" x 1/16"in six colors: (Blue-Olive 54520 3rd from left above, Olive 54521 [compare with the lighter version from 1974, below], White 54522, Gold 54523, Pink Orange 54524, Multi White 54525)
- Excelon Shattered Stone embossed 12 x 12 x 1/16"(Beige 51170, Multi-White 51171, Gold 51172 above right, White 51173)
The vinyl asbestos floor tiles below are smooth-surfaced, not embossed:
Complete Photo Guide to Standard Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Patterns & Colors in 12x12" and 9x9" - Armstrong - example year: 1973
The Armstrong standard floor tiles shown in the two photographs above are the Armstrong Standard 9"x9" vinyl asbestos tile popular over many years with versions sold as early as 1955. Above left are Osage Green and Seneca White tiles. Below are color guides to all of the colors of these floor tiles that were produced in 1973. Many of these colors and some others were also produced before and after that year.
Standard 12x12 Asbestos Vinyl Floor Tiles - 1973 - al colors
These standard tile patterns were sold in 12" x 12" x 1/8" gauge - contrast them with the standard 9"
x9" Asphalt floor tiles shown in the next group.
Standard 9x9 Asphalt Tiles - not Vinyl Asbestos - from 1973 - all colors
- Smooth Surface Standard asphalt floor tiles (not vinyl-asbestos) intended for areas of alkaline moisture (basement concrete slab floors),
9" x 9" x 1/8" gauge were produced in colors and patterns similar to the vinyl asbestos tiles shown just above but in fewer colors: (Foam Green 5C902 above left, Pecan Beige 5C913, Cedar 5C918, Palimino Beige 5C926, Corkstyle (New Light) above 2nd from right.
- Embossed Parquet 9 x 9 x 3/32 (Autumn Gold) - Asphalt Tile, not vinyl asbestos but see our warnings at page top: some asphalt-based floor tiles that were not vinyl-asbestos also contained asbestos.
1974 - Complete Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, Patterns & Color Guide
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Our photo guide to vinyl asbestos floor tiles for 1974 shows one photo of each style or pattern; the list below includes the names of and links to additional photos for other colors of these styles.
If we do not include a photo of a particular floor tile style that's because it appeared unchanged from a prior year - just scroll up through this photo guide to find the first occurrence of each floor tile style, pattern, name, dimensions, and colors.
Our photo left is probably Glenmore Brick (1973 photo) 12" x 12" x 1/16" (White, 57131) found in a home in Poughkeepsie, NY.
In 1974 Armstrong Excelon asbestos vinyl floor tiles were produced in the styles shown in the photo guide just below. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.
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- Imperial 12" x 12" x 1/8" vinyl asbestos floor tiles Terrace white #56880 (first photo at above, left).
- Imperial Modern 12" x 12" x 3/32" (Fleece white 51850, Mellow sand 51851, Smoke beige 51852, Char brown 51854, Medium cork 51855, Bayberry white 51856, Olive 51857, Sandrift white 51858, Powder gray 51861) floor tile images from 1974
- Imperial Texture 12" x 12" (Manor green 51845) (fifteen colors produced)
- Travertex 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick (Nougat beige 51138)
- Presidential 12" x 12" x 1/8" (Montpelier beige 51950)
- Classic Travertine 12" x 12" x 1/8" (White 51880, & Beige 51881)
- Standard 12" x 12" (Seneca white 56770, above left)
- Feature tiles (Ten solid colors, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick and in strips, 1" wide x 24" long) - produced beginning in 1956, above is a 1971 photo (unchanged)
- Craftlon Collection 12" x 12" Adelphi II Gold 54434, or Aalst (next photo), or Baal 54433
- Craftlon Collection 12" x 12" Adelphi II Aalst 54431 (showing a second color, Aalst)
- Craftlon Collection 12" x 12" Devonshire inset (Gold, 54452, Brown 54451, White 54453, or Red 54454)
- Craftlon Collection 9" x 9" x 3/32" Romford brick 9"x9" (White 57020 or Red Romford Brick 57021 - 1973 photo)
- Craftlon Collection Leathercraft 12"x12" x 3/32" thick (Yellow, above left)
- Craftlon Collection Devonport 12"x12" x 3/32" thick (White 54463)
- Craftlon Collection Stonefield 12"x12" x 3/32" (Slate 54470)
- Embossed Chancery 12" x 12" x 1/16" (Gold white 54542)
- Embossed Shattered Stone 12" x 12" x 1/16" (Gold)
- Embossed Chandelle 12" x 12" x 1/16" (Olive 54521 - darker than the 1973 version - see the 1973 color series above;, also see this Chandelle Multi-White for 1974)
- Embossed Dianna White Caligula (White with veining)
- Custom Bisque 12" x 12" x 1/16" (White 57090, Rust, Beige 57092, Brown, Bronze, Olive) vinyl asbestos floor tiles
- Custom Burnham 12" x 12" x 1/16" (Tan) (also see 1972)
- Custom Old Forge12" x 12" x 1/16" (White, 57081) Don't confuse this with Custom Glenmore Brick 12" x 12"
x 1/16" or Romford Brick floor tiles from 1973. Also see our photos from 1978 where we show a continuous sheet resilient flooring product that also used the Romford Brick floor pattern.
- Embossed Woodstock 12" x 12" x 1/16" (Dark Cherry 54251 5th from left above, only in this shade)
- Smooth Surface Palatial 12" x 12"x 1/16" (Blue)
- Smooth Surface Tidestone 12" x 12"x 1/16" (Green, above left)
- Smooth Surface Driftstone 12" x 12"x 1/16" (Aztec white)
1975-1976, no data;
1977 - Armstrong Solarian Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 12" x 12", Patterns & Color Guide
Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles (as above), for colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.
Solarian vinyl asbestos floor tiles, and the following:
- Imperial Texture 12" x 12" (see photos above)
- Imperial Modern 12" x 12"
- Classic Travertine Embossed 12" x 12"
- Travertex 12" x 12"
- Straight Grain 12" x 12"
- Feature 12" x 12" solid color tiles and solid color strips 1" x 24" all 1/8" gauge
- Craftlon (9" x 9" 0.80" gauge) Romford Brick pattern vinyl asbestos floor tiles (Red 57021, also sold in white - photos from identical product, 1978)
- Excelon Shattered Stone
Colors: (Beige 51170, Multi-White 51171, Gold 51172, White 51173 above 3rd from left)
- Regular 12" x 12"
(see photos above)
- Promotional embossed vinyl asbestos flooring 12" x 12" (Shattered stone white 51173 & Woodstock Dark Cherry 54251 patterns)
- Promotional smooth surfaced vinyl asbestos floor tiles 12" x 12" (Driftstone White 51173 also sold in Beige, multi-white, and Gold, patterns)
- Promotional smooth floor asbestos flooring Tidestone Daytona taupe 51760 (above left) also sold in green, Acapulco white, Malibu beige.
- Armstrong Excelon Supreme Floor Tile produced in 1977 did not contain asbestos [photos wanted]
1978 - Armstrong Solarian Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" & 9"x9", Patterns & Color Guide
Armstrong Solarian & Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles included the "Custom" patterns in 1978:
- Abbey wood 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors:
(Light 57320, above left, Medium 57321, Dark 57322)
- Burnham 12" x 12" x 1/16" (service gauge) Custom embossed vinyl asbestos floor tiles for 1978
Colors:
(Blue 57080, Olive 57081 above 2nd from left, Tan 57083)
- Classic Travertine 12" x 12"
Colors:
(White 51880 abive 3rd from left, Beige 51881)
- Country brick 12" x 12" regular brick pattern vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors:
(Terra Cotta 57400, White 57401, Burnt toast, 57402, above 4th from left especially recommended for kitchens, Almond 57403)
- CraftlonRomford Brick (9" x 9" 0.80" gauge) pattern vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors:
(White 57020, and Red 57021, also see 1977)
- Eden wood 12" x 12" Custom vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors: (Walnut 57140, Saddle 57141, White 57141)
For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year.
Our photo (below-left) shows a late 1970's vintage Craftlon Romford Brick 9"x9" 0.80 gauge white vinyl asbestos floor, photos provided courtesy of reader Matt Abel, Design Services Department, Strongwood Log Home Company.
Our second flooring picture (below-right), provided courtesy of reader Diana Elliott, illustrates that resilient sheet flooring was produced in a pattern similar to Romford Brick floor tiles from 1973 and 1974, and closely resembling two other 12" x 12" tile patterns from the same era: Custom Glenmore Brick 12" x 12" and Custom Old Forge 12" x 12"
x 1/16" thick floor tiles, but in our photograph (below right) the flooring is reported to be in continuous sheet form.
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- Embossed, Dianna White 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors: (Caligula 51202, above left)
- Smooth-surfaced, Dianna White, 12" x 12" x 1/16" smooth
Colors: (Olympus 51200, Palatial 51601, Alba Beige 51602, Cannes Beige 51603, Corsica Olive 51607)
- Glenmore Brick, 12" x 12" regular brick pattern vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors:
(Red 57130, 2nd from left, above, White 57131, Gold 57132))
- Imperial Texture 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors:
(Palace beige 51837)
- Imperial Modern 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors:
(Medium cork 51855)
- Imperial 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tiles
Colors:
(Cottage tan 51830)
- Imperial terrazzo-like 12" x12"
Colors:
(Terrace white 56880)
- Not shown above: Feature Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" solid colors
Colors:
(Solid colors Black 56790, White 56791, Chocolate 56797, Red 56806, Neutral 56807, Celerty 56808, and more solid colors Yellow 56809, Gold 56810, Orange 56811, and Blue 56812)
- Promotional embossed 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tiles
- Promotional smooth 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tiles
1979 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 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.
- Imperial Texture 12" x 12"
Colors:
(Cottage Tan 51830, Tower Gold 51831, Temple Orange 51833, Shelter White 51836, Palace Beige 51837, Mansion Gold 51838, Fortress White 51839, Tent Olive 51840, Castle Greige 51841, Pagoda Red 51842, Casa Orange 51843, Cathedral Gold 51844, Manor Green 51845, Teahouse Blue 51846) (Also see 1978 photos)
- Imperial Modern 12" x 12" (Flooring example at left)
Colors: (Fleece White 51850, Mellow Sand 51851, Char Brown 51854, Medium Cork 51855, Bayberry White 51856, Olive 51857, Sandrift White 51858) - Imperial 12" x 12"
Colors:
(See 1978 photos)
- Travertex 12" x 12"
Colors:(See 1978 photos)
(Briar Tan 51130, Frost White 51131, Cream White 51133, Harvest Ivory 51137, Nougat Beige 51138)
- Straight Grain 12" x 12"
Colors:
White Bayberry 56710, White 56742, Fawn White 56759, Iroquois Tan 56783 (See 1978 photos)
- Classic Travertine Embossed 12" x 12"
Colors: White 51880, Beige 51881
- Custom Burnham 12" x 12"
Colors: (Blue 57080, Olive 57081, Tan 57083)
- Custom Los Alamos 12" x 12" x 1/16"
Colors: Multi 57280, Yellow 57283, Red 57284
- Salvador
Colors: Yellow 57171, Brown/Tan 57174, Gold/Green 57175
- San Pedro
Colors: Gold 57072, Orange 57073, Gold/White 57074, Red 57075
- Country Brick
Colors: Terra cotta 57400, White 57401, Almond 57403
- Villa Court
Colors: White 57330, Almond 57331, Yellow 57332
- Eden Wood
Colors: Walnut 57140, Saddle 57141, White 57142
- Glenmore Brick
Colors: Red 57130, White 57131, Gold 57132
- Feature Floor Tiles (12 x 12 tile) solid colors:
Colors: Black 56790, White 56791, Chocolate 56797, Red 56806, Neutral 56807, Celery 56808, Yellow 56809, Gold 56810, Orange 56811, Blue 56812
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1980 - Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles, 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.
- Desert Sage Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick only in the color shown, above left
- Devonslate
Colors:
- Diana White
Colors:
- Eden Wood Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick
Colors:
Walnut, Saddle, White colors
- Feature Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick
Colors:
( solid colors - red, green example)
- Imperial series 12" x 12" x 1/8" or 3/32" gauge vinyl asbestos flooring
Colors:
- Imperial Texture 12" x 12" - this "tweedy" design was
Colors:
sold in 17 colors, shown Cottage Tan 51830 (above left)
- Imperial Modern 12" x 12"
Colors:
including Bayberry White 51866, 2nd from left, old in Fleece white, Mellow sand, Char brown (almost black), medium Cork, Bayberry white. also sold in
- Imperial Modern Medium Cork
Colors:
(Medium 51855, 3rd from left above)
- Los Alamos Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick
Colors: Green, Yellow, Multi-colors
- Oak Knoll Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick
Colors:
Saddle, Walnut, Almond
- Palatial Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8"
Colors:
Nice Gold (above right), Alba beige, Cannes beige, Corsica olive
- Regency Square Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick, above left
Colors:
Yellow & White
- Salvador
Colors:
- San Roque Floor Tiles, 12" x 12" x 1/8" thick
Colors:
Olive, Gold, Red, White colors
- Slurry Square (above right)
Colors:
Watch out: even if your flooring was installed some time after 1980, it is possible that an installer used 1980 or prior flooring materials that contained asbestos. Handle flooring demolition or grinding, sanding, polishing appropriately.
1982 - Armstrong Self-Adhesive Floor Tiles
Do Peel and Stick Floor Tiles Contain Asbestos?
- Vernay peel and stick floor tiles.
Armstrong Peel-and-Stick Floor vinyl floor tiles were introduced late in 1969, as we discussed at Peel and Stick / Self-Adhesive Floor Tiles
Some, but apparently not all self-adhesive floor tiles made by Armstrong during the period 1969 - 1982 contained asbestos. 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. The peel-and-stick Armstrong floor tile shown in our photograph (above left) was from Armstrong's Vernay series, introduced in 1980 and discontinued in 1982. This product never contained asbestos.
- information courtesy of Armstrong Corporation.
American Bilrite Asbestos-Containing Peel and Stick Flooring from the early 1980's
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 or send us a photograph of the flooring that you are trying to identify. Use the email address found at CONTACT.
1989 & Later Armstrong Accoflex Series Flooring Tiles
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Later Armstrong flooring products, for example Armstrong's Accoflex 2005 series semi-flexible vinyl tile [technical data sheet] sold by Wonder Flooring (at least) in the U.K. were produced from " ground limestone bound with polymers, plasticisers, and stabilizers, and colored by pigments" not including asbestos.
Modern Accoflex flooring prodeuced and sold by Armstrong is a semi-flexible vinyl floor tile "manufactured from natural limestone and bound with resillient polymers.
Accoflex meets performance and a colour co-ordinated interior needs." A color chart of contemporary Armstrong Accoflex floor tiles is shown at left. Original source: http://www.wonderflooring.com/ |
Key to Thicknesses or Gauges of Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles & Floor Tile Application or Usage by Thickness
Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Thickness & Usage Guide
Shown at left is a vinyl-asbestos floor specification summary and usage guide from 1959 - Armstrong.
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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 page left) 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: risk assessment for demolished asbestos-suspect flooring
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:
At ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST you can see how to choose and contact a certified asbestos testing lab to have a sample of your flooring tested for asbestos content. If the home may have been contaminated, dust testing, air testing, and professional cleanup might be appropriate.
Question: having trouble identifying my floor tile
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
Reply:
Scott if you can't convince yourself that you've found the exact floor tile in your home shown among the example photos in our asbestos floor reference libraries here, your best bet may be to either
- have a sample tested by a certified asbestos test lab
or
- given the age of the flooring, treat the flooring as PACM - presumed asbestos containing material and handle it with appropriate precautions. Heroic measures are rarely needed for flooring materials.
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.
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
Question: what are the wisdom & morality of walking away from a home & mortgage for a property with asbestos-containing flooring?
If an unsuspecting home owner was sold a house containing asbestos floors that are friad, would it be immoral to walk away from the mortgage? - Kim 1/14/2013
Reply:
Kim, in my OPINION, it would be immoral and also stupid.
Failure to disclose: it would without question be immoral for a seller or agent to fail to disclose to the buyer a known and substantive economic, health, or safety condition at a home, but sadly that event happens every day, excused by disclaimers and exclusion fees. Caveat emptor.
Walking away from a mortgage: Though philosophers would express a more expertly-reasoned view, mine is that the presumption that a bank is adequately compensated for an abandoned mortgage by receiving back the collateral property is a tenuous one. In the Bush era 2008 housing mortgage collapse in the U.S., mortgage originating agents for lenders wrote mortgages that they knew could not be carried by the recipient, receiving their up-front fees, commissions, and profits without regard for what would follow.
Banks in turn re-packaged the bad loans, hid their poor quality, and re-sold them to investors including private investors. Investors depended on rating agencies who in turn succumbed to conflicts of interest as they relied on fees from the banks or investments they rated. Ultimately it was large and small investors who lost some or all of their life savings, retirement pensions &c. Mortgage writers, banks, and legislators in the "too big to fail club" got still bigger during the bank bailout and can continue to count on the middle-income taxpayer to bear the ultimate expense of over-valued abandoned properties.
Would prefer to live in a world where anyone, at any time, could simply dump costs she didn't want to pay onto strangers? Can you imagine yourself as the stranger having to bear those costs?
Abandoning a home with asbestos-containing floors: And walking away from a home with asbestos-containing flooring would be stunningly stupid as well. The probability that the costs associated with asbestos-containing flooring would make up even one percent of the value of a home is close to zero. - DF.
Question: does this floor covering contain asbestos ? photo attached.
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Icame across your website and was hoping you might be able to help me identify this flooring for asbestos.
I have attatched a picture [at elft].
Thank you!
J. DF. 3/17/2013
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Reply:
 Because of the production of some common paterns of flooring across many years, it is probably at least equally important to have an idea when the floor of concern to you was installed and also whether it is made of individual tiles or is sheet flooring.
In your photo the material looks like sheet flooring not tiles but I'm not certain. If your floor covering is not glued to the subfloor, look on the back of the flooring for an Armstrong logo or trademark, and check out very similarly-designed floor tile patterns by that company in the Execelon line beginning around 1972 - see the Custom San Pedro floor tile examples such as Excelon 54480 green or Excelon 57070 white for examples.
That popular floor tile pattern may well have been carried over into sheet flooring products made later and that may include your example above.
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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