Congoleum Nairn Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles & Sheet Flooring Identification Photo Guide
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How to recognize Congoleum Nairn floor tiles & linoleum or resilient sheet flooring that may contain asbestos fibers
Old or discontinued Congoleum Nairn floor tile identification photographs
Congoleum-Nairn floor tile patterns
Asphalt asbestos Congoleum Nairn & Congoleum Nairn vinyl-asbestos floor tile identification and advice 1917 - 1986
Congoleum Nairn Vinyl asbestos floor tile identification and handling to minimize asbestos fiber risks
Photographs of Congoleum Nairn asbestos containing floor tiles, sheet flooring, linoleum, and resilient floor coverings

Congoleum asbestos flooring identification: this article provides a guide to identifying Congoleum-Nairn asphalt-asbestos, vinyl asbestos floor tiles, linoleum, and sheet flooring (resilient flooring) materials that are reported to contain asbestos, or that have been confirmed as containing asbestos in asbestos fiber or asbestos powder-filler form.

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Styles, & Pictures of Congoleum-Nairn Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles & Congoleum Linoleum Sheet Flooring: Resilient Floors

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.

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-Nairn Romanaire pattern

Details about the history of Congoleum Nairn flooring are at Congoleum Flooring History and at FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS.

Additional Images of Congoleum linoleum sheet flooring products are at Linoleum Sheet Flooring Age.

Sequin Pattern for Congoleum resilient flooring is shown at left.

Watch out: the backing on some of these vinyl flooring or linoleum products may also contain asbestos.

For a detailed photo guide to all brands of vinyl-asbestos floor tile & resilient flooring patterns, sizes, and years of manufacture, see ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE. Readers should see ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION and also see FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS for a discussion of the ingredients and production of asbestos-containing flooring. And see ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION for detailed advice on handling and identifying vinyl-asbestos floor tiles or flooring products that probably do or don't contain asbestos. For a strategy for collecting building dust samples, when, where, how many samples to collect, see DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE.

Congloeum linoleum Sequin pattern (C) D Friedman M Barnicle

Congoleum Vinylbest vinyl asbestos floor tiles were produced in the 1950s along with Congoleum Gold Seal inlaid linoleum flooring shown at above left from a Life magazine advertisement, and the Congoleum sheet linoleum shown in a Florida Home (left) provided a scattershot or color fleck pattern.

The Congoleum linoleum photograph (left) of Congoleum sheet flooring installed in a 1949 Tampa Florida home is provided courtesy of M.B.

M.B. placed a U.S. quarter on the flooring to provide a pattern size scale reference. [Click image for a larger view]. [We think the flooring itself may date from the 1960's.]

Other Congoleum products included Vinylfloor, Vinyltop (countertops), Congoleum, CongoWall, Ranchtile, Cork tile, Linoleum tile, Vinyl tile, Rubber tile, and Asphalt tile marketed under the Congoleum Gold Seal trademark.

Congoleum Nairn tile flooring and resilient flooring or linoleum flooring photos wanted - CONTACT US to contribute to InspectAPedia.com

Below we show three more interesting Congoleum Narin sheet flooring designs from the mid 1950's (excerpted from Life Magazine advertisements).

Don't Mix Up Congoleum Nairn Resilient Flooring with Armstrong Floors

Armstrong sheet flooring (C) InspectAPedia.com

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.

This is identified as an Armstrong resilient flooring product.

Congoleum Sheet Flooring Products Resembling Individual Floor Tiles

Congoleum sheet flooring, Life Magazine 1955 (C) D Friedman D Grudzinski

Congoleum sheet flooring, Life Magazine 1955

At above left is a continuous resilient Congoleum Nairn sheet flooring product that was colored to resemble individual floor tiles in red, black,and white The Congoleum-Nairn company advertised that this approach was less costly and quicker to install than tiles, and permitted better control over tile color consistency.

Above right our photograph excerpted from another 1950's flooring advertisement shows a Congoleum sheet floor used in a kitchen and dining area.

Congoleum Gold Seal Rugs and Nairn Linoleum

This Congoleum flooring advertisement, also from the 1950's, demonstrated use of sheet flooring to provide a border and carpet image in a bedroom.

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.

Asbestos-Containing Flooring Product Identification Article List

Asphalt-based asbestos floor tiles and vinyl-asbestos floor tiles are identified and described in this article series where we also provide many identifying tile and sheet flooring photographs of various flooring patterns and colors.

These flooring products typically contain chrysotile asbestos, and possibly other asbestos forms. See these articles on types, ages, characteristics, ingredients, & inspection of different types of floor coverings:

ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION - How to Identify Floor Tiles That May Contain Asbestos
ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE - detailed photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles, 1900 -1986 - including these sections:
- Modern Self-Adhesive Floor Tiles - photos, such as self-adhesive Armstrong flooring
- Floors Tiles 1900 - 1986
- Armstrong Floor Tiles - introduction, also see Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile Photos below
- Congoleum-Nairn Floor Tiles, Linoleum - floor tile photos
- Kentile KenFlex Floor Tiles - floor tile photos
- Montgomery Ward Floor Tiles - floor tile photos
- Sears Roebuck Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles - floor tile photos of vinyl asbestos tile products
- Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile Photos - floor tile photos 1952 - 1980 for identifying asbestos-containing flooring
- Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Usage Guide - thicknesses of floor tiles and recommended applications
ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
  Asbestos flooring health risks
  Friable Asbestos in Asbestos Floors
  Covering Asbestos Floor Tiles
  Disposing of Asbestos Flooring
  School Building Asbestos Flooring
  Managing Asbestos in Place
ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE
  Floor Tile Removal Necessary?
  Removing Asbestos Flooring: Details
FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS - 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.
FLOORING MATERIALS, Age, Types - Age of Building Flooring Materials - A Guide to Estimating Building Age, This article describes types and ingredients in flooring materials: Asphalt floor tile, Cork floor tile or planks, Laminate flooring (modern), Linoleum & older sheet flooring (painted canvas), Vinyl-asbestos floor tiles, Wood flooring.
FLOOR TYPES & DEFECTS - Asphalt floor tiles, asphalt-saturated asbestos felt, carpeting, cork floor tiles & planks, laminate flooring (modern), linoleum (sheet flooring) & earlier painted fabric floor coverings, vinyl-asbestos tile floors, wood flooring.
ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE LAB PROCEDURES - photos of how vinyl asbestos flooring is analyzed in the lab.

We discuss the history and manufacture of asphalt-asbestos floor tiles in our Age of House articles at Flooring Materials.

We discuss the inspection, diagnosis, and repair of various flooring products at FLOOR TYPES & DEFECTS.Also see Asbestos HVAC Ducts a field identification guide to visual detection of asbestos in and on heating and cooling system ducts and flue vents

. Also see Micro-Photographs of Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack. Links to U.S. government and other authoritative research and advice are included.

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ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS
ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings
  ASBESTOS AIR DUCTS
  Asbestos Air Duct Vibration Dampers
  ASBESTOS in CARPETING, PADDING
  ASBESTOS CEILING TILES, Asbestos-Containing
  ASBESTOS DUCTS, HVAC
  ASBESTOS DUCT INSULATION, Asbestos Paper
  ASBESTOS DUCTS, Transite Pipe
  ASBESTOS FIREPROOFING SPRAY-On Coatings
  ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION
  ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE LAB PROCEDURES
  ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE
    FLOOR TILE HISTORY 1900-1986
    Armstrong Floor Tiles
    Congoleum-Nairn Floor Tiles, Linoleum
    Ever-Wear Floor Tiles
    Kentile KenFlex Floor Tiles
    Montgomery Ward Floor Tiles
    Sears Roebuck Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles
    Self-Adhesive Stick-on Tiles, Asbestos
    Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile Photos
    Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Usage Guide
  Asbestos Foamed-Over
  ASBESTOS INSULATION
  ASBESTOS PAPER DUCT INSULATION
  ASBESTOS PIPE INSULATION
  ASBESTOS ROOFING, CEMENT & FIBER CEMENT
  ASBESTOS SIDING CEMENT & FIBER CEMENT
  ASBESTOS in UNUSUAL PLACES
  ASPHALT-ASBESTOS PAINT / SEALANT
  TRANSITE PIPE AIR DUCTS
  TRANSITE PIPE CHIMNEYS / FLUES
  TRANSITE PIPE WATER SUPPLY
  VERMICULITE INSULATION
ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE
ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS
ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONS
ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONS Update
ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONS, OSHA
ASBESTOS PHOTO GUIDE to Materials
ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Amateur, Incomplete
Asbestos Removal, Certification
ASBESTOS REMOVAL GUIDE, FLOORING
ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Wetting Guidelines
ASBESTOS RISK ASSESSMENT
Asbestos Under the Microscope

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
Armstrong Corporation, Corporate History - http://www.armstrong.com/corporate/corporate-history.html - Web Search 05/19/2010
Armstrong vinyl asbestos floor tiles: photos of asbestos-vinyl floor tiles as catalog pages (PDF form) are at www.asbestosresource.com/asbestos/tile.html
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.
"Asbestos in your home or at work," Forsyth County Environmental Affairs Department, Winston-Salem NC 12/08
"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
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
Resilient Floor Covering Institute, 1030 15th St. NW, suite 350, Washington D.C.
Book Recommendations for Asphalt & Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile Identification:
- Inspiring Interiors from Armstrong 1950s from Armstrong, [Paperback], Schiffer Publishing (March 1998), ISBN-10: 0764304585, ISBN-13: 978-0764304583 (Available from Amazon)
- Interior Solutions from Armstrong the 1960s from Armstrong, [Paperback], Schiffer Publishing (March 1999), ISBN-10: 0764307002, ISBN-13: 978-0764307003 (Available from Amazon)
- Mechanix Illustrated How-to-do-it Encyclopedia Vol 2. -1961
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).
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
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
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
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.]
Kentile KenFlex flooring photographs: Flickr web search 5/15/2010 - see original material and other asbestos product photos
"Plastic Flooring Spreads Through the House", Jackson Hand, Guide to Home-Improvement Materials, Popular Science, April 1969, p. 154-158
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
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
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.
Thanks to reader Meryl Silvers for hexagonal floor tile photos showing a possible Kentile product that contained asbestos. October 2010.
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.
M.B. provided photographs of Congoleum linoleum flooring from a 1960's Tampa Florida home.
June 1997 - 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
Asbestos Identification and Testing References

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.
Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone

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).
"Handling Asbestos-Containing roofing material - an update", Carl Good, NRCA Associate Executive Director, Professional Roofing, February 1992, p. 38-43
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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Styles, & Pictures of Congoleum-Nairn Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles & Congoleum Linoleum Sheet Flooring: Resilient Floors

Don't Mix Up Congoleum Nairn Resilient Flooring with Armstrong Floors

Congoleum Sheet Flooring Products Resembling Individual Floor Tiles

Congoleum Gold Seal Rugs and Nairn Linoleum

Asbestos-Containing Flooring Product Identification Article List

Questions & Answers regarding this article

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Technical Reviewers & References

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair