Kentile KenFlex Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles Identification Photo Guide
InspectAPedia^®  -      

Guide to asbestos-containing Kentile or KenFlex floor tiles: here we provide a photo guide to Kentile asphalt-asbestos flooring & Kentile vinyl asbestos floor tile identification photographs, a list of product names, styles, colors, and vinyl-asbestos floor patterns, and colors for asbestos-containing floor tile products - flooring materials that are reported to or have been confirmed to contain asbestos in asbestos fiber or asbestos powder-filler form. Kentile floor tiles that containd asbestos 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.

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

Kentile Floors: KenFlex Asphalt-asbestos & Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles - 1950's - 1980's Photo Guide

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.

Kentile Floors, Founded by Arthur Kennedy in 1898, had its primary location at 58 Second Ave., Brooklyn 15 NY. Kentile produced Kentile (asphalt floor tiles of vinyl-asbestos floor tiles), Kencork (cork floor tiles), and Kenrubber (rubber floor tiles) (at least) as 9" x 9" resilient flooring including patterns and in 23 bold colors (1949) and in 26 colors (1952), some of which are shown at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE - asbestos may be in Kentile products produced through 1986.

In 1949 Kentile was producing asphalt-based floor tiles. In the early 1950's, Kentile produced mostly asphalt-based floor tiles but also some cork-based floor tiles. In 1951 a 8' x 9' room floor cost $10.95 when it was consumer-installed. In 1969 Kentile was producing vinyl sheet flooring.

Some of Kentile's 26 colors/patterns included Breccia, Carnival (multi-color), Dog Tooth, Fleecy Cerulean, Gaiety, Genoa Green, Greek Skyros, Lamartine, Ovation, Toledo Red, Verde Antique, regular pattern, Marbelized, and die-cut theme tiles and solid color feature strips. At left our illustration shows green and beige Kentile floor patterns from 1958. Kentile's sign, along the Gowanus Canal (Brooklyn New York, ca 1949) has been considered an important landmark in its own right. In Canada Kentile flooring was distributed by T. Eaton Co., Ltd. The company filed bankruptcy in 1992, ceasing operations in 1995.

As illustrated by thie 1954 Kentile Floor Advertisement (Popular Science Magazine) Kentile floors were considered easy for a homeowner to install. Unlike some earlier sheet flooring products, the coloring in the components of Kentile and Kenflex floor tiles "goes right through each tile" leading the manufacturer to guarantee its durability. [Click any image for an elnarged, detailed version.]

• Kentile KenFlex Crystalite Asphalt-asbestos & Vinyl-Asbestos floor tiles very popular, 1950's - 1960's
  
• Kentile Marbelized - a straight grain shown in a gray installed floor, above left (similar to Armstrong Straight Grain - below)
• Kentile ThemeTiles 9" x 9" x 1/8" & 3'16" thick were also produced in a variety of designs such as those shown above in groups of four shown in 3 examples beginning 2nd from left, above.
• Kentile Kenserts 18" x 18" x 1/8" & 3'16" thick (2nd from right, above)
• Kentile Carnival KenFlex Ovation - 9" x 9" vinyl asbestos a smaller round/ovate spatter pattern (similar to Armstrong Centennial 1961 & later (above right), but with smaller spots) e.g. Ovation 942, from August 1956 - floor tile samples were also manufactured and distributed in 3" x 3" size.
• Corktones - (not shown).

The brick-red solid border Kentile shown at left was observed in a Virginia home built in 1963. Some of Kentile's 26 colors/patterns included

• Breccia
• Carnival (multi-color),
• Dog Tooth,
• Fleecy Cerulean,
• Gaiety,
• Genoa Green,
• Greek Skyros
• Lamartine,
• Ovation,
• Toledo Red,
• Veined Carnelian
• Verde Antique,
• regular pattern,
• Marbelized, and die-cut theme tiles and s
• olid color feature strips.

Kentile colors/patterns below include: Veined Carnelian with Theme Tile & Feature Strip (below left), Greek Skyros & Breccia, Green with white feature strips, and four kentile samples. These colors and patterns are from 1949 - 1952 and appeared in Kentile advertisements in Life magazine, Popular Science, in various newspapers and other publications.

(Additional Kentile vinyl asbestos tile floor covering photos wanted - CONTACT US)

Possible Solid Color Hexagonal Kentile Vinyl Asbestos Flooring

The floor tile photo shown here was provided by Meryl Silvers as a possible example of Kentile flooring that is being investigated.

CONTACT us if you have additional information about or examples of this product. Testing for asbestos content is in process and will be reported here. Ms. Silvers describes the flooring as follows:

There is no writing at all on the back. Each of the 6 tile sides measures 4 inches. The tile is 8 inches wide and 7 inches long.

The tile is about 1/8th of an inch. From the edge view  it appears it has three thin layers. The top camel colored layer has a white colored edge.

The middle layer extends a bit past the top one to create a look of "grout". I believe this grout part also measures 1/8th of an inch. The backing is a light beige color, with a slight pattern(as opposed to being matte)

Questions & Answers on Identifying KenTile or KenFlex Flooring

Question: Can you identify this floor tile and tell me if it contains asbestos?

Thank you for providing a useful site about asbestos tile. Can you identify the tile I have and if it has asbestos in it? I did not see the exact picture on your site. Any assistance is greatly appreciated. The house was built in 1963. The tiles are 12"x12" and are approximately 1.6 mm in thickness. The last picture shows the back of the tile. Regards, G.K., Cleveland OH

Reply: It's reasonable to presume that vinyl or asphalt floor tiles from the 1960's contain asbestos; only a certified lab can accurately state the actual asbestos content however.

We are not certain of the manufacturer of the tiles shown above, and we publish them here to invite feedback from other readers. And of course only a certified asbestos test lab can say with certainty the tile asbestos composition.

But based on the floor tile age and pattern, it's reasonable to presume that these tiles contain asbestos fibers and filler.

The particle shape or pattern in your floor tiles is similar to the Armstrong floor tile Imperial pattern from 1963 (see Armstrong Floor Tiles and scroll down to 1963). But the colors in your floor tiles (above left) resemble some hues found in Kentiles. And while 9x9 floor tiles were common in the 50's and 60's there were indeed 12x12 floor tiles being produced and installed when your home was built.

We think that the hues in your tiles, even though the pattern is different, point in that direction. I can't make out much from the photo of the back surface of a floor tile (above right) though on some tiles we may find text or numbers that help trace the floor's origin.

Also compare your tile pattern to those shown at our article on Wards floor tiles at Montgomery Ward Floor Tiles as the color pattern is similar to some Wards flooring.

Questions & Answers regarding this article

.

Recommend / Share this Article            

...

Technical Reviewers & References

• InspectAPedia.com^® - Daniel Friedman - Publisher & Editor.
• InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
• Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
• Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION
  Level of Asbestos Flooring Hazard
  Asbestos-containing Flooring
  How to Identify Asbestos Flooring
  Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Dimensions
  Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Disposal
  Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Packaging
  Photos of Asbestos Flooring
  Other Asbestos Floor Tiles
  Asbestos-containing Sheet Flooring
  Non-Asbestos Sheet Flooring
  Asbestos Floor Tile Laboratory Photos
  ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE
    Modern Self-Adhesive Floor Tiles
    Floors Tiles 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
    Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile Photos
    Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Usage Guide
  ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE LAB PROCEDURES
ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE

FLOOR TYPES & DEFECTS
FLOOR TILE ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION
FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS

• 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 asbesos-vinyl floor tiles as catalog pages (PDF form) are at www.asbestosresource.com/asbestos/tile.html
• "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).
• 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 at http://www.flickr.com/photos/asbestos_pix/tags/floortile/
• "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 possilbe Kentile product that contained asbestos. October 2010.

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

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

Asbestos Hazard, Testing, Removal, References & Products

• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings How to find and recognize asbestos in Buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
• 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 Good Condition
• 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
• Asbestos HVAC Ducts and Flues field identification photos and guide
• Asbestos NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance, EPA340/1-90-019, December 1990, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Stationary Source Compliance Division, Washington, DC 20460,original web source: http://www.epa.gov/region04/air/asbestos/awet.htm
• Asbestos paper duct wrap
• 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).
• Asbestos Transite Chimneys, Flues, & Pipes in Buildings
• Asbestos under the microscope
• Asbestos Vibration Dampers & Asbestos in the Air Handler
• Ceiling tiles: How to recognize ceiling tiles that may contain asbestos
• Examples of unusual uses of asbestos in buildings
• Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
• Enviro-Scare: Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
• Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
• Asbestos Information Links: Asbestos Detection, Testing, Recognition, Hazards, Field Photos, and Information Sources, including health-related links such as legal services and information about mesothelioma and other cancers.
• "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
• Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Composition Description - websearch 01/21/2011, various.