Backing Asbestos Vinyl Sheet Flooring

Like floor tiles vinyl sheet flooring is a long lasting and economical material and it also offers more aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste.

Backing asbestos vinyl sheet flooring.

Sheet vinyl flooring should be removed to avoid or minimize disturbance of the asbestos containing backing. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring has two layers a top layer of vinyl and a bottom layer made from paper that contains asbestos. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring poses a significantly greater asbestos exposure risk than floor tiles or wallpaper. The thicker the vinyl wear layer thickness the longer the material will be expected to wear.

Asbestos vinyl sheet backing. Another possibility is to lay 1 4 inch underlayment on top of your existing floor and then lay new flooring on top of that. Dry asbestos particles are lighter than air wet ones are less prone to become air borne. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed.

I unknowingly tore up some. Asbestos backed vinyl sheet flooring is where the backing the side attached to the floor see figure 1 contains friable easily broken asbestos material. Vinyl resin sheet flooring asbestos backed medium or heavy gauge. Highly resistant to grease and alkalies.

The backing would be one suitable for use as a surface covering for example a felt perferably a rubber bonded asbestos backing a vinyl sheet backing a cellulosic felt or other backing which lendsitself to surface covering applications. Figure 1 asbestos backed vinyl sheet flooring. Easy to keep clean. This will entail peeling the sheet vinyl from the flooring beneath if the backing does not separate in the process or removing the sheet vinyl in sections with the underlayment attached.

However you re not completely in the clear because asbestos was a common ingredient in the mastic used to hold these flooring materials to the subfloor. Rather than removing it consider installing a new floor directly on top of it. Examples of armstrong linoleum flooring linowall wall covering. The backing of the vinyl sheet didn t crumble or anything like that but it did separate when i ripped the sheet off the floor.

Or if your existing flooring is in good condition your best option may be to simply. We are told. Must be implemented to control. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring can be more dangerous to remove than tiles if proper precautions are not practiced.

The vinyl sheeting itself does not contain asbestos. Manufacturers often made this type of flooring with a friable asbestos backing which means asbestos fibres are easily released into the air if the sheet flooring is disturbed or damaged.