Asbestos Floor Tiles Uk

Examine the condition of the tiles.

Asbestos floor tiles uk.

Asbestos floor tiles were once a popular choice for flooring and you will often find old asbestos floor tiles hidden under carpets. In addition to the tiles themselves a layer of mastic a type of adhesive below the tiles is also likely to contain asbestos. Intact asbestos tiles are not a major risk and can in fact be left in place and covered with other materials such as carpet vinyl linoleum or concrete. From the 1970s it was brought to light about the deadly risks of asbestos and its use as flooring tiles was eliminated.

Resilient sheet flooring containing asbestos was also produced finding wide use as early as 1968. Tiles that are disintegrating should be handled with. Asbestos floor tiles will not release toxic fibers and pose a health risk unless they are disturbed. Sanding sawing drilling or tearing the tiles out however can release fibers into the air.

Chrysotile asbestos was widely used both in small powder particle form as a filler and in longer fibrous form as a strength reinforcement in both asphalt and. Mining stopped in 1983. The use of asbestos in building materials such as insulation rolled roofing siding and floor tiles was common in the first half of the 20th century and if you have an older home it may be lurking in your floor tiles. These may also have asbestos paper backing or be fixed with asbestos containing mastic.

Asbestos tiles were broadly utilized in the uk in new house builds around 1946 to 1980. 9 x9 12 x12 and 18 x18. When were asbestos floor tiles used most in the uk. Vinyl tiles with asbestos are all 12 12 or 9 9 tiles with asbestos.

The use of asbestos was eliminated in 1989 and prohibited. Armstrong produced the excelon tile series beginning with a plastic asbestos floor tile series in 1954 referring to the product as vinyl plastic asbestos floor tiles beginning in 1955 and vinyl asbestos tiles from 1957 to 1980. Unlike many asbestos containing materials vinyl asbestos flooring is generally safe to be around. Asbestos in floor tiles.

In floor tiles asbestos is used primarily for its insulation properties and its ability to resist fire. Textiles can be found in fuse boxes behind the actual fuse. This sheet describes good practice when you need to remove floor tiles that contain asbestos. Chrysotile white asbestos was the predominant form of asbestos used in uk floor tiles with less common use of tremolite and actinolite in uk asphalt asbestos or vinyl asbestos flooring.

Old fire blankets and heat resistant gloves can also be made out of asbestos textiles. Asbestos floor tiles were manufactured in three sizes.