Asbestos Adhesive Under Sheet Vinyl Mastic

We are told that the paper layer can contain from 40 to 70 percent asbestos.

Asbestos adhesive under sheet vinyl mastic.

Mastic is a type of glue used to adhere tiles and vinyl flooring to the subfloor. Asbestos adhesives were often used to install wood floors vinyl tiles and other types of flooring. Containing between 15 and 85 percent asbestos these adhesives were manufactured mostly in the first half of the 20th century. Possible signs of asbestos mastic include discoloration and an oily texture.

Asbestos mastic will also always be black in color. Some of the flooring tiles have come off and you see thick black adhesive underneath. Asbestos was mixed with this product to make it more durable. Black mastic also known as cutback adhesive was commonly used to glue flooring tiles down.

Asphaltic cutback adhesive is black in color and is usually found beneath vinyl tiles and flooring. As such adhesive manufacturers view all old adhesives as contaminates. Vinyl asbestos tile and asphalt tile contain asbestos fibers as did some asphaltic cutback adhesives and the backings of many sheet vinyl floorings and lining felts. However some companies produced asbestos adhesives as late as 1984.

Here is an asbestos floor tile identification key sorted by primary flooring color. The presence of the asbestos in these products is not readily identifiable. If your building was built before 1980 mastic mixed with asbestos may have been used to seal your tiles to the floor. Today most adhesives are not compatible with cutback because it is an oil based product.

Asbestos was used in those forms in vinyl asbestos flooring in both floor tile and sheet flooring forms. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring has two layers a top layer of vinyl and a bottom layer made from paper that contains asbestos. Color photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles 1900 1986 using dominant floor tile color to identify the probable asbestos containing floor tile brand pattern and age. Asbestos fibers were used as a strengthening material in roof flashing cements as well as in flooring mastics and cutback adhesives.

One of the most common flooring adhesives is called black asbestos mastic wall panels. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring can be more dangerous to remove than tiles if proper precautions are not practiced. Beige black blue brown tan wood tone gray green red white yellow etc. It is a black asphalt based adhesive frequently used in the past to install vinyl asbestos tile asphalt tile and vinyl composition tile often containing asbestos.