Asbestos Backed Vinyl Sheet Flooring

Asbestos backed sheet vinyl flooring was commonly installed in many ways including over hardwood softwood and concrete floors.

Asbestos backed vinyl sheet flooring. This article describes sheet flooring products known to contain significant levels of asbestos. But before about 1978 in products that looked like this same material asbestos fibers were used as a strengthen material on vinyl sheet flooring backing. It also was installed over tongue and groove wood floors particleboard and plywood. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring poses a significantly greater asbestos exposure risk than floor tiles or wallpaper.

Where asbestos backed vinyl sheet flooring is to be removed it must only be removed by an a class asbestos removal licence holder in accordance with the workplace health and safety regulation 2011. 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. Asbestos containing sheet flooring or resilient flooring product identification. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed.

Details for identifying asbestos or asbestos suspect sheet flooring products are at resilient sheet flooring id guide. We describe sources of asbestos in older forms of sheet flooring including felt backed flooring rubber backed flooring and vinyl cushion backed resilient flooring products.