What Asbestos Tiles Look Like

Asbestos is a highly fibrous material and these fibers interlock to help strengthen mastic insulation and many other household building products.

What asbestos tiles look like.

We also seen very small asphalt asbestos floor tiles in a 1 1 2 size bonded to a jute backer fabric. Oily discoloration is often a strong indicator of asbestos in the tiles. Flooring made with asbestos often becomes discolored as it ages. What does black mastic look like.

Tiles that are disintegrating should be handled with extreme care. When inspecting the tiles look for parts that are grayish brown dark gray dark brown or black. In most cases it is extremely difficult to determine the difference between an asbestos insulation board and a non asbestos material without specialist testing. Over time asphalt which was a main ingredient in asbestos tiles can degrade and cause the tiles to look grimy or discolored in spots.

If you are unsure whether asbestos is present don t start work. Aibs are often hard to identify as they often look like normal building materials such as ceiling tiles plasterboard and panels. 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. You will only see black asbestos mastic after a floor covering has been removed.

Some of the flooring. Asphalt is a main ingredient in asbestos tiles and the oil from the asphalt can leach out. Details of asbestos floor tile identification. The tiles may appear stained or oily.

Below are a few examples of aib in homes and buildings. Some ceiling tiles or suspended ceiling drop in panels are quite obviously made of fiberglass by visual inspection. The materials below represent some common places where asbestos can be found. If the tiles or the floor beneath show oily discoloration the tiles very likely contain asbestos.

While it is not possible to identify all forms of asbestos by mere visual inspection it is possible to identify some materials that are definitely not asbestos. One of the main ingredients used in old asbestos tiles was asphalt so they were primarily made in dark colors only. Step 3 date the tiles. That can leave the tiles looking oily discolored or grimy usually in patchy areas.

As you can see this method is not an exact science. Asphalt asbestos plastic asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles were sold in 6 x6 9 x 9 and in some years 12 x 12 sizes. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. Vinyl or asphalt tiles that have these colors in it have a high likelihood of asbestos fibers.