Asbestos in Flooring
Table Of Contents
For most of the 20th century, asbestos was widely used in flooring tiles, linoleum and adhesives for its durability and fire resistance. However, asbestos is carcinogenic and can cause serious health issues like mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Written by Travis Rodgers | Scientifically Reviewed by Shannon L. Fitzgerald | Edited by Amy Edel | Last Update:
Years Produced:
1920s-1990s
Places Used:
Buildings; residential, commercial and industrial settings
Toxicity:
Low when intact
Asbestos Use Banned:
2019 (with caveats)
Friable:
Becomes friable with age, sanding, drilling and damage
What Types of Flooring Contain Asbestos?
Many types of older flooring can contain asbestos. These include tile, sheet, vinyl, linoleum, laminate, thermoplastic and asphalt tiles. Cement flooring can also contain asbestos. Sometimes, it’s the backing material on flooring and the adhesives used to install them that contain asbestos.
Many brands removed asbestos from their processes in the 1970s to meet restrictions from the Environmental Protection Agency. But popular flooring brands like Armstrong, Flintkote and Kentile continued to manufacture asbestos floor tiles into the 1980s. The EPA’s 2019 final rule restricting certain asbestos products banned the new use of asbestos-containing vinyl floor tiles. Companies could not start making discontinued asbestos flooring products again. The Biden administration’s 2024 ban on chrysotile asbestos includes the manufacturing and importing of flooring felt, one of the few “active” categories left.
Despite the ban, legacy products remain. Asbestos flooring can still be found in many older homes, schools and other buildings. Wear and tear, maintenance activities, renovations and damage can release asbestos fibers into the air.
Asbestos Products Used to Install Flooring
Many flooring installers used products containing asbestos in the installation process. This means that even though wood flooring and carpeting aren’t asbestos products, the adhesives used to lay them often contained the cancer-causing mineral. Installers used these asbestos-containing products to lay asphalt tiles, carpeting, laminate flooring, linoleum, vinyl tiles and wood floors.
Common Asbestos Flooring Materials
- Backing: Asbestos fibers aren’t always in the top layers of flooring. Vinyl sheet flooring used asbestos in the backing instead, making the floor more comfortable and resilient. This layer is often friable, posing a major risk if the top layer is peeled away or becomes deteriorated.
- Flooring adhesive: Manufacturers used asbestos in flooring adhesives until the 1990s. The most common adhesive with asbestos is black mastic, instantly recognizable for its dark color.
- Flooring felt: Asbestos felt was often used as a protective layer underneath flooring and as backing for asphalt tiles, linoleum and vinyl.
Asbestos in most carpet adhesives is nonfriable. This means it can’t be pulverized with hand pressure. Nonfriable asbestos products are generally considered safe if they’re not disturbed or damaged. However, ripping up carpet can damage the adhesive, releasing dangerous asbestos fibers into the air.
Companies That Made Asbestos Flooring
For decades, several well-known companies made asbestos flooring. These manufacturers produced popular products used in hospitals, houses of worship, offices, homes, schools and other buildings across the U.S.
Manufacturers of Asbestos-Containing Flooring
- American Biltrite
- American Olean Tile Company
- Amtico Floors
- Armstrong World Industries
- Congoleum Corporation
- EverWear Inc.
- Fibreboard Corporation
- Flintkote Company
- General Aniline & Film (GAF) Corporation
- Goodyear
- Kentile Floors
- Montgomery Ward
- Sears-Roebuck
Many companies have faced lawsuits for exposing workers and homeowners to asbestos. Several companies declared bankruptcy after facing mounting lawsuits. As part of the bankruptcy process, these companies set up asbestos trust funds to cover settlements for asbestos-related illnesses. People with mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer from asbestos flooring may be eligible to file a trust fund claim or lawsuit.
Asbestos Product Brands
Some manufacturers made multiple brands of asbestos flooring. Many brands removed asbestos from their processes in the 1970s to meet new EPA regulations. But popular flooring brands like Armstrong, Flintkote and Kentile continued to make products with asbestos into the 1980s.
Knowing you have flooring from a brand that used asbestos and the time period of installation can help alert you to potential risks. If you suspect your flooring may contain asbestos, you’ll need to take precautions, and consulting a professional is recommended.
Armstrong, founded in 1860, began making cork products. It then expanded into flooring, which used asbestos linoleum flooring and eventually vinyl. The company sold these products under the brands Armstrong Excelon and Solarian.
The rubber manufacturer once sold a variety of products including asbestos-containing floor tiles and adhesives.
The company made asbestos flooring products, insulation and construction materials from the 1920s to the 1980s. Asbestos litigation forced Celotex into bankruptcy in 1990 before creating a $2.46 billion asbestos trust fund.
Congoleum made many brands of asbestos vinyl flooring, including Flor-Ever Vinyl, Fashionflor Cushioned Vinyl and Gold Seal Vinyl Inlaids.
The company was sued over its role in asbestos exposure. Domco acquired Azrock Industries, in 1994, thereby inheriting legal liabilities for the asbestos-containing products produced before the acquisition.
Ever-Wear made vinyl floor tiles that contained asbestos. When damaged, these vinyl asbestos products can pose an exposure risk.
Flintkote made asbestos roofing materials from the 1930s until the 1980s. The company went bankrupt in 2004. In 2015 it created an asbestos trust fund. Flintkote made vinyl floor tile, flooring felt and floor tile cement. They all contained asbestos.
Many of GAF’s brands such as Bright Future Luxor Vinyl Floors and Fashioncraft VinylFlex Floor Tile contained asbestos.
Goodyear used asbestos in its vinyl floor tiles. Asbestos vinyl flooring installers frequently became ill from this asbestos exposure. Many lawsuits regarding asbestos exposure from Goodyear products have been very successful, resulting in several multi-million dollar jury verdicts of mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Johns Manville created floor tiles branded as Terraflex Plastic Asbestos Floor Tile. In 1988, the company created a $2.5 billion asbestos trust fund. It compensates those who became ill as a result of exposure to its asbestos products.
Kentile’s KenFlex Vinyl Floor Tiles contained asbestos. Kentile brands’ flooring products were widely used. These products put manufacturing workers, installers, renovators, repair workers and homeowners at risk.
The company made products such as vinyl flooring, vinyl sheet backing and adhesives. Some of its flooring products contained asbestos fibers or crystalline silica.
Style House Vinyl Asbestos Flooring from Montgomery Ward may expose users to asbestos. Their products contained up to 70% asbestos. It was popular for use in homes.
The company filed for bankruptcy in 2013 after 275,000 asbestos claims. Legal trouble began after its 1970s merger with Philip Carey Manufacturing. It made asbestos insulation, concrete and asphalt tiles.
Sears-Roebuck was a very well-known U.S. brand. Its vinyl floor tiles and black mastic adhesives used asbestos.
Health Risks of Asbestos in Flooring
Unlike other asbestos-containing materials, flooring containing the toxic mineral is typically safe to be around when it is undisturbed. But when it becomes damaged, or you decide to remove it, problems arise. Dangerous asbestos fibers can become airborne during cutting, removal or the deterioration of these flooring materials.
Dr. Marcelo DaSilva, medical director at AdventHealth Cancer Institute, tells us, “Inhaled asbestos fibers in the body cause chronic inflammation. This can then lead to genetic changes in a cell that then gets changed in its DNA into a cancer cell.”
Once asbestos fibers are in the body, they can cause several types of cancer and other health issues, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, ovarian cancer and asbestosis. The amount of asbestos someone inhales and how long exposure occurs impact the risk of an asbestos-related disease.
Who’s At Risk?
Most asbestos exposure occurs at work, particularly in the construction industry. This is also the case with asbestos flooring, production, installation, maintenance and removal all involving a very high risk of exposure.
DIY home renovators and custodians can also be at risk. Research suggests that over 60% of DIY renovators working on older homes have likely been exposed to asbestos fibers. People working, going to school, and living where floors are being removed or damaged can also be at risk.
People at Higher Risk of Asbestos Exposure
- Custodians and janitors
- DIY home renovators
- Floor and adhesive manufacturing workers
- Flooring installers
Those at risk of exposure to asbestos at work are also more likely to bring the hazardous material home, endangering others’ health. Secondary exposure occurs when asbestos fibers are inadvertently brought home on clothing, skin or hair. Beyond just clothing, skin and hair, asbestos fibers can contaminate family vehicles used by the worker, resulting in a long-term source for exposure to asbestos fibers.
-
School District Fined Over Staff Working Amid AsbestosnewsAn Iowa school district is facing thousands of dollars in fines for having employees work inside an asbestos-contaminated building. Newly released state records show…
Travis Rodgers 03/04/2024
Compensation for Exposure to Asbestos in Flooring
Asbestos lawsuits – both personal injury and wrongful death cases – have cost manufacturers millions in legal fees, settlements and verdicts, often in favor of plaintiffs. Many cases have argued and court documents have indicated that asbestos flooring manufacturers knew asbestos was dangerous. Many flooring companies were required to set up Asbestos Trust Funds after filing bankruptcy. Victims are eligible to file claims against these trust funds, receiving standardized compensation without going to trial.
Notable Asbestos Flooring Settlements and Verdicts
- $20 million verdict: An Alameda County, California Superior Court jury awarded Karen Peterson $20 million in damages in 2002 in her lawsuit against Hill Brothers Chemical. Peterson’s claim argued the asbestos in the company’s magnesite flooring in her family home caused her mesothelioma.
- $3.3 million verdict: Contractor Robert Ehret sued Congoleum and other flooring makers in the late 1990s. His claim argued the asbestos in the flooring that had been in his home for 30 years caused his pericardial mesothelioma. Ehret died during the trial. The jury awarded his wife and heirs $3.3 million for pain, suffering, lost earnings and loss of companionship.
If you or someone close to you was exposed to asbestos flooring, a mesothelioma attorney can determine if you qualify for compensation. A successful claim can help you cover medical bills, lost wages and other costs related to your diagnosis.
$30B+ IN TRUST FUNDS AVAILABLE
Find the Right Attorney for You
When filing a mesothelioma claim, the right legal representation is everything. We’ll connect you to a top lawyer who will help you secure financial compensation.
Find an AttorneyHow to Identify Asbestos in Flooring
Flooring material installed before 1980 likely contains asbestos. It’s hard to tell if a product has asbestos when looking at it. The only way to know with more certainty is to have a professional test it for you.
Manufacturers produced most asbestos floor tiles in 9″ x 9″ sizes, but they also sold them in 12″ x 12″ and 18″ x 18″ sizes. Asbestos floor tiles are also usually thicker than modern tiles. Color and pattern of asbestos tiles often go all the way through the material, which is sometimesnoticable as a structural difference when compared to modern vinyl flooring. Asbestos-backed vinyl sheets typically have a design only on the surface layer, with asbestos concentrated in a gray or white felt-like backing underneath.
Tips for Identifying Asbestos Flooring
- Asbestos floor tiles, especially asphalt tiles, may look oily or discolored. Vinyl-asbestos tiles tend to look more like standard plastic but are very brittle.
- Black mastic or black floor adhesive commonly contained asbestos.
- Small fibers or bundles of fibers may be visible in broken or damaged flooring. The most dangerous fibers may remain invisible.
Asbestos-containing floor tiles come in many designs and colors. They’re often light blue, cream, pink or green. Asbestos sheet flooring can come in white, blue and brown colors. They often mimicked carpeting, stone or wood floors. It is always recommended to contact a certified asbestos testing lab or an EPA-licensed abatement professional for determination and proper handling.
Safely Removing or Managing Asbestos in Flooring
It’s best to leave asbestos flooring removal to asbestos abatement professionals. Workers must wear personal protective gear such as a respirator with a HEPA filter, disposable coveralls and gloves. They’ll also use a HEPA air purifier, a HEPA vacuum and sealable bags for disposal. Abatement experts must follow strict procedures. They must avoid contaminating an entire building or area.
Asbestos professionals often use amended water (water mixed with a little detergent to keep tiles wet and prevent airborne dust. They can also use a process called asbestos encapsulation. This involves using a sealant to ensure that no asbestos fibers become airborne. After sealing, asbestos flooring can be left untouched. Then, tile or carpet can be installed over it. This can be a cheaper alternative to removing asbestos flooring.
Steps for Handing Asbestos Flooring
- Consult an asbestos abatement or encapsulation expert.
- Research local laws and asbestos regulations on removal and disposal.
- If you do choose to do the work yourself, you must follow the same strict safety standards and precautions as abatement professionals.
- Ensure you have and use the same protective gear as professionals for your own safety and to protect others from dangerous asbestos exposure.
DIY asbestos abatement is never recommended. Asbestos abatement expert and industrial hygienist Tony Rich tells us, “It’s not recommended for homeowners or renters to remove asbestos themselves. Microscopic asbestos dust can become airborne and contaminate surfaces throughout the home, as well as settle inside the HVAC duct system and various electronics.”
It’s illegal to dump asbestos materials with regular trash. To dispose of asbestos, find a landfill or trash service that accepts it. You may have to call to make an appointment in advance. In many jurisdictions, it is illegal for a homeowner to perform abatement in a multi-dwelling(e.g.. condo or apartment) because of the high risk to neighbors.
Recommended Reading
