Armstrong Sheet Flooring Asbestos

Bankruptcy and asbestos trust.

Armstrong sheet flooring asbestos.

No longer manufacturers resilient floors or adhesives that contain asbestos. Asbestos containing products produced by armstrong world industries included resilient floor tile lining felt and backing for sheet vinyl and acoustic cement among others. Asbestos was added to these building materials to improve resistance to chemicals fire and heat. This forced the company to file for bankruptcy in december 2000.

One armstrong world industries vinyl resilient sheet flooring product thought to have been installed in 1967 was tested in a lab and found to contain 70 percent asbestos. This article describes non asbestos containing floor coverings including linoleum and some armstrong and congoleum sheet flooring products. Vinyl sheet is a resilient flooring that people often use as an alternative to natural stone ceramic tile or even hardwood. Single solid surface makes it an excellent choice for moisture prone rooms like kitchens and baths.

The resilient flooring shown above was a popular pattern and in two out of three tests reported by our readers has been confirmed as containing asbestos. Resilient floor tile resilient sheet flooring and asphalt cutback. In fact many armstrong flooring vinyl sheet products are warranted for 25 years or even a lifetime for residential use. How to recognize several sheet flooring or resilient flooring products that do not contain asbestos.

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. This is an armstrong brick pattern sheet flooring product. Unfortunately vinyl sheet flooring manufactured with an asbestos backing poses a serious exposure risk when it is disturbed. Refer to the current resilient floor covering institute s rfci publication recommended work practices for removal of resilient floor coverings that addresses each in place product type.

Non asbestos sheet flooring or resilient flooring product identification. Test results for armstrong sheet flooring 70 asbestos. Such products some sold under the brand name solarian were installed as recently as 1980 long after governmental restrictions on asbestos were initiated. Instructions for removing resilient floor tile sheet flooring and asphaltic cutback adhesives are not contained in this manual.

For flooring that s built to last the longest look for vinyl sheet collections that have the strongest scratch stain and wear resistance like those featuring the added durability of diamond 10 technology.