If you look through Armstrong tile photos of the era of your house's construction. CENTENNIAL SERIES floor tiles, shown above include ovate spots on a soft background, with pearlescent/metallic highlights (above left) Colors: Corkstyle floor tiles for 1961, shown above - as in prior and subsequent years - see "Dusty Cedar 874 in the thumbnails above. Colors: IMPERIAL pattern vinyl asbestos floor tiles for 1961 sold as 9" x 9"x 3/32 or 1/8" gauge, shown above [Click to enlarge any image]Colors: METALLIC series floor tiles for 1961, straight grain, shown aboveColors: SPATTER series floor tiles, shown aboveColors: STANDARD STRAIGHT GRAIN pattern Armstrong flooring tiles 1961, shown above Hello, this tile was found under wall to wall carpet in the family/patio room of our new to us old house a split level built in 1968. Annals of Neurology: Official Journal of the American Neurological Association and the Child Neurology Society 60, no. Any assistance is https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Floor-Tile-Identification-Index.php METALLIC style flooring tiles shown above 1960-1969 ARMSTRONG EXCELON FLOOR TILE GUIDE at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. ], "Asbestos in your home or at work," Forsyth County Environmental Affairs Department, Winston-Salem NC, "Asbestos Floor Tile Removal", the University of Minnesota's advice on removing VAT (vinyl asbestos or asphalt asbestos floor tile) can be read in detail at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/floortile/index.html. Below: Sample 06 New York floor tile asphalt-based tile mastic adhesive, also examined by PLM. Please advise. Some self-adhesive floor tiles made by Armstrong also contained asbestos. ), Excelon Straight-Grain 9" x 9" x 1/16" & 1/8" gauge floor tiles, not the metallic series, were sold in these, Colors: Seneca White 770, Mohawk gray 771, Apache Red 777, Osage Green 780, Iroquois Tan 783, Mohave Charcoal 786, (See same tile pattern & color photos from prior years), Excelon STYLETONE series vinyl-asbestos floortiles , shown above (similar to Cork patterns + monochromatic colors), Colors: Sandtone 830, Mintone 831, Rosetone 834, Cedartone 835 (See same tile pattern & color photos from 1959 for color photos), Excelon WOODTONE floor tile pattern, shown above, sold in these colors: I would appreciate it. Thanks to reader Aaron Cramer for contributing photographs of Sears Roebuck vinyl asbestos floor tiles, August 2010. This house in the tri state area is an older family member's, so the rest of the family got together to discuss. U.S.) - what we learn will help others. That's not a pattern that I am familiar with. Below: Flooring sample #04 under polarized light in a PLM microscope. Nikita Kruschev banging his shoe on the table at the United Nations, shouting "We will bury you", the Cuban Missle crisis nor the Kennedy Assassination did not deter the production of the wide variety of vinyl-asbestos flooring products described below for 1962. Above: a 1949 Linoleum floral pattern rug from reader Robinson. I have not found research asserting that exposure to asbestos is a cause of Parkinson's but there are medical complications or interactions possible where both are present in one individual; I'll include some research below. Resilient Floor Covering Institute, 1030 15th St. NW, suite 350, Washington D.C. "Asbestos Floor Tile Removal Guide & Instructions - copy on file as Asbestos_Floor_Tile_Removal_MDH.pdf ] - ", Minnesota Department of Health, retrieved 12/7/2010, original source: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/floortile/index.html, Asbestos Identification and Testing References. The total concentration was <1% (see attached report). Curious if you recognize it. Even ceramic, slate, and stone tiles can be installed on top, as long as a fiber-cement backer is installed first. Your site is different than any I've seen. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. Also, my tiles don't seem like vinyl to me. @Rebekah, Keep in mind the mastic used as an adhesive for these older tiles might also contain some asbestos. The attached picture is what's left of the box that the tile was in, alongside the tile in question. Anything from 1985 (ish) or OLDER means it is possible to have asbestos in it. If you mustremove them for a remodel, be sure to follow one of the safe removal methods described below. If you live in an older home and are concerned that your you may have asbestos floor tiles, keep reading. Common in homes built in the 20th century, black mastic was used as an adhesive for ceramic tile, linoleum, and other resilient flooring materials. Once asbestos regulations arose in the 1970s and 1980s, companies stopped using asbestos in their products. The white substance in your 2nd photo looks like tile mastic adhesive. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. 1955 Armstrong Asphalt-Asbestos Floor Tile Color List: POMPIAN RED A-200, If you can give more photos of any other markings on the packaging that'd be helpful; I'm researching the product name further. Many homes have asbestos-containing floor tiles, especially those built or updated in the 1970s and before. It is very common to find multiple layers of asbestos floor tiles as they may have been added over time. 1960 - Armstrong Excelon Floor Vinyl Plastic Asbestos Floor Tiles, 9" x 9" & beginning in 1960 available in 12" x 12" size Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Tiles were produced in both 9" x 9" and for order quantities over 9,000 sq.ft. - information courtesy of Armstrong Corporation. A single 15-gallon poly-bag, designed for asbestos disposal, will hold approximately 20 square feet of demolished floor tile and associated debris. https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Hazard-Reduction.php. Mr. Cramer has worked in asbestos litigation defense work in Pittsburgh - related to hot-tops and generally steel mills and presently works with U.S. Patent Office procedures and litigation. Also compare your tile pattern to those shown at our article on Wards floor tiles. Colors: STANDARD STRAIGHT GRAIN Standard and Woodtone (below) were the most popular selling vinyl asbestos floor tile patterns in 1962 according to Armstrong. The particle shape or pattern in your floor tiles is similar to the Armstrong floor tile Imperial pattern from 1963, see ARMSTRONG FLOOR TILES and scroll down to 1963). Testing would take weeks to find out. ], Various (colored) fibrous material, homogeneous. they are damaged and breaking peeling apart. and be sure to also read The age is importanttake a look at the simple questions at DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? CUSTOM IMPERIAL style flooring tiles (White sea gray 1112, above left) floor tile images from 1966, IMPERIAL style Coppetone beige 865, Terrace white 880, IMPERIAL MODERN style vinyl asbestos floor tiles, STANDARD GRAIN vinyl floor tiles - White bayberry 710 shown above, TRAVERTEX style (Teal green 1136) shown above, TRAVERTINE EMBOSSED asbestos floor tiles (Vetralla 4221) (also see 1965 Embossed styles), CALIGULA style (Dianna white 51202, above left) all vinyl asbestos floor tile images from 1968, CUSTOM SHALESTONE flooring (Tioga beige 57001), EMBOSSED EXCELON(See 1965-1966 styles of embossed floor tiles), FEATURE style (colid color floor tiles & strips - color chart), IMPERIAL style Mint green 56871, shown above, IMPERIAL MODERN style (Shadow brown 51853, above left, not produced in 1973), METRIC CHIP (Palma beige 54281) [Compare with Shattered Stone - 1973] See details, at MARBLE / STONE CHIP PATTERN FLOORING ASBESTOS, PALATIALstyle (Royal rouge 51600, also in lighter colors, 7 colors total), POLISHED MARBLE vinyl asbestos floor tiles (Meadow white 54193, above), POMPEII style shown in Dianna white 51201 - above, RANDOM MOSAIC style Terra cotta red 54262 shown above, STANDARD STRAIGHT GRAIN vinyl asbestos flooring (Smooth Surface) (Bayberry beige 56721) above, SWIRL CHIP style floor tiles (Rheims beige 54272) above. They aren't loose, but they make a sound when you walk over them which leads me to believe they aren't secure What would you suggest for them? [17] Kentile KenFlex flooring photographs: [22] Thanks to reader Meryl Silvers for hexagonal floor tile photos showing a possilbe Kentile product that contained asbestos. Above: additional photos of this 1960's flooring sample under our stereo-microscope, showing the tile's face and the texture of its back or "bottom" surface. I am concerned in particular with asbestos in the sheet flooring shown in the picture. Yes that statement is a direct quote from US EPA guidance on asbestos-containing materials including flooring. Bottom line: Asbestos-containing sheet flooring in good condition in a residential environment is not a high risk of causing airborne asbestos hazards as the material is not friable. Sanding, sawing, drilling, or tearing the tiles out, however, can release fibers into the air where they can be inhaled, so caution should be taken to not disturb them. Above: asbestos suspect sheet flooring from the 1960s, from reader Kat. Above: Sample 06 New York floor tile examined by PLM. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. That flooring might contain asbestos if it was installed in a building in North America before 1987. Cant seem to find anything similar on here, Hello. I had been cutting it with a bandsaw over the last 4 or 5 days (without any kind of mask). Look at Packaging. Someone mentioned recently that these tiles contain asbestos. This flooring has not been identified for sure, but it resembles an Armstrong tile (See the Armstrong Craftlon Collection 12" x 12" Adelphi II Aalst54431 (showing a second color, Aalst). materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air. On 2021-12-12 4. I just purchased a house built in 1961, the kitchen, den and main living room all have what looks to be asbestos tile. | Photo by Russell Kaye I'm told that the old vinyl floor tiles in the basement of our 1950 house contain asbestos and that I should not try to remove the tiles but cover them with wall-to-wall . Looking for information (manufacturing window, brand, etc.) Vinyl is durable, so asbestos-containing vinyl tiles and floor coverings are likely to still be in many Australian homes built prior 1990. inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php 775) 423-6221. Asbestos related? 6, by TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope). The tiles measure 25x25cm. The flooring is pattern I have seen posted by several readers, one referring to it as "Pebble Peoples Floor Tile". and if so, what's the best way to find a reputable company and how much should we expect to pay for removal for an area approx 400 sq feet. Angie take a look at the simple questions at DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? I hate to admit this but it took me a while for it to hit me that the tiles were probably asbestos. Assigned to Occidential Chemical Corporation, Application filed by Hooker Chemical Co. Ikeda, Hitachi, and Tsuguo Kobayashi. The lab found. Now we are concerned that we have been potentially breathing in this loose dust (as has our 1 year old child). From a photo one cant answer your question with certainty. Mod. the seller will not allow me to test them, Assuming if they were positive I'd d then they would need to disclose that or issue a credit. So they must be vinyl. Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response. The only instances where you cant leave asbestos floor tiles in place is if you intend to refinish the wood flooring beneath or otherwise disturb the tile during a remodel. We've worked hard on this material for many years and are very grateful when readers find it useful. I will do that. Have uncovered these floor tiles in my parents' 1960s built house. We ripped up some old carpet in our new house to find vinyl floor covering in most rooms but one room with a paper-y floor covering that we presumed was asbestos. We removed all the other carpeting and tack strips in the house and luckily found hard wood but this one gave us pause. Photo ID guide to 1960's Asbestos-Containing floor tiles: This article provides flooring identification requests and represeentative photographs of 1960's floor tiles to help identify flooring that contains asbestos. But its ban from production didnt necessarily mean that all products, including floor tiles, had been ripped out of homes or even completely removed from shelves. For a quick check and five easy questions that can help tell you if an unknown floor covering contains asbestos, try. 1960s asbestos vinyl flooring We live in a 1960's 3-bedroom rancher. In some cases, because patents cite earlier patented inventions the package-patent number shows up more than once in research. house was built in 1973. please email me at jlovgren83@gmail.com if u can identify, Great website you have, it's been a good resource for me. (See the corkstyle color images from 1956, 1957, 1958), EXCELON DESIGNER TONE-on-TONE colors 9" x 9" x 1/16" (some patterns) & 1/8" , shown above. Professional testing can run $350 to $800, depending on whether other materials in your home are tested at the same time. CENTENNIAL style vinyl asbestos flooring images from 1962 (above). Of course floor tiles and mastic are not friable but if your husband used power tools to cut, saw, grind, or demolish such flooring he could have been exposed to asbestos dust. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories. We also see that this is a12x12" vinyl floor tile, Style No. Evidence found near the Lake Juojrvi, Finland, shows that people used it to make pots and other cooking utensils. I have not pulled off enough of the tan tiles to measure how big the turquoise tiles are. That means either having loose tiles removed and feeling in those openings with new floor tile or better is removing all of a loose tile and then covering over the floor with a new material. Photos attached. Well fill you in on asbestos hazards and explain how to determine its presence, as well as what you can do to keep your family safe. The non-organically bound samples were analyzed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) at approximately 20,000 X magnification. Find licensed asbestos abatement experts in your area and get free, no-commitment estimates for your project. "Possible environmental, occupational, and other etiologic factors for Parkinson's disease: a casecontrol study in Germany." By Location Home built 1968. She found remnants in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet on which was imprinted "Armstrong". b. do you think these tiles pose a hazard (unlike one of the family members who does not) c. do you suggest we get this independent person to give us an opinion or do you believe that the remediation companies will be honest? 03, a gray, tan & green floor tile installed in a Two Harbors MN home ca 1960 was tested for asbestos using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) by EMSL. Can you see an edge of the material anywhere? Much appreciation for this database and your time. Light Woodtone 788, Red Woodtone # 796, Dark Woodtone 799 (See same tile pattern & color photos from 1958 for color photos). Thank you. This Q&A appeared originally at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE ID REQUESTS 1970's-2, On 2018-03-10 by please help asap jlovgren83@gmail.com, I need help to identify these [pebble people floor tiles shown above] as seller refuses to let me test them and denies knowledge of asbestos. Also, every sheet floor comes with a picture. Hi we have a 1962 home with 2 layers of linoleum in the kitchen and then a hexagon shape sheet flooring underneath, see photo. In some areas has deteriorated and has holes that emit or accumulate dust. We have found records only of 9" x 9" vinyl asbestos floor tiles for 1964, in 1/16", 3/32" or 1/8" gauges. He can be contacted at 34 Lodge Street, First, why do I call this an "asphalt-asbestos" floor tile rather than "vinyl-asbestos" or just "vinyl" floor tile? Thank you for providing a useful site about asbestos tile. Thanks to reader Kim for the photo of black and white VAT resembling Armstrong Excelon from a 1952 home - January 2011. Let's look at the back of this tile. But I think that patent no. Asbestos Floor Tiles Textiles And Composites. Sometimes in order to be responsive, your question is being answered by dictation from a cell phone rather than typing at a computer desk. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. EXCELON CORKSTYLE was sold in all three: Light, Medium, Dark shades - Colors: Textiles can be found in fuse boxes behind the. My questions to you: a, do you think that these look enough like the tiles that have asbestos that we really don't have to test? Vinyl floor tiles. See DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? - concerned that white brick pattern sheet flooring may contain asbestos. Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos Other asbestos-containing flooring products from various manufacturers were produced between around 1920 to 1986. The safest as well as least-costly course of action is to leave such flooring in place, and to cover it over with other flooring material. We have seen that floor tile before, Tammy, identifed by a reader as a 1973 "Pebble Peoples" floor tile, treated as presumed to contain asbestos, On 2018-03-10 "The interaction of asbestos and iron in lung tissue revealed by synchrotron-based scanning X-ray microscopy." Asbestos structures are identified by a combination of morphology, quantitative elemental chemistry via Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDXA), and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED). It pulls apart like its paper is only about 1/16 of an inch thick. by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - red and cream floor tiles and red sheet flooring may all contain asbestos. These flooring products typically contain chrysotile asbestos, and possibly other asbestos forms. That flooring may contain asbestos, particularly its white backer material. We were planning on putting lvp over top but some of the sheet flooring is raised and cracking. Whats the chances it has asbestos? We think that the hues in your tiles, even though the pattern is different, point in that direction. Above: photos of mastic removed from the back of our tile sample No. I add an apology for some misspellings in my earlier message. Use a steel floor scraper to pry up the asbestos tiles one at a time. Baths are small, so I used peel and stick tiles to update. If the floor is in poor condition or must be removed then see the asbestos floor removal and asbestos hazard reduction articles found in the ARTICLE INDEX at the end of any of these pages. My first question was, what the heck is it? Isn't this correct? NOTE: Armstrong, although an enormous producer of flooring, was by no means the only manufacturer of floor covering products that contained asbestos as fibers or asbestos powder filler. Eri,Thank you so much for your very nice note. But when the tiles begin to come loose and in particular if they are breaking up into multiple pieces, each of those breaks has the potential of releasing a small amount of dust. We just uncovered these beauties under carpet as we are prepping to install wood flooring. See ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION for suggestions. European Respiratory Journal 10, no. I have read that some places still installed Asbestos floor tiles into the early 1980s, but I can't recall ever seeing them in a house that new. I've been telling my whole family about this site and will just echo it elsewhere. 04. Kits come with instructions on how to collect the sample and include disposable gloves and a dust mask to wear during collection. I'll add your photo to the online examples, as I don't think ever published the green on black series asphalt asbestos floor tile series. Asbestos vinyl floor tiles were far from rare. Dont' mix up product names. Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia. for details. [23] Thanks to reader N.H. for providing a photo of 1970's era vinyl asbestos floor tile that we identify as most likely Armstrong Solarian Devonport white. Or see ASBESTOS FLOOR IDENTIFICATION FAQs 1960-1969 - questions & answers & ID photos of 1960's era flooring suspected of containing asbestos, posted originally on this page. The same is true in the bath: pebble style underneath a newer layer, except there is no wood layer between.The closest I could find in your list to the lowest layer is Styletone 838 Glaciertone.Thanks for the amazing list. Not all adhesive floor tiles produced during this period contain asbestos. I thought it was "Comanche Black 772" but it also has green in it. I'm amazed by all the information you have and put up. At the very least, if you can establish the date that the flooring was made or installed then, depending on the country where the flooring was made (and usually where it's installed) you can know if it's an asbestos-candidate. Wet mop the floor when youre done and then toss out the old mop head. I researched the patents cited on the box. Details about asbestos in this marble-chip resilient flooring are. see 1960-1969 ARMSTRONG EXCELON FLOOR TILE GUIDE: VINYL PLASTIC ASBESTOS, 9" x 9" & beginning in 1960 available in 12" x 12" size or see our complete list of flooring identification photo guides at FLOOR TILE / SHEET FLOORING PHOTO GUIDES. And also what the tiles look like. The company stopped manufacturing these tiles with asbestos in December of 1982. Floor tiles containing asbestos are often square-shaped, and vinyl tiles were usually produced in lighter colors. Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly. These tiles also include metallic accents, metallic highlights in gold, silver or bronze dispersed through the pattern. This morning, before I continued cutting, it dawned on me that it might contain asbestos. The company's asphalt and vinyl products used asbestos fibers for reinforcement and asbestos powders as filler. The home was built in 66, and I am fairly confident t, Has anyone ever seen this flooring is almost like paper. Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos Answer (1 of 4): Do all vinyl floor tiles from the 1950s contain asbestos? Do not want to remove it. T he flooring during this period was usually made in 9-inch squares and is quite a bit thicker than most of the modern vinyl tiles. To be clear, there were some 1960's asphalt- or vinyl-based floor tiles that did NOT contain asbestos. Another doesn't consider the tiles a hazard. For colors for which a link is not provided below, see the earlier occurrence of that tile color in a previous year. [28] Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151, [20] Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone, Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on, Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the. Any idea? My understanding is that they may also contain asbestos but I am surprised I have not seen any pictures other than for tiles of different sizes and glue. If you need to make certain what has gone on you'll need to hire an expert to collect settled dust samples, not just air samples. Besides insulation, floor tiles were some of the most popular asbestos-containing materials manufactured a few decades ago. by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. 1 (2013): 1-11. She thinks the 'fear' is way overblown. 775) 423-6221. Between 1960 and 1980, mastic adhesives were most commonly used with a specific type of vinyl flooring tile. Thanks to its great mechanical properties and fire-resistance, asbestos was added to a wide variety of materials, vinyl and linoleum included. by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - metaphysical questions about brown wood pattern vinyl floor tiles. The likelihood of 1950s and 60s floor tiles containing asbestos is very high, however that asbestos content is not hazardous unless the tiles are disturbed by cutting or grinding, which can. On 2022-06-28 The floor tile product style name Applause is still in use by Tarkett flooring but for newer sheet or carpet-type flooring products that would not contain asbestos. SC7G made in manufacturing run No. Hello, we want to redo bath & kitchen in 1963 ranch house. See the flooring removal articles recommended above including Seeing as I have three other rooms with tile I think this is the easiest fix for me. See the patent citation and below. Does vinyl get rigid? The package or box of the sheet floors can also help. It is necessary to know the flooring product model number or collection name of a tile in question, or to submit a sample to an asbestos test laboratory to make a final determination. I'm buying a house and am worried about tiles which are curling and broken containing asbestos. "Handling Asbestos-Containing roofing material - an update", Carl Good, NRCA Associate Executive Director, Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the. Here is an additional photo for the 1965 vinyl flooring, On 2021-08-29 Shut off your HVAC unit and seal off other areas of the home to keep asbestos fibers from contaminating other rooms. Wisconsin home built in 58. Sorry. Where It Is Located Due to their durability, asbestos tiles are often found in high-traffic spaces such as hallways and kitchens. So, I'm just going to cover them up. We're glad to be of assistance. We have tiles like the top ones. if you think we find this person, are there such people around? The lab found. is this becoming dangerous? by Inspectapedia Com Moderator, @Kathy, The last one specifically refers to a process that used asbestos - supporting my caveat. I recommend the procedures you'll find at The last picture shows the back of the tile. Anyone else have that problem from asbestos? [We do not know the company history nor whether there is an association with EverWear vinyl asbestos floor tiles discussed in this article. Some forms of linoleum. Looks like it was all 1 piece. the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories. Regards, G.K., Cleveland OH. Original filing 16 March 1950. This article contains flooring identification requests for floor tiles or sheet flooring believed to date from the 1960's. DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS? If you own a home (or are thinking about buying a home) built between the 1920s and 1960s . "54 UNSATURATED POLYESTER RESIN.". I find the prices vary considerably across North America depending on where you live, the tile in the basement (from the 50's or 60's) is coming up in a few places (flood)a couple are chipped. in the list of photo guides found at CONTINUE READING below. I have just purchased a 1960s bungalow and came across your site whilst researching the unique tiles I have in the hallway. These tiles contain asphalt and gilsonite as the main binding agents. Have you seen this style before from the 60s? I'm not sure my ground detected on your site, but I send two photos if you are able to recognize or catalog. EXCELON METALLIC SPATTER pattern vinyl-asbestos floor tiles shown above were NEW in 1959-1960 9" x 9" x 1/16" vinyl asbestos flooring (only in 1/16" "service gauge" for this pattern). Asbestos Floor Tiles And Containing Sheet Flooring Vintec. - US EPA. Questions & answers or comments about how to identify asbestos-containing flooring materials and what to do when asbestos-containing floor tiles or sheet flooring are found in a building. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos fibers pose a health risk when they are friable, meaning the material can crumble and release the fibers into the air. The new 1955 pattern was a change from the swirl graining pattern used in 1954. Before taking a sample of your flooring tiles, call your local building authority. Here's more detail on that point.InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information.In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor services, nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest. There you will find a whole library of photos and descriptions of various kinds of "sheet" flooring including linoleum. Asbestos was used in both floor tiles and I cut off all sizes and also in sheet flooring. Really? Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator.