Use a utility knife or a chisel to cut off a small piece of flooring.
How to assess sheet vinyl flooring for asbestos.
The vinyl asbestos floor tile package label information combined with a simple comparison of tiles in the package with tiles installed in the building may be sound confirmation of asbestos containing materials.
Historical information about the dates of flooring installation may also be sufficient to rule in or out the possibility that flooring in a building contains asbestos.
Place the sample into a bag and seal it.
You can visually identify vinyl flooring materials that contain asbestos by reviewing the vinyl asbestos floor tiles and sheet flooring identification photo guide see resources.
In cases where vinyl sheet flooring has been damaged to the extent where the asbestos containing material on the underside is disturbed a hazard assessment must be undertaken by a competent person to assess what control measures any risk.
Where asbestos backed vinyl sheet flooring is to be removed it must only be removed by an a class.
That means it is safe to walk on but not safe to scrape sand or use power tools on.
You could also seal it with a coat of epoxy floor paint.
But when vinyl asbestos flooring is in good condition it is considered nonfriable.
This is generally not a problem if they are not disturbed.
Unfortunately vinyl tiles and sheet flooring that contain asbestos pose a potential exposure risk.
You will only need a piece the size of a dime.
In north america if asphalt or vinyl floor tiles or sheet flooring were made or installed before 1986 treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos.
In many cases the best thing to do about vinyl asbestos flooring is put a new layer of flooring on top of it.
Flooring glue mastic underlay down to plywood or concrete.
It is important to take samples of all layers that you will be removing.
Most often people will not remove asbestos materials due to cost and encapsulate them my adding additional layers.
Look under carpets in basement or by lifting a floor vent and inspecting how many subfloors exist and if any contain vinyl.
See vinyl asbestos floor tile packaging.
Place the sample into the bag close it and label the bag with a permanent marker.
In order to reduce the analysis cost you may instruct the lab to test the samples only until they find the first positive sample for asbestos.
Take the samples to an asbestos testing lab.
If the material is in good condition it normally does not pose a threat because the asbestos is enclosed in vinyl preventing the fibres from escaping.
The peeling method to remove the remainder of the floor.
