Asbestos Flooring in 2022

My building was built in the 1990's... My flooring was replaced in 2008... It is 2022... 
Could I have asbestos in my flooring? 

​Asbestos was a common filler in the U.S. starting in the 1920’s and continued to be used in flooring and adhesive production for decades. It was a preferred material, as it is strong and fire resistant. It is fibrous, which is what gave the products additional strength; however, that is one of the reasons it is a dangerous material. When scraped or broken apart, the fibers of asbestos can get airborne and be ingested, which can cause many forms of cancer and other health related issues. 

​My building was built in the 1990’s, is there any way that my flooring can contain asbestos? Many think that asbestos use in flooring was stopped in the 1970’s; however, the EPA didn’t issue the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule (ABPR) until 1989. This ruling was a phased process: the manufacture and processing of vinyl/ asbestos flooring and flooring felt had to cease by August 1990; however, any stock-on-hand that contained asbestos as of August 1992 could still be used as long as the stock was labeled to indicate the asbestos ingredient. This means that use of asbestos containing materials was still going on in the early 1990’s. ​

My floors were replaced in 2008, that means that there can’t be any asbestos, right? Unfortunately, abatement is a costly process, so many companies decided to cover instead of abating their asbestos flooring products. If the existing VAT (Vinyl Asbestos Tile), sheet vinyl, and/or asbestos containing adhesives were soundly connected to the subfloor, flooring materials were installed directly over the existing materials delaying the need and cost for abatement. 

The downside of this method is that the material on top is now adhered to the asbestos containing products. When you start removing the top floorcovering, the materials underneath also start coming up. If the asbestos containing materials start to break or release at all, the job must stop, and abatement must be completed. If the material on top is adhered directly to asbestos containing adhesive, there is no safe way to remove the material without disturbing the original adhesives and/or voiding your new material's warranty without abatement. 

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It is 2022, how do I know if there is asbestos in my flooring?  The best way to determine if asbestos is present in any components of your existing flooring is investigation and testing. Testing will involve procuring multiple samples of the layers to be tested by a certified testing facility. Procurement of the samples should be completed by a trained agent to make sure they are collected safely and properly, and multiple areas in the replacement should be investigated.

Working with a quality flooring contractor that investigates under the existing products, performs tests before work starts, and determines the total scope of work, projects can minimize delays and unexpected abatement costs due. 

References: 40 CFR 763. Asbestos: Manufacture, Importation, Processing, and Distribution in Commerce Prohiibitions; Final Rule (epa.gov)
Federal Register, Volume 59 Issue 123 (Tuesday, June 28, 1994) (govinfo.gov)
Asbestos Regulations- Federal & State Laws about Exposure (mesotheliomahub.com)
How long does asbestos stay airborne once disturbed? (oracleasbestos.com)
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