Asbestos Floor Tiles

Properties of Asbestos
Asbestos is a group of minerals that occur naturally as thin separable fibers. Following are some properties of asbestos.

-- Heat resistant
-- Fire resistant
-- Good chemical resistance
-- Very good non conductor of electricity
-- Extremely durable
-- Good sound absorbing properties

Why Asbestos Was Used in Floor Tiles
Almost all floor tiles manufactured in the past few decades until the mid 80's contained asbestos. Previously these tiles were available in the size 9'X9' and more recently 12'X12'.

Manufacturers of floor tiles preferred using asbestos because asbestos not only made the manufacturing process much easier than other conventional materials, but was extremely durable and cost-effective. These tiles were vinyl-asbestos floor tiles manufactured from polyvinyl chloride polymers.

These tiles usually consisted of a mixture of limestone, asbestos, plasticizer, stabilizer, binder, and pigment. The mixture was usually heated to temperatures of 300 degrees F and fed into a roller to be pressed to the desired thickness. They were then pressed through cylinders to gain uniform thickness, after which pigmenting and surface designs were done while the tiles were still hot and soft. The tiles were then cooled by immersion in water, water-spraying, or placed in a cooling unit. They were then cut into appropriate size and waxed, ready for the market.

The asbestos fibers gave the tiles the following properties.

-- Abrasion resistance
-- Extra strength and durability
-- Added flexibility
-- Resistance to moisture, oil, grease, heat, acids and alkalis
-- Dimensional stability

The ability of these tiles to withstand high temperatures prevented them from cracking. Dimensional stability prevented expansion and shrinkage during the manufacturing process. Overall manufacturing costs were low. This was beneficial to the manufacturer as well as the end user.

Risks Involved with Asbestos Floor Tiles
Living in a home with asbestos floor tiles does not mean that you run the risk of asbestos exposure. The asbestos fibers are firmly embedded into the tiles and pose no risk unless the tiles are deliberately broken and asbestos fibers allowed to contaminate the air.

If you have got wooden flooring beneath the asbestos floor tiles and want to restore the wooden floor, take care. The asbestos tiles have to be removed with the glue underneath. This must be done with extreme care, making sure that no power tools are used to remove the tiles. This could damage the tiles and release asbestos in your home. Also the best way to restore the wooden flooring is to sand it. This is very harmful, since asbestos particles embedded in the glue will separate and get airborne.

One way of changing the flooring is to cover asbestos floor tiles with new non-asbestos tiles or flooring material. This makes sure that you need not disturb the asbestos tiles, and the risk of asbestos exposure due to the tiles is eliminated.

Many prefer removing and getting rid of the old asbestos floor tiles before replacing them with new tiles. If you are doing this yourself, be very careful. Certain asbestos tiles will not come off easily and will require brute force to dislodge them. This is dangerous because the tiles risk being broken and splintered, releasing harmful asbestos fibers in the air. It may take just a day or two to get rid of the old asbestos tiles and fix new ones, but if the asbestos fibers are concentrated in the room, it could cause serious health problems much later in life.

Precautions While Changing Asbestos Floor Tiles
If you are removing asbestos floor tiles yourself, there are certain precautions you must take to minimize the risk of asbestos fibers getting into the air.

-- Never sand asbestos floor tiles or the glue under it
-- Never use any power tool that could damage the tiles
-- Before removing the tiles, soak the entire floor with plenty water for at least 30 minutes. If some fibers get free, they will be too heavy to float if they are water-soaked
-- If there is dust while removing the tiles, never use a vacuum cleaner. They will not trap asbestos fibers and reintroduce them into the air
-- All cleaning should be done with a soaking wet mop
-- All materials used for cleaning should be transferred immediately to polythene bags and tightly sealed for disposal. Please label these polythene bags appropriately

It is always better and safer to rely on professionals when it comes to getting your asbestos flooring changed. They know exactly how the flooring was put, and how best to remove it. They will ensure that no / minimum asbestos fibers get into the air while changing the flooring. Also disposing and getting rid of the asbestos tiles as per your state rules will be taken care of by them.

Hiring professionals to get your asbestos flooring changed will be expensive, but considering the health risks involved, it is surely worth it.