Was An Asbestos Underlay Ever Used For Laminate Flooring

Underlay or underlayment is used to help protect your laminate boards by absorbing the moisture coming from the subfloor below.

Was an asbestos underlay ever used for laminate flooring.

On 2019 12 01 by jp. New vinyl laminate flooring hardwood engineered. Many tradesmen suffered high levels of toxic exposure when working with asbestos felt in the past and it can lead to serious long term health consequences when it is uncovered in old buildings. On 2019 12 01 by mod asbestos in 1991 flooring is unlikely.

Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring can be more dangerous to remove than tiles if proper precautions are not practiced. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring has two layers a top layer of vinyl and a bottom layer made from paper that contains asbestos. That pattern was popular as early as the 1970s and extends to present. But the hard laminate material doesn t lie directly onto that surface.

Resilient sheet flooring containing asbestos was also produced finding wide use as early as 1968. We are told. Armstrong produced the excelon tile series beginning with a plastic asbestos floor tile series in 1954 referring to the product as vinyl plastic asbestos floor tiles beginning in 1955 and vinyl asbestos tiles from 1957 to 1980. So it may have been made with and later without asbestos.

What makes asbestos dangerous. The wondrous new no wax flooring sold by companies such as congoleum put a glossy sheen on post war american prosperity. However you re not completely in the clear because asbestos was a common ingredient in the mastic used to hold these flooring materials to the subfloor. It would be unusual to fine asbestos containing flooring in a 1991 home but not impossible if new old stock flooring has been used.

The old tiles are relatively thin around 1 8 inch thick so installing new flooring on top will not appreciably raise the height of the floor. History of asbestos vinyl products asbestos has been used in vinyl wallpaper since the 1920s and vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring rose to prominence in the 1950s. Laminate flooring is designed for quick and easy installation over almost any flat smooth floor surface. Dry asbestos particles are lighter than air wet ones are less prone to become air borne.

While asbestos is useful as a binding agent in the manufacture of vinyl and rubber floor coverings it isn t needed to make linoleum tiles or sheet flooring.