Therefore they generally pose a lower risk to health.
Asbestos floor tiles low risk.
If the asbestos floor tiles or sheet flooring have been painted coated with a sealant or floored over using carpet laminate or any other continuous flooring so that the original floor is not exposed the risk level provided by the original asbestos containing flooring is low to beneath the level of detection in the building.
Mixing asbestos into vinyl floor tiles made them more insulating and resistant to damage.
In most cases vinyl tiles are considered non friable.
Sanding sawing drilling or tearing the tiles out however can release fibers into the air.
Both these options will keep the asbestos trapped in the floor.
You could also seal it with a coat of epoxy floor paint.
Floor tiles can become friable if they are mishandled damaged or are in a badly worn or weathered condition.
In many cases the best thing to do about vinyl asbestos flooring is put a new layer of flooring on top of it.
Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring poses a significantly greater asbestos exposure risk than floor tiles or wallpaper.
Like floor tiles vinyl sheet flooring is a long lasting and economical material and it also offers more aesthetic options to suit a homeowner s taste.
That means it is safe to walk on but not safe to scrape sand or use power tools on.
If the floor is true linoleum damage does not present a danger of asbestos inhalation unless it extends all the way to the subfloor and exposes the mastic which may contain asbestos.
Older vinyl or rubber floors that are damaged are a different story because the tiles can release asbestos so they need to be removed.
But when vinyl asbestos flooring is in good condition it is considered nonfriable.