Resilient Floor Covering

There is a wide variety of resilient floor covering applications that contain asbestos. The most common are linoleum flooring and vinyl asbestos tile (VAT).

VAT is most commonly found in either a 9"x 9" or a 12"x 12" square size. The 9"x 9"

VAT’s are normally found in older buildings because they were manufactured earlier than the 12"x12" VAT's; however, floor tile sizes and resilient floor covering applications vary greatly since many buildings have been re-tiled several times.

In order to determine if a resilient floor covering is in poor condition, look for sections or tiles which are cracked or peeling to the extent that they are crumbled. Floor coverings in poor condition can often be found near doorways or loading/staging areas where the floor has sustained a lot of stress and traffic.

If the floor covering is in poor condition, collect a small representative sample and seal it in a transparent, sample bag. Hand pressure should be applied to determine if the material can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder. If it can, the material is considered friable. Resilient floor covering that will be or has been sanded, ground or abraded is subject to the Asbestos NESHAP.