How to Test Tiles for Asbestos
Asbestos fibers were used as an adhesive for tiles installed in most residential, commercial, and public buildings between 1920 and 1986. In most cases the presence of asbestos in a building can be determined by its age and the types of building materials used. Professional scientific tests, such as lab samples, are the best and most accurate ways to test for asbestos. There are, though, other ways to identify the presence of asbestos in tiles. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Find out the age of the building. If the tiles were installed in a home built prior to or during the 1980s, then there is a likelihood of finding asbestos in the tiles.
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Determine the size of the tiles by measuring their length and width. Most tiles used during the home construction period from 1920 to 1986 containing asbestos measure 9 inches by 13 inches.
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Examine the condition of the tiles by looking for worn edges, severe water damage, and dark pigmentation. Check dark-colored linoleum and vinyl tiles, such as burgundy or hunter green-colored tiles, since asbestos was used as a pigmentation ingredient.
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Look at areas with damaged, missing, or loose tiles to see the color of the adhesive used to secure the tiles. Asbestos fibers are most commonly used with black adhesives.
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Determine conclusively whether your tiles contain asbestos fibers with a specific type of microscope used by a trained lab professional.
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Check the National Institute for Standards and Technology website for a list of certified laboratories. These labs specialize in Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis, which are the only two approved methods of asbestos testing.
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Contact an asbestos lab expert to obtain the lab sample of the asbestos fibers in your tiles.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not handle any tiles or areas you suspect have asbestos fibers; leave that to the professionals.
