Vinyl and Vinyl-Asbestos FloorsHow do I know if the floor tiles contain asbestos? Floor tiles installed prior to 1980 must be presumed to contain asbestos unless they have been analyzed by microscopic analysis and found to be non-asbestos. Note that it is possible that tiles installed after 1980 that were imported may contain asbestos. Routine maintenance of asbestos and vinyl-asbestos (VAT) tile is generally the same. Sweeping or dry mopping with oil free treated cloths or mops will remove dust and litter. Damp mopping with Neutral Floor Cleaner will eliminate surface soils and all but severe markings provided proper amounts of floor finish are on the surface of the tile. When damp mopping doesn't do the job, light scrubbing with Neutral Floor Cleaner and a green or blue floor pad used with a rotary machine will remove embedded soils and scuff marks. However, you can also use red floor pads under the rotary floor machine with diluted Hi-Shine 25 in a dry process to remove deep scuff marks and generally increase the level of shine. Care in stripping a vinyl asbestos floor should be observed. Do not dry strip a floor containing asbestos fibers. Always strip floors while wet. Do not operate a floor machine with an abrasive pad on unwaxed or unfinished floor containing-asbestos materials. Dry stripping will cause asbestos to enter the air where it can be breathed by people working in the area. It has been determined that asbestos containing floor coverings can be safely stripped when using liquid strippers which prevent airborne asbestos from being breathed. Stripping of vinyl asbestos floor coverings should be done as infrequently as possible (e.g., once per year maximum and preferably when the building is unoccupied). Excessive stripping of floors using aggressive techniques will result in increased levels of asbestos fibers in the air. No special care currently is required for the disposal of strippers used on asbestos tiles, but you should check with your local hazardous waste government agency to confirm proper disposal methods in your area. When stripping floors becomes necessary, the rotary machine used for stripping the finish should be equipped with the least abrasive floor pad as possible. The machine used to remove the wax or finish coat should be run at a low rate of speed (i.e., ranging between 175-300 rpm) during the stripping operation. There is a direct correlation between machine speeds and the release of asbestos fibers from asbestos containing floor coverings. The higher the machine speed the greater the probability of asbestos fiber release. When spray-buffing floors, always operate the floor machine at the lowest rates of speed possible and equip the floor machine with the least abrasive pad as possible. A recent EPA study indicated that spray-buffing with high-speed floor machines resulted in significantly higher airborne asbestos fiber concentrations than spray-buffing with low speed machines. Related Resilient VCT and Vinyl Floor Care and Restoration Products:
Related VCT and Vinyl Floor Care and Restoration Information: |
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