How Does Floor Tile Related Asbestos Exposure Occur?
Floor tile installers or homeowners could be exposed to asbestos fibers when laying down new asbestos-containing flooring. Back when it was common for floor tiles to contain asbestos, installers often had to cut, saw or break tiles to conform to the exact shape of the floor area being covered, exposing the asbestos in the tile or the felt backing. Sanding the rough edges could release additional fibers. Finally, some tile mastics and tile adhesives also contained asbestos. Scraping or sanding to remove excess dried mastic could cause additional asbestos exposure. Vinyl asbestos flooring can deteriorate with age and use. Damaged or broken floor tiles or sheet flooring can be a source of asbestos fibers, and missing floor tiles can expose old, dried mastic. Old floor tiles can become brittle, causing them to break and crumble when removed. Demolition and renovation workers can be exposed when removing old floor tiles and sweeping up and disposing of debris.
