# Forum Home Renovation Asbestos  Asbestos under vinyl sheet?

## TheEngy

Hi all, 
We recently had professional asbestos removers in to remove some sheets and asbestos under floor/shower/bath tiles.  I was going to get them to remove the vinyl in some other areas as well because I wasn't sure, but they said they don't think it is asbestos. 
There are two areas, one in a hall/toilet and one in a laundry.   The laundry vinyl has greenish/bluish paper like adhesive, and the hall has the same, but it's more grey. 
Did they use asbestos in this stuff?  Should I be worried? 
From everything I have read, the vinyl sheet itself will not contain asbestos, its just the paper backing/adhesive I am not so sure about. 
Thanks.

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## Bloss

First it'd be a good idea to do a search on the forum as there are plenty of threads and post on this subject. 
Depends how old and where you are. A long time since vinyl tiles had asbestos in them and they were not used all over the country (although one never knows for sure!). 
To be sure if it was in the tiles you need to get it tested. Your other thread says you had it tested before you had it removed?  :Confused:  Licensed asbestos removers will have a very good idea what is and is not asbestos - if they have been in business for a while they will have seen all sorts of examples. If they had any doubt at all they should have recommended testing. 
More common asbestos use and right up to mid 80s was asbestos sheeting ('fibro') underlay. Still used, but since 1984 likely to be cellulose not asbestos fibre sheeting. 
This will be a light grey colour and quite hard - can be scratched with a screwdriver using hand pressure. When it was put down is important as I said - prior to mid '80s brown masonite hardboard and asbestos sheets were the common underlay materials.

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## TheEngy

Thanks, I have done heaps of searching over the past few weeks but haven't been able to find much information on Vinyl Sheet and backing as opposed to vinyl tiles. 
Most things I read indicate that it shouldn't be asbestos, then one or two places mention it was also used in the adhesive backing. 
I didn't have the asbestos tested before they came to remove it, they just removed what they were pretty sure is asbestos. 
I was just hoping someone might have had a similar situation and could share their results. 
The licensed removers did the 'fire test' on this stuff, i know it's no sort of accurate test, but the backing in the area they tested did burn and keep burning.  However I did the same to the stuff in the laundry later and it seemed to behave a bit differently and seemed to put itself out.

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## Bloss

My understanding is that it was never used in vinyl sheeting - only in tiles. 
I'll have a look through my stuff and see if I can confirm that.

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## Tools

Some backings to sheet vinyl were asbestos. Best to have it tested or removed appropriately . 
Tools

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## TheEngy

Yeah its really annoying, you never can tell without getting it tested.  I'm really surprised at the lack of good information on the products and where it was used. 
I'll just treat it as though it is, that's the safest option. 
This should be the last place in the house aside from the eaves which are obvious.  Unless there is asbestos in my insulation, but I don't think so.

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## Bloss

Tools is right - vinyl tiles had the asbestos embedded in the vinyl not as a backing. Vinyl sheeting had no asbestos in the vinyl, but the soft backing was often about 80% asbestos fibres. Started being used in late '50s/ early '60s in sheets and stopped early '80s. 
Little risk in situ, but often the backing adhesives broke down with age so when you attempt to lift it the dust could become airborne - and pose a risk - a minor one, but one best not taken since masks and goggles and paper suits are cheap and easily available. 
Your call unless you have tested confirmation that it contains asbestos - then you must treat it a required by the local regs.

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## TheEngy

Yeah there isn't much of it, i'll just treat it as if it contains asbestos. 
I took up a large room of the stuff previously, when I was told it didn't contain asbestos (before they then told me it did)... used a decently rated mask and wore full clothing at least.  Plus I used glue remover which makes the backing damp so there wasn't a lot of dust.  Not much I can do about it now anyway.. 
I'm surprsed JH and whoever made the stuff doesn't have to provide free testing or something...

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## TheEngy

Actually considering that the licensed asbestos removers told me it wasn't asbestos, and I'm going to replace the floor under it anyway.  I think i'll just cut the vinyl between the floorboards and pull them up, then send it to the tip. 
Saves me the extra work of pulling up the vinyl, I guess I should have done this to start with!.

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## Bloss

Now that's a bit of lateral thinking . . . :2thumbsup:

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