At LCS Laboratory, we analyze hundreds of vinyl tiles and sheet flooring samples each year to detect asbestos. Vinyl flooring produced before 1981 may contain asbestos, as it was once a common additive that enhanced the durability and flexibility of floor tiles.
Asbestos was also frequently used in underlay paper and floor adhesives (mastics). Over time, additional layers of flooring might have been installed on top of the original asbestos-containing tiles, resulting in a sandwich-like flooring of multiple layers of tiles, adhesive, and underlays. This layered structure requires careful handling and testing when removal is planned.
How to Submit a Vinyl Flooring Sample for Asbestos Analysis
- Download and Complete the Request Form: If you’re ready to send a sample, please download and complete our Asbestos Testing Request Form.
- Choose Your Testing Preference: Vinyl flooring samples often include multiple layers. When submitting your sample, please specify if you’d like the sample analyzed as a single unit (which is more affordable) or tested layer by layer (which is more detailed but costs more).
- Single-Sample Analysis: Some clients prefer testing the sample as a single piece, as removal often involves the entire material at once. This approach is cost-effective, but you can miss the presence of asbestos if the sample has a layered structure, and only one of many layers has asbestos. Another problem with this testing is that once a sample is tested, it is impossible to say which of the layers had asbestos on the first place.
- Layer-by-Layer Analysis: Other clients request layer-specific analysis to pinpoint which layer contains asbestos. This approach is ideal if you need to know precisely where asbestos is located within a layered sample.
- Billing: When analyzed as a single piece, your invoice will reflect the cost of analysis of one sample. However, if each layer is tested separately, the invoice will correspond to the number of layers tested (e.g., 4 layers = 4 times the $rate).
Need More Information?
For details on sample shipping, pricing, and additional asbestos testing services, please visit our Asbestos Testing Page.
Contact Us
If you have questions or want to discuss your project in detail, please feel free to email us. Our team is here to assist you with all your asbestos testing needs.
