Possible Asbestos?

Jibberjabber

My husband and I own a ranch home built in 1968 and are in the beginning phase of renovating the entire house, starting with the kitchen. When we purchased the house in 1998, the kitchen floor was covered in rolled linoleum or vinyl (light beige with gold glitter) and it was curling up at the seam. I do not know if this was original from the construction of the house or installed later in the 80's. We laid a sub floor over the top and covered with new flooring when we moved in. Last night, we sawed a section of the original flooring out and placed in a ziploc bag to eventually send for testing. The back of the flooring is ivory or light light brown in color and looks like recycled cardboard. The adhesive is dark brown and dried/cracked.

When I researched asbestos flooring online, it appears it was more commonly used in square floor tiles and not as common in rolled products. The biggest danger lies in the adhesive. Can anyone tell me the color of asbestos adhesive? Also, what is the likelihood rolled flooring has asbestos?

I am having trouble locating a company in our area which tests for asbestos. I can order a DIY kit online but we are looking at a 3 week turnaround time from the time it arrives until I receive the results. My husband, who is not as concerned as I am, will be proceeding forward next month (including cutting into the floor to reroute duct work and plumbing). We have small kids and I do not want this project endangering their health.

Any information is appreciated.

Daniel Holzman

Unfortunately asbestos was commonly used in an astonishing variety of products, ranging from brake linings to roofing to flooring, ceiling coats, insulation etc. Asbestos is a generic term for approximately 120 different types of minerals which form long fibers. It could be any color, since it could have been treated, mixed with colored product, or painted for that matter. There is absolutely no way anyone can tell you whether you have asbestos in your flooring or adhesive without testing, so if you want to know, you are going to need to either find a local lab or send a sample out via mail.