How we made this guide: picks, prices and specs come from our catalog and the makers' published specs, owner quotes come from customer reviews on our product pages and every guide is checked and edited by Trevor Hall.
Treat old resilient floor tile and the black mastic under it as asbestos-containing until a lab test says otherwise. Do not break, sand or sweep it before you know. If the test is positive, either leave the tile in place and cover it, or have it removed under the OSHA work rules: kept wet, lifted whole, scraped wet, never swept and cleaned with a HEPA vacuum.
Who may do that work depends on federal and state rules, and on whether the building is a home or a commercial property. Check your state asbestos program before you buy a tool or pull a tile. This guide explains the rules in plain words and the equipment a licensed abatement contractor uses. It is not a do-it-yourself removal plan.
Quick answer
Test first. If it is positive, call your state asbestos program or a licensed abatement contractor to learn who may remove it where you are. If tiles are already broken, stop work, leave the debris alone and read the "I already broke some tiles" section below. For the contractor's cleanup side, see our guide to HEPA vacuums for asbestos, lead and mold.
Step 1: Test before anything else
Floor tile, sheet flooring and the adhesive under them can contain asbestos, and you cannot tell by looking. OSHA's construction standard says resilient flooring material, including the mastic and backing, shall be assumed to be asbestos-containing unless an industrial hygienist determines it is asbestos-free using recognized analytical techniques (29 CFR 1926.1101(g)(8)(i)(I)).
A lab test is the only way to turn "assumed" into "known". Ask your state asbestos program who is allowed to take the sample, because in some places the sampling itself is regulated. Take the test result to the next step. Do not scratch, drill or pry tile to "check" it.
What the rules say about floors
Two OSHA standards cover flooring, and EPA covers renovation work on buildings. The table gives each rule as the agency wrote it. These are written for employers whose workers handle asbestos. A homeowner working on a private home may fall under state or local rules instead, so confirm which apply to you. OSHA's flooring practices apply to flooring that contains asbestos or, in buildings constructed no later than 1980, flooring not verified as asbestos-free.
| Source | What it covers | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101(g)(8)(i)(A) | Removing vinyl and asphalt flooring | "Flooring or its backing shall not be sanded." |
| OSHA 1926.1101(g)(8)(i)(B) | Cleaning floors | Floors are cleaned with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter, a disposable dust bag and a metal floor tool with no brush. (Paraphrase of the OSHA text.) |
| OSHA 1926.1101(g)(8)(i)(C) | Sheet flooring | Resilient sheeting is cut with the snip point wetted and wetted during delamination. Rip-up is prohibited. |
| OSHA 1926.1101(g)(8)(i)(D) | Adhesive and backing | "All scraping of residual adhesive and/or backing shall be performed using wet methods." |
| OSHA 1926.1101(g)(8)(i)(E) | Sweeping | "Dry sweeping is prohibited." |
| OSHA 1926.1101(g)(8)(i)(F) | Mechanical chipping | Prohibited unless performed in a negative pressure enclosure that meets the standard's requirements. |
| OSHA 1926.1101(g)(8)(i)(G) | Tiles | "Tiles shall be removed intact, unless the employer demonstrates that intact removal is not possible." |
| OSHA 1926.1101(g)(8)(i)(H) | Heated tiles | When tiles are heated and can be removed intact, wetting may be omitted. |
| OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1001(k)(7) | Floors that stay in place | Sanding is prohibited. Finish stripping is limited to low abrasion pads under 300 rpm with wet methods. Burnishing or dry buffing only where there is enough finish that the pad cannot contact the asbestos-containing material. |
| EPA asbestos NESHAP | Renovation and demolition of buildings | Sets work practices for asbestos in demolitions and renovations of facilities. Its work practice requirements exclude residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units, unless the work is part of a larger commercial or public project. Notices go to the delegated entity, often a state agency. |
OSHA classifies removal of floor tile and sheeting as Class II asbestos work. Class II work has its own training and control requirements, so ask a licensed contractor what applies. EPA's page on the NESHAP is the source for the residential exemption; the exemption does not make the work safe, and many states and cities add their own licensing, notification and disposal rules. The next section covers what you check before any work.
Step 2: Decide whether to cover it or remove it
EPA's "Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos" page says asbestos-containing materials that are not damaged or disturbed are not likely to pose a health risk, and that the best thing is usually to leave material in good condition alone. Fibers may be released when it is disturbed, damaged or removed improperly. That is why leaving sound tile in place is a real option.
| Question | Leave it and cover it | Remove it |
|---|---|---|
| Tile condition | Sound, flat, firmly bonded | Cracked, loose, wet-damaged or in the way of the work |
| Why choose it | Nothing is disturbed | The floor has to come out for a repair, leveling or new utilities |
| Floor care while it stays | Employers: OSHA 1910.1001(k)(7). Homeowners: EPA says never use a power stripper on it | OSHA 1926.1101(g)(8) practices apply to removal |
| Who decides | You, after the test result | Your state program and, often, a licensed contractor |
| Watch for | Later renovators who do not know what is underneath, so keep the lab report | Disposal rules for the waste, which vary by state |
EPA describes two repairs that leave tile in place: sealing (encapsulation), which treats the material with a sealant; and covering (enclosure), which places something over it. Either way the asbestos stays in place, so keep the lab report. Covering means a new layer over the sound floor, not sanding, scraping or grinding the old one. Ask your state program or contractor which systems they accept.
Cost depends on floor area, how well the tile is bonded, the mastic and your state's notification and disposal rules, so get written quotes from licensed contractors that list each of those.
What a licensed contractor's plan should cover
These items follow the OSHA text above. Use them to check a contractor's written plan. They are not a checklist for an untrained person to carry out.
- Test: a lab result before work starts.
- Plan: state notification, licensing and disposal named in writing. Our guide to the asbestos abatement process covers containment, decon and clearance for larger jobs.
- Isolation: how the HVAC is sealed and what enclosure the job uses. See what a negative pressure room is.
- Wet methods: how tile and adhesive are kept wet, as OSHA requires.
- Intact removal: tiles removed whole. OSHA permits mechanical chipping only inside a negative pressure enclosure.
- Adhesive: wet scraping only, with no sanding or grinding.
- Waste: sealed, labeled containers per state rules.
- Cleanup: a HEPA vacuum with a disposable bag and a metal floor tool, then wet wiping.
- Disposal records: the paperwork you keep.
I already broke some tiles. What now?
Stop work and leave the debris where it is. EPA's "Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos" page says not to dust, sweep or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos, and to keep activity to a minimum in areas with damaged material. Keep people and pets out of the room. Then call your state asbestos program or a licensed abatement contractor and describe what happened. If you are worried about your own exposure, ask a doctor; this guide cannot advise on that.
Equipment for licensed abatement contractors
The machines below are listed because contractors ask what fits each step. A machine controls dust. It does not make a job legal, and none of these carries an asbestos approval from its maker on our listings.
HEPA vacuum for the cleanup step
The Novatek 15 gal HEPA floor vacuum is listed with 4 filtration stages ending in a tested and certified HEPA filter and a 15 gallon collection bag. It comes in two versions: the air version is listed at 170 CFM and 160 inches of static lift while using 50 cfm of compressed air at 90 psi, and the electric version at 110 CFM and 110 inches on 120 V. It comes with 10 feet of 1.5 inch crush-proof hose. Prices run from $2,335 for the electric to $3,050 for the air.
HEPA floor vacuum
Novatek 15 Gal HEPA Floor Vacuum, Air or Electric
From $2,335
Disposable bag system. Add a metal floor tool with no brush for floor cleanup.
Novatek's operation manual says the unit was built for cleaning up hazardous dust, with lead-based paint and asbestos named as examples, and it runs on disposable two-ply paper filter bags. The manual's list of included parts has no floor tool, so the metal floor tool with no brush that OSHA names is a separate purchase. Confirm the fitting with Novatek. See what a HEPA vacuum is and browse our HEPA vacuums.
Negative air for the enclosure
The Abatement Technologies HEPA-AIRE Deluxe H2KMA negative air machine has two speeds, 2,000 CFM and 1,300 CFM as the maker lists them. The stock HEPA filter is 6 inches deep and listed at 99.97% at 0.3 microns, and a 12 inch deep version is optional. Plan on a 120 V, 15 A circuit and 124 lb with filters installed. A gauge on the cabinet and a change-filter alarm help you watch loading. Price: $1,290.
Negative air machine
Abatement Technologies HEPA-AIRE Series Deluxe Model Negative Air Machine H2KMA
$1,290
Moves air out of an enclosure through a HEPA filter.
Compare the full range of negative air machines or everything from Abatement Technologies. For sizing air movement, read how to calculate air changes per hour.
Pressure monitor for the enclosure
The Abatement Technologies PPM3-S is a portable digital manometer with a color touch screen that measures the pressure difference between an enclosure and the room beside it, across a -25 Pa to +25 Pa range. Alarms sound and flash on a loss of pressure, logs export as CSV over USB and the battery mode runs up to 12 hours. Use it to see whether an enclosure holds negative. It is one of our best-selling containment items. Price: $1,400.
Pressure monitor
Abatement Technologies Portable Differential Pressure Monitor PPM3-S
$1,400
Logs the pressure difference across the barrier.
More on this in our guide to room pressure monitors for containment.
Floor machine for floors that stay in place
This is for maintenance crews working under OSHA's general industry standard, 29 CFR 1910.1001, which covers building maintenance, not construction. For employers, (k)(7) limits stripping of finishes to low abrasion pads under 300 rpm, with wet methods. For homeowners, EPA's "Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos" page is plain: never use a power stripper on flooring that may contain asbestos. The Tornado 17 inch Brute Force runs at 175 RPM, which sits under that figure. It has a 1.5 HP motor, a 17 inch cleaning path, a 75 ft cord and weighs 103.5 lb. Price: $999. Pads and finish selection are the operator's responsibility; the speed alone does not make a job compliant.
Low speed floor machine
Tornado 17" Brute Force 175 RPM Low Speed Electric Floor Machine (97562B)
$999
175 RPM, under the 300 rpm limit in OSHA 1910.1001(k)(7) for maintenance crews.
See all low speed floor machines. For ordinary non-asbestos stripping, read how to strip and wax VCT floors and for what VCT is see what VCT flooring is.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the test because the floor "looks fine".
- Sanding, grinding or dry-scraping old tile or mastic.
- Sweeping or using a household or shop vacuum on debris.
- Breaking or chipping tiles to get them up.
- Throwing the waste in ordinary trash without checking state rules.
- Assuming a machine makes the job allowed. Licensing and disposal are set by your state.
Other hazardous-material jobs have their own rules: see lead abatement vs lead-safe paint removal and our guide to decontamination showers for regulated work.
Frequently asked questions
Can you safely remove asbestos tile?
EPA's advice is that material in good condition is usually best left alone. When it must come out, OSHA's rules call for wet methods, intact tiles, no sanding, no dry sweeping and HEPA cleanup by trained workers. Test first and call your state asbestos program.
Can I remove asbestos floor tiles myself?
It depends on where you live. EPA's NESHAP work practice rules exclude residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units, but states and cities often add their own rules. Confirm with your state program before you start, and use a licensed contractor if it requires one. EPA's NESHAP overview also says homes demolished or renovated as part of commercial or public projects, such as urban renewal or highway work, are not exempt. The federal exemption is not permission: state and local rules may still require a licensed contractor.
What if I accidentally removed asbestos tiles?
Stop, leave the debris alone and keep people out. EPA says not to dust, sweep or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos. Contact your state asbestos program or a licensed abatement contractor, and speak to a doctor about health concerns.
Can I pour concrete over asbestos tile?
Covering sound tile is one of the options contractors and state programs discuss, but cover systems and rules vary. Ask your state program what it accepts before you pour, and keep the lab report with the property records.
What floor tiles contain asbestos?
Older resilient tile, sheet flooring and mastic can. You cannot tell by sight, which is why OSHA says to assume resilient flooring contains asbestos unless an industrial hygienist shows it does not. A lab test is the answer, not the tile's age.
Clean up with a true HEPA vacuum
