Asbestos tiles: floor, ceiling and roof
Three very different products get called asbestos tiles. Work out which one you have first, because the risk and the next step are not the same.
"Asbestos tiles" can mean three different things. A floor tile, a ceiling tile or a roof tile. Each is made differently and each carries a different risk. The first job is to say which one you are looking at.
Floor tiles
Old vinyl and similar floor tiles may be compatible with containing asbestos. The NSW Government portal lists "under floor tiles and vinyl flooring" among the friable asbestos found in NSW homes. That wording points at the layers under the tile as much as the tile itself. Do not sand, scrape or grind an old floor to find out.
Read asbestos in vinyl tiles, lino backing and floor adhesives next. If you want the floor gone, lifting an old vinyl floor explains why it is rarely a DIY job.
Ceiling tiles
Ceiling tiles are a separate question. The same NSW page names ceilings and internal walls among the places asbestos can be found. A tile that is intact and sealed is a different case from one that is cracked or crumbling. Either way, do not drill, cut or pull it down to look behind it.
The page to read is asbestos ceiling tiles.
Roof tiles
Many Australian roofs called tiled are clay or concrete, with no asbestos at all. The material people worry about on a roof is usually corrugated cement sheet, the "super six" profile. The NSW portal names corrugated roofing like super six as a place asbestos can be found.
Start with asbestos roof tiles, sheets and super six, then roof tiles with asbestos for a genuinely tiled roof.
You cannot tell by looking
No tile can be identified by eye. Treat it as compatible with containing asbestos until a sample has been analysed by a NATA-accredited laboratory. See how to test for asbestos.
The rule that applies to all three
Sealed and undamaged asbestos is low risk, according to the NSW Government portal. Damage is what changes that. So leave the tile alone, keep people away from broken pieces, and check what a homeowner can legally remove in your state before touching anything.
Frequently asked questions
Are all old tiles asbestos?
No. Many are not. Some floor, ceiling and roof products from older homes may be compatible with containing asbestos, and only a NATA-accredited laboratory can confirm it.
Are floor tiles on the NSW list of asbestos in homes?
Yes. The NSW Government portal lists under floor tiles and vinyl flooring among the friable asbestos found in NSW homes.
Is a clay or concrete roof tile asbestos?
Clay and concrete tiles are different products from corrugated cement sheet. The roofing material most often linked to asbestos is the corrugated super six profile.
Can I break a tile to check it?
No. Do not break, cut, sand or drill a tile that may contain asbestos. Have a sample taken and analysed at a NATA-accredited laboratory.
Sources
What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.
- NSW Government asbestos portal. Asbestos in the home
- NSW Government asbestos portal. How do I manage asbestos on my property?