Practical Guide
Asbestos Floor Tiles: How to Identify Them
Small square floor tiles laid before the mid-1980s often contain asbestos, and the black adhesive under them sometimes does too. Here is how to spot asbestos floor tiles, what Marley and thermoplastic tiles look like, and when to leave them, cover them or have them lifted.
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The short answer
Asbestos floor tiles are usually 9-inch (225 mm) or 12-inch (300 mm) thermoplastic or vinyl squares laid between the 1950s and mid-1980s, often in kitchens and halls and often under later flooring. The black adhesive beneath can contain asbestos too. Intact tiles are low risk; only a lab test confirms them.
The Types
What asbestos floor tiles are
Two kinds of tile account for almost everything we find. Thermoplastic tiles came first, from the 1950s to the 1970s: hard, brittle, usually dark — black, brown, oxblood, dark green, or a marbled mix — and prone to cracking at the corners. Vinyl tiles, sometimes called vinyl asbestos tiles, took over through the 1960s, 70s and early 80s: more flexible, lighter colours, often with a speckled or marbled pattern.
Both were made with asbestos fibre as a filler and reinforcement, typically white asbestos (chrysotile). It is tightly bound into the tile, which is why intact tiles are among the lowest-risk asbestos materials in a house. Sheet vinyl with a felt or paper backing from the same era can also contain asbestos in the backing, and is tested the same way.
| Tile type | Typical era | How it looks and feels |
|---|---|---|
| Thermoplastic tiles | 1950s – 1970s | Hard, brittle, dark or marbled, 9-inch squares, cracks at corners |
| Vinyl (vinyl asbestos) tiles | 1960s – mid-1980s | Flexible, lighter colours, speckled or marbled, 9- or 12-inch |
| Sheet vinyl with backing | 1960s – 1980s | Roll flooring; the felt or paper backing is the suspect layer |
| Black bitumen adhesive | 1950s – 1980s | Tar-like black glue left on the screed when tiles lift |
How To Spot Them
How to identify asbestos floor tiles
No single clue proves it, but several together make a strong suspect. Pull back a corner of carpet or lino in an older property and this is the list to read against what you find. Don't lift or break a tile to look underneath — the edge of a damaged one usually shows you everything you need.
- Small squares — 9 inches (225 mm) is the classic asbestos size
- Laid before the mid-1980s, often under one or two later floors
- Dark, dull or marbled colours rather than bright modern prints
- Brittle tiles that have cracked or curled at the corners
- Black, tar-like adhesive visible at gaps or broken edges
- Kitchens, halls, bathrooms, porches, schools and offices
The Brand Everyone Asks About
Marley tiles and asbestos
Marley was the best-known British maker of floor tiles through the post-war decades, and 'Marley tiles' became shorthand for small square vinyl and thermoplastic tiles in the same way 'Artex' did for textured ceilings. Many Marley tiles from that period contained asbestos.
Not all of them did, and the same goes for every other brand. The name on the box — if you can even find it — doesn't settle the question. Treat any small-format tile laid before the mid-80s as suspect, and test it.
The Hidden Layer
The black adhesive under the tiles
The black bitumen adhesive used to stick tiles down can contain asbestos even when the tiles themselves don't, and the reverse is also true — so the two are sampled separately. The adhesive is the slow part of any removal: the tiles lift quickly, but the glue bonds to the screed and has to be taken off without grinding, which would make dust out of both.
That is also why levelling compound or a new floor over the top is often the sensible choice. If the tiles are sound and stuck down, overlaying them with plywood or a new floor finish, without sanding or grinding first, leaves them sealed and undisturbed.
What Next
Leave them, cover them or lift them?
Sound, well-stuck tiles that nobody is going to disturb can stay where they are. Covering them is usually the cheapest good answer. Lifting them makes sense when they are loose, broken, or in the way of work that has to go down to the screed — new underfloor heating, a damp-proof membrane, a structural repair.
Vinyl and thermoplastic floor tiles and the black bitumen adhesive beneath them are non-licensed work when they are lifted with hand tools and without grinding or shot-blasting. The exception to watch for is asbestos insulating board used as an underlay or hearth panel beneath the floor finish: that is licensable and legally requires an HSE licensed contractor, so anything board-like under the tiles is sampled before anyone lifts it.
If they need to come up, our asbestos floor tile removal page covers the method; as a market guide, removal with the adhesive runs about £30–£80 per m², and the asbestos removal cost guide has the full breakdown.
Never sand, grind or shot-blast old floor tiles or adhesive
Hand-lifting a sound tile releases very little. Sanding, grinding or shot-blasting a floor to remove tiles or adhesive turns both into fine dust. If a floor sander is already booked for an older property, get the tiles and glue tested before it arrives.
Reviewed by Quinton Davidson, founder of Asbestos Removal Environmental, with 30+ years' hands-on industry experience.
Sources
Common Questions
FAQs
What do asbestos floor tiles look like?
Usually small squares, 9 or 12 inches across, in dark, dull or marbled colours, often brittle and cracked at the corners, and often stuck down with black tar-like adhesive. They look exactly like asbestos-free tiles of the same era, so appearance only tells you they are worth testing.
Are asbestos floor tiles dangerous?
Not while they are intact and stuck down. The asbestos is bound into the tile and released only when tiles are broken up, sanded, ground or drilled. Leaving them in place, or covering them with a new floor without sanding first, is a perfectly safe option.
Are Marley tiles asbestos?
Many older Marley tiles contained asbestos, but not all did, and other brands of the same era did too. The brand doesn't settle it — a lab-tested sample, at around £25–£60, does.
Can I put new flooring over asbestos tiles?
Usually, yes, and it is often the best option. Lay plywood, levelling compound or a floating floor straight over sound tiles without sanding or grinding them first. Record that the tiles are there, so whoever lifts the floor in future knows what is underneath.
What size are asbestos floor tiles?
The classic size is 9 inches (225 mm) square, which is the strongest single clue. 12-inch (300 mm) tiles from the 1960s to the 80s can also contain asbestos. Larger modern formats, laid after 2000, do not.
How much does asbestos floor tile removal cost?
As a UK market guide, about £30–£80 per m² including the black adhesive and disposal, which puts a typical kitchen or hallway at £400–£1,600. The tiles lift quickly; the adhesive is what sets the price.