[VAC] Re: Asbestos floor tile

["InsideOut" <airstream@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob, et al ~

1.  Vinyl Asbestos Tile (aka VAT) - 9"x9" squares stopped being made in 1973
+/-
2.  Vinyl Composition Tile (aka VCT) - 12"x12" squares replaced VAT.  Some
manufacturers are Armstrong, Mannington, Tarkett, Congoleum, etc. These are
made with compressed vinyl chips held together with vinyl binders.
3.  Vinyl Tile (aka VT) - 12"x12" squares. Same manufacturers as VCT but
different product.  These are "poured or molded" tiles that are made in
sheets than cut down into tiles.  These are more of your decorative or
"wood" patterns.
4.  Sheet Vinyl - usually comes in 6' or 12' wide rolls and usually has a
backing material, but the top surface can be similar to either VT or VCT.
5.  Linoleum - Sheet or Tile is 100% natural it's made with linseed oil,
wood flour, pigments and has a jute backing.  It was the standard before the
days of man-made vinyls...it's what was in your "Grandma's House". The 2
biggest US suppliers of linoleum are Forbo "Marmoleum" and Armstrong
"Marmorette"

VAT & VCT are primarily synthetic man-made material  & binders, VAT used
Asbestos (which is a natural material) as a bulking material and VCT uses
vinyl chips.  VT starts off as a liquid form of vinyl material and is
colorized & poured into patterns.  The "best = durable" tiles are those that
are solid vinyl all the way through the tile.  The front and back almost
look the same.   The softer vinyl tiles & sheet vinyls that have backing are
not as durable, they are more susceptible to gouges.  The cost differences
in vinyl products are based on what density the vinyl has (i.e.
denser=harder), the backing & thickness of the actual vinyl and at places
like Home Depot, the demand for the product.

I am interior designer, primarily having commercial project experience.  I
am not familiar with the "StepMaster" product so I can't advise specifically
why it is "so expensive".  I tried a search on the Armstrong website & came
up blank.

Sorry for the lengthy message, I just wanted to help clarify the confusion
between the products.

Shari Davis ASID
'64 GlobeTrotter
"Maxwell"