we have been told to assume that 9" x 9" vinyl floor tiles installed in mid-century homes contain asbestos. we decided that we wanted to be sure, so we sent a couple of floor tile samples to a local testing agency ($25/test @ HUB Testing Lab in Waltham). it turns out that the floor tile in the basement and the 1st layer of floor tile in the kitchen contain "chrysotile" which is a common form of asbestos.
this information is helpful because we now know that we have to install a layer of plywood over the basement floor tile before we can lay a carpet. otherwise the tile can crack and the asbestos-laden dust can make its way up through the fibers of the carpet and into the air. this form of "encapsulation" is an acceptable means of dealing with asbestos---the other very costly solution is to have it professionally removed and abated.
the kitchen floor will get a layer of cementitious backer board over the vinyl tiles anyway, since we need a strong underlayment for the slate tiles that we will be installing.
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