Asbestos was used in over 3,000 building products manufactured in the United States, and it remains present in a significant share of Long Island homes and commercial buildings constructed before the early 1980s. The challenge is that asbestos-containing materials rarely announce themselves — they look like ordinary building components until laboratory testing proves otherwise.
This guide walks through every major asbestos-containing material found in Long Island properties, describes what each one looks like, explains where to find it, and clarifies when you need professional testing versus when you can make a reasonable assessment on your own.
The Critical Rule: Visual Identification Is Not Confirmation
Before examining specific materials, understand this: you cannot confirm asbestos by looking at a material. Asbestos fibers are microscopic — between 0.1 and 10 micrometers in diameter, roughly 700 times thinner than a human hair. No visual inspection, no matter how experienced, can definitively identify asbestos. What visual identification CAN do is tell you which materials are suspect and should be tested by a NYS DOH-certified asbestos inspector before being disturbed.
Asbestos Floor Tiles: The 9×9 Rule
The single most recognizable asbestos-containing material in Long Island homes is the 9×9-inch vinyl asbestos tile (VAT). If your floor tiles measure exactly 9 inches by 9 inches, they were almost certainly manufactured between the 1920s and early 1980s and have a high probability of containing chrysotile asbestos.
What they look like: Square tiles in solid colors — beige, tan, brown, dark green, maroon, gray, or mottled patterns. The surface may be smooth or have a faint marbled texture. Older tiles often appear slightly thinner than modern 12×12-inch tiles (typically 1/8 inch thick versus 1/16 inch for modern vinyl). Many Long Island homes have these tiles in basements, kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms.
The mastic underneath: The black cutback adhesive (mastic) used to glue 9×9 tiles to the subfloor is itself a common asbestos-containing material. Even if tiles test negative, the mastic may test positive. Always test both materials.
12×12 tiles: Tiles measuring 12 inches by 12 inches can also contain asbestos, particularly those manufactured before 1981. The 9×9 measurement is a strong indicator, but it is not the only size that contained asbestos. When in doubt, test.
Tiles under newer flooring: Many Long Island homes have had new flooring installed directly over original asbestos tiles. During renovation, pulling up carpet, laminate, or modern vinyl may reveal 9×9 tiles beneath. Stop work immediately if you find them during a project — do not break, scrape, or sand them.
Asbestos Pipe Insulation
Pipe insulation is the most common friable asbestos material in Long Island homes and buildings. Because it crumbles easily when touched, it presents the highest immediate exposure risk of any common ACM.
What it looks like: White or gray material wrapped around hot water, heating, and steam pipes — most commonly found in basements, boiler rooms, and crawl spaces. It takes several distinct forms:
Corrugated air-cell pipe covering: A ridged, cardboard-like wrap that fits snugly around pipes, often painted white. When intact, it has visible corrugated layers. When damaged, it reveals a fibrous interior that can release asbestos fibers. This is extremely common in pre-1970 Long Island homes.
Plaster-like hard-set insulation: A smooth, white or gray cement-like coating applied directly to pipes, often at joints, elbows, and fittings. It may appear cracked or chipped with age. Common in homes built from the 1940s through the 1970s across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Cloth-wrapped pipe insulation: White fabric wrapping over an insulating layer, sometimes secured with metal bands. The fabric itself may contain asbestos, or it may cover an asbestos-containing insulation layer beneath.
Where to look: Start in your basement. Follow the hot water and heating pipes from the boiler to where they enter walls or ceilings. Pay particular attention to elbows, tees, and joints where insulation is thickest and most likely to show damage from thermal cycling.
Popcorn Ceilings and Textured Ceiling Finishes
Spray-applied textured ceiling finishes — commonly called popcorn ceilings or acoustic ceilings — were widely used in Long Island homes from the 1950s through the early 1980s. A significant percentage of these finishes contain chrysotile asbestos, typically between 1% and 10% by weight.
What it looks like: A bumpy, cottage-cheese-like texture applied to ceiling surfaces. The appearance ranges from small, uniform bumps to larger, irregular aggregates depending on the application method and product used. Color is typically white, though it may have yellowed with age or been painted over.
The 1978 benchmark: The EPA banned spray-applied asbestos-containing materials for fireproofing and insulation in 1978. However, existing product inventory was allowed to be used up, meaning popcorn ceilings applied as late as 1986 may contain asbestos. The only reliable way to determine if a popcorn ceiling on Long Island contains asbestos is laboratory testing.
Danger during renovation: Scraping popcorn ceilings is one of the most common ways Long Island homeowners accidentally release asbestos fibers. Never scrape, sand, or wet-remove a textured ceiling finish without testing first. If testing confirms asbestos, removal requires a NYS DOL-licensed abatement contractor.
Asbestos Cement Siding (Transite Shingles)
Asbestos cement siding — marketed under brand names including Johns-Manville and commonly called Transite — is found on thousands of Long Island homes built or re-sided between the 1920s and 1970s.
What it looks like: Flat or slightly textured rectangular shingles, typically gray, white, or occasionally tan. The shingles are dense and rigid — noticeably heavier than modern fiber cement siding. They may have a wood-grain texture pressed into the surface. Size varies but most are roughly 12×24 inches or similar dimensions. Many Long Island homes in Levittown, Hicksville, Massapequa, and other postwar communities were originally built with or later re-sided in asbestos cement shingles.
How to distinguish from modern fiber cement: Modern fiber cement siding (like James Hardie) replaced asbestos cement in the 1980s. If your siding was installed before 1980, has a slightly chalky surface when rubbed, and produces a fine dust when damaged, it should be tested before any removal, drilling, or cutting.
The intact condition question: Undisturbed asbestos cement siding is non-friable — it does not crumble or release fibers under normal conditions. It becomes a concern only when cut, broken, drilled, power-washed aggressively, or removed. Intact asbestos siding on Long Island homes can safely remain in place, and many homeowners choose to install new siding directly over it.
Spray-Applied Fireproofing (Commercial Buildings)
Found primarily in commercial and industrial buildings, spray-applied asbestos fireproofing was used on structural steel beams, columns, and metal decking throughout Long Island’s commercial building stock from the 1950s through the late 1970s.
What it looks like: A rough, fluffy, white or light-gray coating sprayed onto steel surfaces. The texture is fibrous and sponge-like — distinctly different from the smooth appearance of concrete or plaster. It is typically found above drop ceilings, in mechanical rooms, and in any area where structural steel is exposed. This material is highly friable and should never be touched or disturbed.
Ceiling Tiles (Acoustic Tile)
Older acoustic ceiling tiles — the 2×2-foot or 2×4-foot tiles used in drop ceiling systems — may contain asbestos, particularly those manufactured before 1981 by companies including Armstrong, Celotex, and Flintkote.
What they look like: Standard drop ceiling tiles in white or off-white, often with a pattern of tiny holes (perforated) or a fissured surface texture. Asbestos-containing tiles are visually indistinguishable from non-asbestos tiles — the only difference is manufacturing date and laboratory analysis. Tiles with a backing material may have a distinct fibrous layer visible from the back side.
Where to look on Long Island: Any commercial building, school, or institutional facility on Long Island with an original drop ceiling system from before 1981. Also found in residential basements and recreation rooms.
Vermiculite Attic Insulation
What it looks like: Small, lightweight, pebble-like granules in gray-brown, silver-gold, or tan colors, poured loosely between attic joists. Individual granules are accordion-shaped — resembling tiny worms or nuggets. Vermiculite itself is not asbestos, but approximately 70% of the vermiculite sold in the U.S. between 1919 and 1990 came from the W.R. Grace mine in Libby, Montana, which was contaminated with tremolite asbestos. If you have vermiculite insulation in your attic on Long Island, the EPA recommends assuming it may contain asbestos and not disturbing it unless tested.
Other Asbestos-Containing Materials in Long Island Properties
Duct tape and joint compound on HVAC ductwork. White or gray tape used to seal sheet metal duct joints in heating and cooling systems. Common in homes and commercial buildings across Long Island. Appears as a flat tape wrapped around duct seams, sometimes covered with a mastic compound.
Boiler and furnace insulation. The cement-like insulation surrounding older boilers and furnaces in Long Island homes frequently contains asbestos. White, gray, or tan in color, it may appear cracked or deteriorated on older units. Found in basements throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Window glazing and caulking. The putty-like compound used to seal window panes in older wood and metal window frames. Hard, gray-white material that has typically dried and cracked over time. Common on pre-1980 windows across Long Island.
Roofing materials. Asbestos-containing roofing felt, shingles, and roll roofing are found on older Long Island homes and commercial buildings. These appear as standard roofing materials and are indistinguishable without testing. Roofing materials are non-friable when intact but become a concern during roof replacement.
What to Do If You Find Suspect Materials
Do not disturb the material. Leave it in place. Do not poke, scrape, drill into, or attempt to remove any suspect material yourself.
Hire a NYS DOH-certified asbestos inspector. On Long Island, certified inspectors perform visual assessments and collect bulk samples for laboratory analysis. Expect to pay $200 to $800 for a residential inspection depending on the number of materials sampled.
Wait for lab results. Samples are analyzed using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) at a NVLAP-accredited laboratory. Results typically return in 3-5 business days. Material containing greater than 1% asbestos by weight is classified as asbestos-containing material (ACM).
If positive, decide on management or removal. Intact, non-friable materials in good condition can often be safely managed in place. Damaged or deteriorating materials — or materials that will be disturbed by renovation — require professional abatement by a NYS DOL-licensed contractor.
Upper Restoration’s Asbestos Identification and Removal Services
Upper Restoration helps Long Island homeowners and building owners identify, test, and safely address asbestos-containing materials across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. From coordinating certified inspectors to performing licensed abatement, our team handles every step of the process so you never have to guess whether the material in your home or building is safe to disturb.
