I can't address sampling, but it was endemic in buildings built before 1980. Vinyl floor tiles and vinyl sheet flooring, including backing and glues, ceiling tiles, roof shingles and flashing, siding, insulation (around boilers, ducts, pipes, sheeting, fireplaces), wall and ceiling insulation, spray insulation, textured paints and coatings (banned in the US in 1977), pipe cement, duct wrap, joint compound used on seams between pieces of sheetrock, Gypsum board, oven insulation. Asbestos is a flame retardant, was there for good reason until we came to appreciate the respiratory risk. If you are worrying about asbestos, worry about lead paint at the same time.In the US, my advice wold be, if the building was built before 1981, in major rehab, assume you have asbestos and lead problems and have workers take appropriate protective measures. But if the building is 200 years old, it would be unlikely to be a problem. Office buildings and multi-family housing in the US are especially troubled by asbestos because of the flame resistance. Also, if not renovating, asbestos does not pose risk while in place. For example, insulation in your oven is sealed, only is an issue if you decide to disassemble the oven. I definitely would get rid of asbestos ceiling tile (think drop ceilings) and floor tile.

The answer to that question is very complex. I suggest you (if you are able to read French) to have a look at the French legislation:

http://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sante-et-environnement/batiments/article/le-reperage-de-l-amiante-dans-les-batiments

You will see that the number of samples will depend on the nature of the material that contains asbestos, on the conservation state of these materials, etc. Dealing with asbestos in a house is very complex, especially you want to remove it: it is a job and it should be done by non-specialists.

We have plenty of literature in France about this question, but it is in French...

thank you Ted and Michel,

unfortunately I don't read french, in Italy exist a best practice that suggest a sample in the air for each 100 square meters of building, but no rules on the number of samples on vinyl sheet flooring or in ceiling tiles.

The building I refers was built in 1965-75 I suppose asbestos was largely employed.

I suggest you to hav a look at our document ED 6262:

http://www.inrs.fr/media.html?refINRS=ED%206262

It is in French but there are very numerous pictures which can give you an idea of which kind of asbestos containiong materials you can encounter in a house.

Michel,

thank you very much, I found it helpful even I do not read french