Asbestos was used in thousands of products over hundreds of years worldwide. Different types of tiles with asbestos were used in homes, offices, hospitals, and public buildings. Often, they were affixed to a floor or wall with mastic, or a glue, that also contained asbestos. Millions of Americans lived their lives not knowing the potential toxic dangers around them.

What is Asbestos? What Harm Can It Do?

Asbestos is a light, strong mineral fiber resistant to heat and fire. When fibers are floating in the air, they can be inhaled or swallowed. If enough fibers are in the lungs, they can severely restrict breathing and cause asbestosis.

Asbestos can also lead to lung cancer and different types of mesotheliomas, another type of cancer that can impact the lung and chest cavity linings (pleural mesothelioma) and the linings of the abdomen and abdominal organs (peritoneal mesothelioma). Mesothelioma is treatable but incurable.

What are Asbestos Tiles?

Floor and ceiling tiles incorporated asbestos because it’s strong, heat and fire-resistant, and it improves moisture resistance and durability. Times were commonly installed in buildings during most of the 20th century. Asbestos use in tiles ended in the 1980s.

Asbestos tiles were used as acoustic ceiling panels, drop, and suspended ceilings. They are much more fragile than floor tiles, so they pose a greater risk to building owners and occupants. As they age, they can crumble and release fibers into the air.

Floor tiles were designed to handle foot traffic and weight put on them, so they’re much stronger. Problems arise if these tiles are cut, scraped, or sanded. These floor tiles could, by weight, be 70% made of asbestos fibers. If they’re stuck to a surface with asbestos-containing mastic, those fibers can be released too.

Asbestos floor tiles fall into two categories:

• Vinyl or plastic tiles were often used in heavy-traffic areas. Asbestos fibers were mixed into a vinyl resin during production
• Tiles containing asphalt and gilsonite (a lightweight organic material resulting from petroleum solidifying) as the primary binding agents. They were darker in color compared to vinyl tiles

Asbestos floor tiles may still exist in some older homes and buildings but shouldn’t be in structures built since the 1990s.

Who’s Most at Risk Due to Asbestos Tiles?

Those who installed these tiles and those who later disturbed or cut them up could’ve been exposed to asbestos. As in most asbestos-containing products, tiles aren’t hazardous if intact.

Ceiling products containing asbestos were popular in medium to large buildings where acoustics could be a problem. Building owners or managers wanted to limit or control noise, so they used asbestos-containing materials because they soaked up and deadened sound. They were also often used in homes to cover ductwork.

Asbestos floor tiles were used in all types of buildings, including homes, commercial buildings, offices, schools, and churches. These tiles were common in high-traffic areas because they were so long-lasting.  

Those working with asbestos tiles indirectly or directly risked asbestos exposure. They would be those installing, removing, or maintaining them. Those working or living in these buildings could be exposed when these products were installed, cut, sanded, or removed. You could be exposed to asbestos if you’re in the same area as aging, crumbling ceiling tiles.

You could also be exposed to asbestos near a burning building or one being demolished containing these products.

Get A Local Mesothelioma Law Firm Working For You Today

Satterley & Kelley PLLC takes action for our clients harmed by asbestos. We help victims and their families however we can. You may have a valid compensation claim if you have an asbestos-related disease. Contact us today to discuss your case in a free initial consultation.

To schedule an appointment with the experienced mesothelioma attorneys at our firm, call 855-385-9532 or contact us online.