Asbestos Felt: Dangerous Product in Roofing, Flooring & ...

Written by Michelle Whitmer | Scientifically Reviewed By Sean Fitzgerald, PG | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: March 25,

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Quick Facts About Asbestos Felt and Paper

• Years Produced:

  Early s &#; s

• Places Used:

  Roofs and floors in homes, businesses and public buildings; paper mills

• Toxicity:

  High

• Asbestos Use Banned:

  Partial: Asbestos flooring felt is banned

• Friable:

  Yes

Asbestos Felt and Paper Used in Building Materials

Because of the naturally soft, fibrous consistency of asbestos, the fireproof mineral was also made into felt for construction and manufacturing purposes until its toxicity was revealed to the public. Felt is a type of fabric made when textile fibers are compressed and heated or moistened so that they mat together. Felt was commonly made of animal hair or synthetic fibers.

Asbestos felt was used along with adhesives in the floors of older homes.

Asbestos felt was used as an underlayment for floors and roofs. Paper mills also used sheets of it on which to dry hot paper pulp. The asbestos content of these products was historically 85%. Almost all manufacturers used the common chrysotile form, also known as &#;white asbestos.&#; Asbestos felt and paper easily releases toxic fibers into the air when worked with or disturbed. It poses a major exposure risk.

Asbestos flooring felt is one of the few asbestos products completely banned in the United States. Old asbestos felt remains on the floors and roofs of millions of American buildings constructed between and the s. Roofers, flooring installers, demolition workers and paper mill workers were exposed.

Diseases Related to Asbestos Felt

Exposure to asbestos-contaminated felt may cause the following diseases:

• Mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Laryngeal cancer
• Asbestosis
• Pleural plaques
• Diffuse pleural thickening
• Pleuritis
• Pleural effusion

In , an asbestos exposure study was published in the Annals of Work Exposures and Health. It simulated work roofers performed using asbestos-containing roofing materials, including felt. Chrysotile asbestos fibers were detected in 28 of 84 air samples taken during the study.

Thankfully, it is unlikely that current roofers are exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos over an eight-hour work shift. Unfortunately, former roofers were exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos. They have developed related diseases as a result.

Occupations at Risk

Roofers, flooring installers and paper mill workers inhaled asbestos working with asbestos felt. Even when the product was new and in good condition it could release asbestos fibers during handling.

In decades past, asbestos felt products contributed substantially to occupational exposure. Occupations at risk of exposure to asbestos felt and paper include:

• Roofers
• Flooring installers
• Construction workers
• Demolition workers
• Paper mill workers

If you were exposed in the past, watch for symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, abdominal swelling and fatigue. Workers diagnosed with related diseases should see a doctor to ensure they receive the best treatment possible.

It is important to hire a licensed asbestos abatement professional if you believe asbestos felt is in your home or workplace.

What Was Asbestos Felt Used for in Construction?

The construction industry primarily used asbestos felt to produce roofing and flooring products. It was also used to make paper.

The primary applications for asbestos felt included:

• Roofing: Construction workers used asbestos roofing felt as an underlayment for shingles. It was also sometimes the main material used in built-up roofs. Asbestos tar paper, also known as asbestos felt underlayment, was used as an underlayment for roofs.
• Flooring: Asbestos felt was often laid under linoleum, vinyl and asphalt floor tiles for padding and insulation.
• Paper Manufacturing: Asbestos paper mills used sheets of asbestos felt as a drying surface for paper pulp.

Installing, repairing and removing asbestos felt and paper products released asbestos fibers into the air. These fibers are easily inhaled, but the body struggles to remove them all. The fibers accumulate in the body over time with repeated exposure. Over decades these fibers cause damage and inflammation that leads to cancer.

Companies Connected to Asbestos Felt and Paper

Companies that manufactured asbestos felt include:

Manufacturer Brand Armstrong World Industries Hydrocord Flooring Felt Koppers Company Fashionflor Cushioned Vinyl Johns Manville Blue Chip Roofing Felt Celotex Corporation Carey Fiberock Felt Raymark Industries Raybestos Pyrotex Felt Quigley Company Fiberock Felt Reynolds Metals AAA Roofing Felt National Gypsum FlexFelt

Other companies that manufactured asbestos felt products include:

Several of these companies were forced into bankruptcy because of asbestos lawsuits. To reorganize through bankruptcy, they had to create trust funds to compensate asbestos victims.

Compensation for Exposure to Asbestos Felt and Paper

Workers have filed lawsuits against manufacturers of asbestos products. These people were diagnosed with diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer. This sent many companies into bankruptcy.

• In September , widower William Robaey was awarded more than $10 million in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Felt Products Manufacturing after his wife died of mesothelioma because of secondary exposure. Robaey used asbestos-containing products made by Felt Products Manufacturing in his home garage. She was exposed while she helped him work and when she cleaned the garage and his work clothes.
• In the s, flooring contractor Robert Ehret developed mesothelioma after installing asbestos flooring felt with floor tiles and sheets for two decades. He took legal action against several companies that manufactured these products from the s to s. Mesothelioma took Erhet&#;s life before he could go to court, but his wife received an award of more than $3 million.

Another major manufacturer of asbestos flooring products, Armstrong World Industries, was driven to bankruptcy in by the volume of lawsuits filed against it. As part of its reorganization, it established the Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Trust in to provide asbestos compensation to present and future claimants. According to the trust&#;s annual report, it paid almost $100 million in claims that year and its total value was about $1.8 billion.

In addition to lawsuits and trust fund claims, other forms of compensation include VA claims, Social Security Disability and grants for treatment or travel. An experienced mesothelioma attorney can offer the best guidance on the types of compensation for which you may qualify.

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Abatement and History of Asbestos Felt

If roofing or flooring installed before must be repaired or replaced, a sample of the underlayment should be tested for asbestos before the work gets underway. Consult a trained asbestos abatement professional before doing any work that may disturb an asbestos felt product.

Asbestos was used in the backing of numerous sheet flooring products.

Asbestos felt is friable, making it a particularly hazardous product no matter the percentage of asbestos content. Most asbestos felt in homes and businesses today is encapsulated under floor tiles and roof shingles. The safest thing to do in many cases is to leave it that way so asbestos fibers remain trapped.

In the early s, a new construction method called built-up roofing became popular. During this process, several layers of fabric covered with tar or asphalt were laid down on top of one another. Asbestos felt became the primary material used in many flat-topped buildings.

Materials used in flooring installation also incorporated asbestos felt. Linoleum, asphalt and vinyl floor tiles all offered cheap and durable flooring solutions, and asbestos felt products were available as backing materials for all of them.

The rise of the office worker brought with it the advent of the modern paper industry, which found yet another application for asbestos felt. After trees are processed into wood pulp, the pulp must be dried before being made into paper. Laying the pulp out on sheets of asbestos felt allowed it to be dried at a high temperature, increasing the speed of production.

By the s, however, corporations could no longer cover up the link between asbestos exposure and fatal diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. As with most asbestos products, the use of asbestos felt has largely been phased out in the United States, though it remains a threat to workers and homeowners renovating old floors and roofs.

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If you want to keep your wooden floor looking fresh and new, then felt protector pads are a fantastic product.  They can help to prevent unwanted scratches and dents caused by furniture and other heavy objects.

 

What are felt protector pads?

First of all, Felt protector pads are small anti-scratch pads with a soft felt surface.  They are designed to be used on the bottom of furniture.  Most of all, when applied correctly they create a cushion between the furniture and your wooden floor.  There are a range of different felt protector pads to choose from.  Some have a self-adhesive back for easy application, whereas others can be screwed in for a more secure fit. 

Why should I use them?

We believe that felt protector pads are an essential part of caring for your hardwood floor.  Since they have been designed to prevent unwanted dents and scratches you should apply them to the bottom of furniture or heavy items, especially anything that is regularly moved, like chair legs.  The pad itself acts as a soft (anti-scratch) cushion so when the furniture is moved, it will not scratch or mark your floor. For a more secure fit we would recommend the screw-in pads, which are much better for items that are moved regularly as they stay in place firmly. In addition, we also have a multipack of self-adhesive pads, which are great if you have a lot of furniture that is only moved every now and again (e.g. to clean underneath).

To protect your floor, use felt protector pads on the following items:

&#; Chair legs

&#; Table legs

&#; Coffee tables

&#; Desks

&#; Television cabinets

&#; Bed legs

&#; Heavy toys

For more advice and information about looking after your floor, have a look at the following: How to prevent scratches on hardwood floors.

Are you interested in learning more about Felt Flooring? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!