Written by Michelle Whitmer | Scientifically Reviewed By Sean Fitzgerald, PG | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: May 21, 2024

Quick Facts About Asbestos in Vinyl Products
  • calendar icon
    Years Produced:
    1920s – Present
  • grey magnifying glass icon
    Places Used:
    Flooring and Wallpaper
  • radiation hazard sign icon
    Toxicity:
    Low
  • skip icon
    Asbestos Use Banned:
    No
  • outline of a gray lightning bolt
    Friable:
    Becomes friable with age and damage

Types of Vinyl Products Containing Asbestos

Many types of vinyl products produced between 1920 and 1980 contained asbestos. Manufacturers such as Sears-Roebuck and Goodyear used asbestos in vinyl wallpaper, vinyl floor tiles, vinyl sheet flooring and asbestos linoleum backing. 

Asbestos was also a common additive in vinyl sheet flooring and linoleum backing to provide extra cushioning. The adhesives used to install these products often contained asbestos as well.

Vinyl Asbestos Products

Vinyl Wallpaper
Vinyl Wallpaper

Vinyl wallpaper has existed for more than a century and was one of the earliest vinyl products to use asbestos. Most wall coverings today are either vinyl-coated paper or solid vinyl with a cloth backing.

Vinyl Floor Tile
Vinyl Floor Tiles

Vinyl floor tiles are inexpensive and durable, making them a popular choice for high-wear areas in businesses, schools and hospitals. The addition of asbestos to vinyl floor tiles increased insulation and fire resistance. In many buildings, the adhesive used to apply tiles also contained asbestos.

Vinyl Sheet Flooring
Vinyl Sheet Flooring

Vinyl sheet flooring is long-lasting and economical, often resembling carpeting, wood or stone. Asbestos vinyl sheet flooring in the 1970s used the material to provide a cushioned backing. This use of asbestos poses a serious exposure risk when disturbed.

Linoleum Flooring
Linoleum Flooring

Linoleum flooring is similar in appearance and application to vinyl flooring and also may contain asbestos. Unlike synthetic vinyl, it uses natural materials. While linoleum is not a vinyl product, homeowners often confuse it with vinyl flooring.

Asbestos exposure from vinyl flooring and wallpaper was common among manufacturing employees and installers. Additionally, exposure occurred among homeowners performing DIY installations and repairs or living in homes with damaged asbestos vinyl flooring. 

Companies Associated With Asbestos Vinyl Products

Some well-known manufacturers, such as Goodyear and Sears-Roebuck, produced asbestos vinyl products for decades. These products were used in homes, schools and other buildings across the country. Many of these companies have faced litigation for causing exposure risks to workers and homeowners.

Companies Using Asbestos in Vinyl
  • American Biltrite
  • Amtico Floors
  • Armstrong World Industries
  • Congoleum Corporation
  • EverWear
  • GAF Corporation
  • Goodyear
  • Kentile Floors
  • Montgomery Ward
  • Sears-Roebuck

Many companies declared bankruptcy as a result of lawsuits and established trust funds to pay settlements and awards to people who developed asbestos-related diseases. People who develop mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer from exposure to asbestos vinyl products may be eligible to file a claim.

71%

Percentage of respondents to The Mesothelioma Center’s survey who said they’re confident their homes don’t contain asbestos, though 65% have never had their homes tested.

Source: The Mesothelioma Center, Asbestos in the Home Survey

Brands Associated With Asbestos Vinyl Products

Many companies associated with vinyl products manufactured more than one brand. Knowing which brands used asbestos-containing materials can help people identify those requiring special handling.

Brands Containing Asbestos

Armstrong World Industries

Armstrong, founded in 1860, expanded from making cork products to creating a linoleum flooring business. This led to the production of vinyl and other flooring materials under the brands Armstrong Excelon and Solarian, which used asbestos in their products.

Armstrong World Industries Tiles
Congoleum-Nairn

Congoleum produced multiple brands of asbestos vinyl flooring, including Flor-Ever Vinyl, Fashionflor Cushioned Vinyl and Gold Seal Vinyl Inlaids among others.

Congoleum-Nairn Tile
EverWear

EveryWear produced vinyl floor tiles that contained asbestos. These vinyl asbestos products pose a potential exposure risk.

GAF Corporation

Many GAF brands, including Bright Future Luxor Vinyl Floors and Fashioncraft VinylFlex Floor Tile, contained asbestos.

Goodyear

Goodyear used asbestos in its vinyl tile flooring products. Asbestos vinyl flooring installers have developed asbestos-related diseases and named Goodyear as a defendant in lawsuits.

Kentile Floors

Kentile KenFlex Vinyl Floor Tiles contained asbestos. Use of Kentile’s flooring products was widespread, putting manufacturing workers, installers, renovators, repair workers and homeowners at risk.

Kentile Floors Tile
Montgomery Ward

Style House Vinyl Asbestos Flooring from Montgomery Ward poses an asbestos exposure risk. Their products contained up to 70% asbestos. It was popular for use in homes.

Sears-Roebuck

Sears-Roebuck was one of the most well-known brands in the U.S. Asbestos was widely used in its vinyl asbestos floor tiles.

Most brands phased asbestos out of their production processes beginning in the 1970s to meet new Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Some popular brands, including Armstrong, Flintkote and Kentile, continued to produce vinyl products with asbestos into the 1980s.  

Asbestos Vinyl Products and Asbestos-Related Diseases

Workers with prolonged exposure to asbestos in vinyl products have an increased risk of developing asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis, asbestos lung cancer and mesothelioma. However, symptoms often take decades to develop, making it difficult to establish a connection between them and exposure to asbestos in vinyl flooring or wallpaper.

When asbestos breaks down or gets damaged or disturbed, it can release microscopic fibers. If inhaled, these fibers may settle in the lining of the lungs, where they cause inflammation and scarring. Over time, certain diseases and types of cancer may develop. 

As asbestos enters the body, it can damage tissue. Trapped asbestos fibers damage cells, and the DNA in those cells breaks down, leading to asbestos-related cancers.

sean marchese
Sean Marchese, RN and oncology writer at The Mesothelioma Center

Studies have shown that exposure can also occur from normal use of asbestos-containing vinyl products. A recent report showed asbestos in vinyl flooring became friable with wear and released fibers during normal use and maintenance. In another recent study, testing showed students and teachers in Italian schools faced daily exposure to asbestos from building materials and laboratory equipment. 

Occupations With Asbestos Insulation Exposure Risks

Many vinyl workers experienced prolonged daily asbestos exposure. Flooring installers and factory workers faced the greatest exposure risk. 

Sheet vinyl poses a greater asbestos exposure risk than vinyl tiles. The large sheet size and cushioned backing make careful handling difficult, especially during installation and removal.

Occupations With Asbestos Exposure
  • Carpenters
  • Construction workers
  • Do-it-yourself renovators
  • Demolition crews
  • Floor installers
  • Maintenance workers
  • Vinyl factory workers

Anyone with a history of asbestos exposure should consult a top mesothelioma doctor to evaluate lung condition and determine if there is any lung damage. Early detection leads to a better response from treatment. 

Compensation for Exposure to Asbestos Vinyl Products

Personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits have led to manufacturers paying millions of dollars in compensation to people who developed asbestos-related diseases. These manufacturers were aware of the dangers asbestos poses but chose profits over safety. 

U.S. courts have largely held companies responsible for asbestos-related health complications. For example, a New York judge dismissed Goodyear’s request for dismissal of a 2019 lawsuit over asbestos in its vinyl floor tiles.

Notable Asbestos Verdicts
  • $23 million verdict: In March 2024, a New York appeals court upheld a $23 million verdict awarded to a steamfitter who developed mesothelioma after asbestos exposure from Jenkins Bros. products such as gaskets and insulation.
  • $4 million verdict: A jury awarded the families of two former BNSF Railway employees $4 million each in a wrongful death case in April 2024.

If you or a loved one was exposed to asbestos-containing products, a mesothelioma attorney could determine if you are eligible for compensation. 

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How to Handle and Dispose of Asbestos Vinyl Flooring and Wallpaper

Floor scraper with bits of asbestos backing
Asbestos can become friable when sheet flooring is removed.

It’s impossible to recognize asbestos in vinyl wallpaper, flooring or tiles by sight. Anyone who suspects the presence of asbestos should contact a trained and licensed abatement professional for testing and removal. 

Asbestos removal specialists will also follow all applicable local, state and federal guidelines for asbestos disposal. If you are unsure if a vinyl product in your home or business contains asbestos, contact an asbestos professional to evaluate the material.

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