Asbestos Products

Cork Board

Among the "new" materials that were frequently used in home and office construction during the first sixty years of the 1900s, cork board was one of the most versatile. Lightweight and easy to handle, it was easy to install, attractive, had insulating properties and could be made with asbestos to add non-conductive and fire retardant properties. Cork board was a popular wall and ceiling treatment in the 1940s and 1950s, with the majority of the cork board used for insulating and construction being laced with asbestos.

Because it was easy to handle and shape, cork board tiles were also a popular do-it-yourself wall covering, offering sound absorption and insulation. In addition to the asbestos that might be contained in the cork board itself, it was often affixed to ceiling, wall and floor surfaces with construction mastics that contained asbestos. Larger sheets of corkboard were sometimes used beneath wood or tile flooring to add a cushion for walking.

Asbestos was a major boon to the construction industry. It was used in thousands of products over the course of the early twentieth century, many hundreds of them used in home and office construction. The mineral was dubbed as the "miracle mineral". Lightweight, resistant to weather, electricity, fire, heat and water, it could be woven into yarn and cloth, mixed into cement and with wood pulp, sprayed on, painted on or applied with nails and screws. Unfortunately, asbestos also had a dark side, one that was deliberately hidden by the companies that were profiting from its widespread use and sale. Asbestos, in addition to all of its advantages and benefits, had one major drawback. It kills.

The culprit in this case is the dust and fibers that are released when asbestos is broken or crushed. Asbestos fibers, many of them microscopic, can be inhaled or swallowed, and the very impermeability that makes it such an ideal construction material makes it deadly in the body. Decades after exposure to asbestos fiber, many people develop mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the linings of the lungs, abdominal cavity and heart. Asbestos has been implicated as the only known cause of mesothelioma. The rates of mesothelioma among those who were exposed to asbestos in cork board, cork tiles and hundreds of other construction materials is monumentally higher than its incidence in those who were not regularly exposed to high levels of asbestos fibers.

While those who worked in construction and the related industries of demolition and renovation face a high risk of mesothelioma, it has also been established that even short term exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma. Thus, even those homeowners who tore out their own cork board insulation or did other do it yourself projects involving the removal or installation of products containing asbestos may have an increased risk of mesothelioma.

If you were involved in the construction industry, installed flooring or cork board tiles treated with asbestos on walls or ceilings, or were exposed to asbestos in the course of your job, you are at a higher risk of developing mesothelioma than the general population. You are also more prone to develop lung cancer and several other cancers, asbestosis and other respiratory diseases. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and were exposed to asbestos, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical problems. The courts have already awarded millions of dollars in settlements to those who were exposed to asbestos without any warning of the possible hazards. Even if you are not certain where or when you may have been exposed to asbestos, an experienced mesothelioma attorney may be able to get you compensation for your injuries and illness.

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