Asbestos Permaboard, Rollboard and Flex Board
Permaboard, roll board and flex board are types of construction materials used to provide insulation from heat, fire, sound and water in various structures. Similar to plasterboard or cement board, the products often contained asbestos fibers in the period between the 1950s and the mid-1970s. The asbestos content of various insulating board materials used during this time ranges from 15 to 40 percent.
Asbestos insulating boards such as Permaboard, asbestos roll board and asbestos flex board could be found in the following locations:
- Duct work
- Fire door panels
- Soffits
- Wall partitions or linings
- Ceiling tiles
- Roof underlay
- Tile backing
- Boilers
- Ovens
Permaboard
Permaboard is a brand of asbestos-cement board that was trademarked in 1953 by the National Gypsum Company and was used widely until 1981 in residential homes and other buildings. Also referred to as asbestos flat sheets or asbestos-cement wallboard, Permaboard typically contained a mixture of cement and asbestos sandwiched between two protective sheets. The board was used for both exterior and interior partitions or in areas where insulation from heat, fire, water and sound was necessary, such as around boilers, furnaces or wood-burning stoves. Permaboard was sold under the brand name Gold Bond Asbestos Permaboard.
Rollboard
Similar to millboard, rollboard is a material that was frequently used to provide fireproofing and insulation in commercial, residential and industrial structures. The material could be found in ceilings, walls, partitions, stoves, furnaces, electrical boxes, garage paneling and in other areas where fireproofing was needed.
Rollboard is supplied as a flexible, rolled sheet, made with two sheets of asbestos paper glued together. Testing shows that the material commonly contained 70 to 80 percent asbestos. Used from the 1950s until the 1980s, asbestos rollboard was banned in 1989 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration and remains banned in the U.S. today.
Flex Board
Flex board is another insulating board material that commonly contained asbestos prior to the 1980s. Consisting of cement and asbestos pressed and then re-pressed together into flat sheets, flex board offered both flexibility and protection from fire in walls, ceilings, countertops, garages, fireplaces and other locations.
Dangers of Permaboard, Rollboard & Flex Board
Insulating board materials made with asbestos can pose a serious health hazard if the asbestos fibers are released into the air during installation, excessive use or demolition. If inhaled or ingested, microscopic asbestos fibers can lodge in the lungs and other body organs, leading to lung cancer, mesothelioma and other serious health complications in later life.
Asbestos fibers can be released from Permaboard, rollboard or flex board upon installation or when the materials are sawed, snapped, sanded or drilled. Asbestos fibers may also be released if the boards are damaged from wear and tear, water damage, vibrations or humidity.
Individuals who manufactured asbestos-containing Permaboard, rollboard or flex board may have been exposed to asbestos fibers in factories, and their families may also have been exposed through asbestos fibers that remained on the workers' clothing, boots or hair. Shipbuilders, construction workers, remodelers, demolition crews and other people who came into contact with asbestos Permaboard, rollboard or flex board may have inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers.
The following manufacturers may have used asbestos in their insulating board materials and factories:
- National Gypsum Co.
- Armstrong Cork Co.
- Elof Hansson Inc.
- Wood Conversion Co.
- Johns-Manville Sales Corp.
- The Celotex Co.
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© 2012 The Mesothelioma Center |
Last Modified Thursday, February 9th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Sponsored by a law firm concentrating in asbestos litigation, The Peterson Firm, LLP with offices at 1350 Connecticut Ave, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington DC 20036.
