Gold Bond
Gold Bond is a brand of construction products that once contained asbestos. Asbestos litigation forced Gold Bond and its parent company, National Gypsum, to file for bankruptcy in 1990. A trust fund was established with $347 million to handle asbestos claims.
Written by D. Carl Money | Scientifically Reviewed by Sean Fitzgerald, PG | Edited by Amy Edel | Last Update: September 29, 2025
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Founded:1965 -
Years Operated:1965 - Present -
Headquarters:Charlotte, NC -
Business:Manufacturer of building and construction products -
Asbestos Trust:Yes -
Bankruptcy Status:Filed on October 28, 1990 and emerged on March, 9 1993. Filed again in August 19, 2002 and reorganized in August 6, 2003.
Gold Bond’s History With Asbestos
In 1925, National Gypsum Company developed a light, flexible wallboard that performed better than other wallboards. The products became known as Gold Bond after a promotional “gold bond” certificate guaranteed their quality. Over time, the Gold Bond product line expanded beyond wallboard, and many of these products contained asbestos for strength and fire resistance.
Thousands of Gold Bond products contained asbestos from the 1940s through the early 1980s. After the early 1980s, the company removed asbestos from its products, but millions had already been installed in homes and commercial buildings during the building booms of the 1950s and 1960s.
People who manufactured, installed or worked around Gold Bond products were exposed to asbestos fibers. This exposure put workers and others at risk of serious diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. Thousands of people and families have pursued lawsuits to seek compensation for asbestos-related illnesses from Gold Bond products.
Development of Gold Bond Trust
The National Gypsum and Gold Bond Building Products joined the Wellington Agreement, an industrywide settlement between asbestos manufacturers and their insurers, in 1985. The agreement created the National Claims Facility, which handled claims for 3 years before closing.
By 1990, asbestos claims had grown too large, and National Gypsum filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In 1993, the company reorganized into “New National Gypsum,” which acquired the Gold Bond division, and “Old National Gypsum,” which retained the asbestos liabilities and formed the Asbestos Claims Management Corporation to manage claims. The National Gypsum Corporation Settlement Trust handled asbestos-related claims during this time.
On August 6, 2003, the National Gypsum Company Bodily Injury Trust was established to handle future asbestos claims. As of 2025, the asbestos trust fund remains active, processing claims from people exposed to Gold Bond and other National Gypsum products. As with other asbestos trust funds, people submit claims through the trust instead of filing lawsuits against the company, and a lawyer can help determine eligibility and guide the claims process.
Asbestos Litigation Involving Gold Bond
Workers and others who handled Gold Bond products developed mesothelioma and other serious diseases and began pursuing asbestos lawsuits in the 1970s. They named National Gypsum and Gold Bond Building Products as defendants, seeking to recover mesothelioma compensation.
In Roehling v. National Gypsum Company Gold Bond Building Products, the court treated circumstantial evidence, such as a witness remembering a Gold Bond label at a worksite, as sufficient to hold the manufacturer responsible. The ruling expanded opportunities for plaintiffs to take legal action and shaped how courts handle mesothelioma lawsuits.
The case strengthened accountability for manufacturers and helped more people seek justice after asbestos exposure. It remains a key precedent for legal claims involving asbestos-related diseases.
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Get Help NowGold Bond Asbestos Products and Workers at Risk
For many decades, Gold Bond manufactured numerous building materials that contained asbestos, putting many workers and consumers at risk. These asbestos products typically contained between 22% and 45% asbestos, though some had as little as 1%.
Gold Bond Asbestos Products
Gold Bond sold raw asbestos fiber, made of 100% chrysotile asbestos. Certain products, like drywall and joint compounds, were friable, meaning the asbestos could easily crumble into a fine powder. Such products exposed workers to significant asbestos exposure.
Workers at Risk From Gold Bond Asbestos Products
Employees who manufactured Gold Bond products faced higher risks of dangerous asbestos exposure. Also, various workers who encountered Gold Bond products in the course of their job tasks were at risk of occupational asbestos exposure.
Higher-Risk Jobs
- Building maintenance workers
- Carpenters
- Construction workers
- Demolition workers
- Drywall workers
- Home repairmen
- Insulators
- Painters
- Pipefitters
Drywall workers were especially at risk when they mixed powdered compounds or sanded the compound because asbestos fibers would be released into the air and inhaled. Today, workers involved in remodeling or demolishing buildings containing Gold Bond asbestos products continue to face exposure risks.
Gold Bond History
Gold Bond Building Products became a distinct division of the National Gypsum Company in the 1960s. This change took place when Colon Brown became chairman and chief executive officer in 1965. In 1978, the Gold Bond division moved its headquarters from Buffalo, New York, to Charlotte, North Carolina.
In the 1990s, National Gypsum filed for bankruptcy following asbestos litigation. After a reorganization plan during this bankruptcy, Gold Bond Building Products was reintegrated into National Gypsum Company as a brand rather than a separate division.
Today, National Gypsum remains one of the leading gypsum wallboard producers globally. It continues to market a line of wallboard and related products under the Gold Bond brand name.
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