Asbestos in Insulation
Table Of Contents
Most buildings constructed between 1930 and 1980 contained asbestos insulation. Some buildings still contain high levels of asbestos. Construction workers and homeowners face potentially serious health consequences from continued exposure to asbestos wall, basement and attic insulation.
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Years Produced:1866 – 1978 -
Places Used:Attics, ceilings, walls and basements in residential and commercial construction as well as around pipes, boilers, furnaces and electrical boxes -
Toxicity:High -
Asbestos Use Banned:Yes -
Friable:Yes
What Types of Insulation Contain Asbestos?
Damaged asbestos insulation around pipes in basements presents an exposure risk.
There are several types of asbestos insulation with varying uses ranging from construction to industrial applications. The 4 main types are: block, loose-fill, spray-on and wrap.
Until the late 1970s, the majority of insulation manufacturers used asbestos for home and commercial products. Asbestos fibers were resistant to heat and fire, so contractors used several types of asbestos insulation throughout buildings.
Types of Asbestos Insulation
- Asbestos spray insulation: Spray-on asbestos coatings for boilers, furnaces, pipes and structural beams
- Block insulation: Solid slabs or boards of pure asbestos, usually glued to walls
- Blanket insulation: Rolls or precut sheets of asbestos batting, designed to fit between building frames or to wrap around pipes and HVAC ducts
- Pipe insulation: Cloth wrappings made with asbestos fibers or asbestos wool
- Loose-fill insulation: Fluffy insulation that was blown or poured into attics
These insulation products used several types of asbestos. The exact structure of the mineral determines its best use. Types of asbestos include: amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite, tremolite and actinolite.
The Environmental Protection Agency banned spray-on asbestos insulation in 1973, certain types of pipe and block insulation in 1975 and new asbestos insulation products in 1989. In 2024, the EPA banned most uses of chrysotile asbestos products, including imports.
Zonolite Insulation
Zonolite was popular until the 1980s.
W.R. Grace made Zonolite insulation, which reached its peak use in the 1960s. The company made Zonolite using vermiculite from its mine in Libby, Montana. It was contaminated with tremolite asbestos.
Documents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimate that some 30 million homes may still have Zonolite in their attics. Because it’s hazardous even at low levels, Zonolite asbestos insulation poses a risk to residents who are unaware of the danger.
Mr. Fluffy Insulation
Mr. Fluffy or Asbestosfluf was popular in Australia.
Asbestosfluf asbestos attic insulation is a loose-fill product. It was popular in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s. Its manufacturer was commonly known as Mr. Fluffy because of the product’s cottony appearance.
In the 1980s, the Australian government ran a campaign to remove Asbestosfluf insulation from homes. It knew the material was dangerous. However, the product’s dust was everywhere. Even homes with all asbestos removed were contaminated.
Companies That Made Asbestos Insulation
The most notable U.S. companies that made asbestos insulation are W.R. Grace and Johns Manville. The list of companies that manufactured asbestos insulation products in the 1960s and 1970s is exceptionally long. There were even more third-party distributors and hardware stores.
Asbestos Insulation Companies
Many of the largest insulation manufacturers filed for bankruptcy after facing tens of thousands of product liability lawsuits. As part of the bankruptcy process, many companies established asbestos trust funds to settle existing and future claims. Celotex, Owens Corning and National Gypsum are just a few of the insulation makers with trust funds.
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Brands Associated With Asbestos Insulation
Large manufacturers often sold asbestos-containing products under different brand names and product lines. Companies frequently developed asbestos home products under one brand name while products for commercial and industrial uses were sold under other brand names.
In 2024, Crown Cork and Seal paid $15 million to handle 600 asbestos claims. The company spent $38 million in 2022 and 2023 related to asbestos settlements and lawsuits. Crown owned the Mundet Cork brand, which made asbestos-containing insulation and asbestos-cement products.
Air Cell, Marinite, Superex and Thermobestos were asbestos insulation brands from Johns Manville, which is among the most well-known asbestos-related companies.
Nicolet Keasbey & Mattison also had a brand of pipe insulation called Air Cell. The company was once one of the world’s largest asbestos producers. It made industrial products, including Hy-Temp insulation, from its Ambler, Pa., headquarters.
Armstrong Contracting and Supply brands of asbestos insulation included Armatemp and Hi-Temp. Products included insulating roof tiles, block, pipe and felt insulation.
Celotex brands include Careytemp, Carey Thermalite and Vitricel. Celotex was a major manufacturer of asbestos roofing, siding and insulation for buildings. It also owned asbestos mines.
Materials bearing the popular Gold Bond brand were among National Gypsum’s asbestos brands. The company was a major producer of asbestos wallboard, roofing and ceiling panels.
Hylo Block, Supertemp Block and Super 66 insulating cement are all brands from manufacturer EaglePicher Industries Inc. The company made asbestos insulation. It was widely used in military applications.
Owens Illinois Glass Company produced Kaylo pipe and block insulations. They contained up to 20% asbestos.
Turner and Newall, a U.K. company, made many asbestos products. These included the widely used Limpet spray that contained 85% asbestos. Keasbey & Mattison was sold to Turner and Newell in 1934. Armstrong Contracting and Supply had an exclusive license to distribute Limpet Asbestos in the U.S. from 1962 to 1967.
Zonolite and Monokote were brands from asbestos manufacturer W.R. Grace. The company’s mines were once responsible for a large portion of the world’s asbestos products.
Health Risks of Asbestos in Insulation
Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of mesothelioma. Inhalation of asbestos fibers also causes asbestos-related lung cancer, laryngeal cancer and asbestosis.
The body struggles to break down and expel inhaled asbestos fibers. As Dr. Jeffrey Velotta, thoracic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente, explains, “Asbestos fibers get lodged in the pleural lining of the lung and inflammation and genetic changes happen.”
This inflammation, scarring and other damage can cause genetic mutations in cells that can become cancer. It’s common for asbestos-related illnesses to take decades to appear after exposure.
Julie K.
Verified Asbestos.com Survivor
Survivor Was Exposed to Asbestos Insulation
Julie K. has survived more than 30 years since her pleural mesothelioma diagnosis. She believes her diagnosis was the result of asbestos exposure when she was a child. Her father was an electrical engineer who used to bring home asbestos insulation to wrap around the radiator pipes they used to heat the older house where she grew up. The head of Julie’s bed was adjacent to the heater.
Julie K.
Verified Asbestos.com Survivor
Who’s At Risk?
Most cases of exposure to asbestos insulation involved occupational exposure. Because asbestos insulation is friable, meaning it crumbles and becomes airborne easily, workers in mining, construction and manufacturing, for example, were heavily exposed over long periods of time.
Handling the insulation, spraying it or installing it caused asbestos fibers to become airborne. Nearby workers could also be exposed when maintenance teams cut, tore or chopped away old asbestos layers.
People at Higher Risk of Asbestos Exposure
- Boiler technicians
- Building maintenance workers
- Construction workers
- Demolition workers
- Electricians
- Factory workers
- Firefighters
- Home renovators
- Insulators
- Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters
Asbestos insulation is no longer installed, but legacy asbestos in older buildings still puts people at risk. Firefighters, maintenance personnel and demolition workers may encounter the toxic fibers.
Homes built before 1980 may also have asbestos insulation. Attics and basements are potential areas for residential asbestos. Remodeling contractors and DIY renovators must stay alert to the signs of asbestos insulation and contact certified remediation experts for help.
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Get Your Free GuideCompensation for Exposure to Asbestos Insulation
Juries have awarded compensation to former factory workers, contractors, homeowners and other people who developed asbestos-related illnesses from insulation products. Compensation normally provides for economic damages such as medical costs and lost wages.
Notable Asbestos Verdicts and Settlements
- $38 million verdict: A jury found boiler maker Burnham LLC mostly responsible for a construction worker’s lung cancer. The jury awarded Romeo Maffei financial compensation and held Burnham responsible for punitive damages in September 2023.
- $6 million verdict: Ford Motor Company was found responsible for the mesothelioma death of Linda Behling, a former mechanic who repeatedly serviced Ford brakes that contained asbestos. The jury awarded compensation to Behling’s surviving family members in November 2022.
- $8 million verdict: A federal jury found BNSF Railway responsible for the death of two former workers, Thomas Wells and Joyce Walder. The two families each received a $4 million award.
- $2.5 million verdict: A California jury found in favor of Ronald Wilgenbusch, a retired U.S. Navy veteran who developed mesothelioma in 2020. The defendant in the case was Metalclad Insulation Corp.
In some states, mesothelioma verdicts also award damages for pain, suffering and loss of companionship. Juries have also awarded punitive damages to hold asbestos insulation manufacturers accountable for failing to protect workers.
An experienced asbestos lawyer can help mesothelioma patients and their families pursue compensation for asbestos exposure. Expert lawyers gather evidence, file claims and negotiate fair settlements with product manufacturers.
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