Why Asbestos Was Used in So Many Products
Asbestos offered a combination of properties unmatched by any other affordable material available to 20th-century manufacturers: exceptional heat and fire resistance, high tensile strength, chemical stability, and the ability to be woven into textiles or mixed into cement and adhesives. These properties made it ideal for insulation, friction materials, fireproofing, and construction products.
Major manufacturers including Johns-Manville, Owens Corning, Philip Carey, W.R. Grace, and Armstrong built entire product lines around asbestos. Internal documents later revealed that many of these companies were aware of the serious health risks by the 1930s and 1940s, yet continued producing and selling asbestos-containing products — without warning labels — well into the 1970s and 1980s.
Complete List of Asbestos-Containing Products
The following table lists major categories of asbestos-containing products with brand names, manufacturing dates, and risk levels. Risk level reflects the likelihood of fiber release during typical use or handling.
| Product | Common Brand Names | Manufactured | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipe & boiler insulation | Kaylo (Owens Corning), Unibestos (Pittsburgh Corning), Pabco, Magnesia 85 | 1920–1975 | Critical |
| Block insulation | Armstrong, Owens Corning, Johns-Manville | 1930–1975 | Critical |
| Gaskets & packing | Garlock, Crane Co., Flexitallic | 1930–1980 | Critical |
| Valve packing rope | John Crane, Flexitallic | 1940–1980 | Critical |
| Boiler cement | Eagle-Picher, Carey | 1930–1975 | Critical |
| Fireproofing spray | Monokote (W.R. Grace), Cafco | 1958–1973 | Critical |
| Floor tiles (VAT) | Armstrong Excelon, Johns-Manville, GAF | 1950–1980 | High |
| Floor tile adhesive / mastic | Roberts, W.W. Henry | 1950–1980 | High |
| Roofing shingles | Johns-Manville, Celotex | 1930–1977 | High |
| Transite pipe & board | Johns-Manville | 1929–1983 | High |
| Drywall joint compound | USG, National Gypsum, Kaiser | 1950–1977 | High |
| Brake pads & clutches | Bendix, Raybestos, Wagner | 1940–1990 | High |
| Popcorn ceiling texture | Artex, various | 1950–1978 | Moderate |
| Roof felt underlayment | Various | 1930–1975 | Moderate |
| Electrical panels | Zinsco, Federal Pacific | 1950–1970 | Moderate |
Risk level reflects fiber release potential during typical use or disturbance. “Critical” products release high concentrations of fibers when cut, broken, or disturbed. All listed products should be tested before any renovation or demolition work.
Explore Products in Detail
Frequently Asked Questions
Visual identification alone is not reliable — asbestos fibers are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye. The only definitive way to identify asbestos-containing material is through laboratory analysis of a sample collected by a licensed asbestos inspector. However, date of manufacture is a strong indicator: any insulation, floor tile, ceiling tile, or similar building material manufactured before 1980 should be treated as potentially asbestos-containing until tested.
Do not attempt to sample suspected asbestos-containing materials yourself. Contact a certified asbestos inspector (find one through the EPA or your state environmental agency) who can safely collect samples and arrange for accredited lab analysis.
No, not all pre-1980 products contain asbestos — but many do. The EPA banned most new uses of asbestos in 1989 (a ruling partially overturned in 1991), and the major wave of asbestos-containing product manufacturing peaked between 1940 and 1975. Some manufacturers began phasing out asbestos voluntarily in the mid-1970s after regulatory pressure and litigation.
If you have pre-1980 building materials, insulation, or industrial products and are unsure whether they contain asbestos, treat them as potentially hazardous until a certified inspector tests them. This is especially important before any renovation, demolition, or disturbance of the materials.