»

Flex Board

As its name implies, flex board is a flexile building material which lends itself to many construction installations in residential, commercial, and public buildings. By incorporating flexibility with strength, this special board is especially adaptable to installations requiring curves or other odd shapes which do not respond well to traditional, non-flexible materials or sheathing.

Flex board and asbestos

Though flex board was not specifically designed as an insulation or heat-bearing element, any type of board or sheathing used in construction benefits from some resistance to heat, as well as any added insulative value by increasing efficiency, safety, or both. When manufacturers sought a way to design and fabricate a material which would be flexile yet strong – the essential qualities of flex board – they would have jumped at the chance to add insulation value and fire resistance for no additional effort or cost. So, the material they turned to when manufacturing flex board prior to 1978 was asbestos.

When most people think of asbestos, they think of the mineral’s ability to withstand extremely high temperatures. Asbestos is most well known as a flame retardant and highly effective insulator. But manufacturers of construction materials also recognized asbestos for its remarkably high tensile strength and its flexible nature. As a fiber, asbestos could lend itself to many different applications, adding a measure of strength which was for many years unrivaled. All of these qualities made asbestos an ideal material to use when fabricating flex board. By combining flexibility with extreme strength, builders and architects could achieve curvilinear forms without compromising structural integrity. As a result, asbestos-impregnated flex board was well regarded and widely accepted in the construction industry. Until 1977, that is, when government regulations banned the use of asbestos in the manufacture of construction materials, due to the health risks associated with its use. But the legislation was not quite far-reaching enough, allowing existing stockpiles of asbestos-based construction materials to continue to be used until they were eventually depleted in the early to mid-1980s. As a result, the majority of buildings constructed prior to that period very likely contain at least some asbestos-based materials, turning renovation or remodeling projects into potentially serious health risks.

Last modified: December 09 2009.