Troweled Coatings
Troweled coatings are paste-like materials which were typically applied to interior and exterior surfaces to achieve a particular look, and include the once highly popular “popcorn ceiling” texture coatings that were once heavily used to cover cracked plaster ceilings of older buildings. These textures are common in many buildings constructed or renovated prior to the mid-1980s.
Troweled Coating and Asbestos
Troweled coatings may still be used to disguised structural and age-related defects in walls and ceilings of many buildings, but their popularity soared during the middle part of the 20th century. And during that time, and up until the late 1970s, these coatings contained substantial amounts of asbestos.
Asbestos was widely used in the manufacture of many construction and industrial materials, owing to its widespread availability, low-cost, and seemingly beneficial properties, including insulating ability, flexibility, high tensile strength, and amazing resistance to heat and corrosive damage. Occurring as a mineral composed of millions of tiny fibers, asbestos was ground down into fine particulate material before being added to troweled coatings and the thousands of other construction materials in which it was used.
During the manufacturing process, these tiny fibers were released into the air where they were invariably inhaled or ingested by manufacturing plant employees. Additional exposure occurred when these materials were sanded, cut, or otherwise disturbed during construction or renovation procedures. In fact, renovation of any building which contains coatings which were applied prior to the mid-1980s may pose a contamination risk.
The health risks associated with asbestos exposure include lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. These risks were not widely recognized until the mid-1970s, when research conducted by safety experts resulted in the federal government banning the use of asbestos. The legislation allowed construction workers to continue to sue existing stockpiles of materials, resulting in these products being sued well into the 1980s.
It can take decades before the side effects of asbestos exposure become evident. If you believe youmay have been exposed to asbestos-laden troweled coatings or other materials containing the mineral, you should discuss your possible exposure risks with your health care professional. There is no cure for asbestos-related injury, but there are steps which can be taken to help you deal with any symptoms of exposure as they develop.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
