Vinyl Wallpaper
Numerous products that were used in the home were manufactured using asbestos. Some of them were hidden behind walls but others were actually found on the inside of rooms in both residences and commercial buildings. These included items such as asbestos ceiling and floor tiles and even vinyl wallpaper, a decorative item that few would associate with toxic asbestos.
Vinyl wallpaper was and still is a popular choice. Today, this wall covering does not contain asbestos, but prior to 1980, asbestos was a common component in vinyl wallpaper. The asbestos served to make the paper stronger and more durable, therefore allowing it to last longer. Asbestos also added heat-resistant properties to the wallpaper and kept those inside safe from fire. Unfortunately, however, other hazards were present.
Durable vinyl wallpaper was and is easy to hang so many do-it-yourselfers took it upon themselves to install asbestos-containing vinyl wallpaper. That means millions of homeowners may have been subject to the inhalation of tiny asbestos fibers, especially if they cut the paper during application. Cutting or otherwise manipulating the wallpaper would result in fibers being more readily released. Once inhaled, the sharp asbestos fibers cannot be expelled and therefore remain lodged in the lungs where they can cause inflammation and may eventually result in the development of cancerous tumors.
Do-it-yourself home remodelers and their families weren’t the only ones who were exposed to asbestos-containing vinyl wallpaper. Those who manufactured the paper were also exposed and may have inhaled fibers during the actual making of the paper. Many of those individuals have also developed diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, a cancer for which there are currently no successful treatments. Those diagnosed with the disease usually die within a year of diagnosis.
Sadly, some individuals could have been spared a life touched by asbestos cancer if manufacturers had been honest about their knowledge of asbestos hazards. Studies show that many company executives and others in high positions knew that asbestos was dangerous yet allowed their employees to continue working with the toxic mineral. While the executives remained safe from harm, tradesmen developed serious pulmonary diseases that either took their lives or seriously impeded their quality of life in their later years. And because diseases like mesothelioma usually take 20-50 years to surface, some of those individuals are just discovering that they’ve developed an asbestos disease, decades after they were exposed.
If you or a loved one worked with vinyl wallpaper either on the job or as a do-if-yourselfer at home and have developed mesothelioma, you or that loved one may have a right to monetary compensation for your suffering. For more about the disease and your legal rights, order our free mesothelioma information packet today.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
