Asbestos exposure in tile setters

During the last century, asbestos was present in the majority of construction products, as the presence of the mineral fibers would offer the materials strength, durability, as well as resistance to extreme heat and fire. Asbestos was the ideal choice for the construction industry, as it had numerous convenient properties, was widely available, and also cheap to purchase.

For tile setters, the peak of asbestos use in the construction products they would use was between 1940 and 1980. In addition to the tiles themselves, the mastic, adhesive, or glue that would be used to install these construction products would contain asbestos as well. Thereby, when preparing the mix, tile setters would be exposed to asbestos from this source, too. Nowadays, former tile setters who came to struggle with cancer as a result of workplace asbestos exposure are entitled to financial compensation, which they can recover with the help of a specialized attorney.

How were tile setters exposed to asbestos?

As skillful tradesmen whose job was both a science and a craft, tile setters would often undergo apprenticeships or schooling to refine their work during the last century.

They were responsible for creatively installing wall, ceiling, roof, and floor tiles in residential, industrial, and commercial buildings.

However, because the tiles they would have to install contained great amounts of asbestos, they would inevitably be exposed, since they usually had to measure, cut, sand, remove, scrape, and fit these construction products, all of which processes released toxic dust in the air. Furthermore, the glue, adhesive, or mastic used to attach the tiles to the desired surface would also contain asbestos, which was another source of exposure for tile setters, since they were the ones who had to prepare the mix. The following building materials handled by tile setters contained asbestos before 1980:

• 9 x 9 floor tiles
• 12 x 12 floor tiles
• ceiling tiles
• roof decks
• sheet linoleum
• cement
• mastic
• glue
• grout
• decorative materials
• soundproofing materials
• patching compounds

Usually, asbestos was used as a filler material in these construction products during the last century, as it was affordable and lightweight. For this reason, tremendous amounts of asbestos were mined throughout the country between 1920 and 1980, when federal agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, were finally able to impose strict regulations concerning the use of asbestos in various industries. However, by the end of the century, the damage was done, as tile setters had already been exposed to considerable amounts of asbestos, which would subsequently lead to cancer in approximately 20% of this occupational group within the following years.

Which brands of tiles would contain asbestos during the last century?

Nearly all manufacturers of tiles employed asbestos in the process during the last century. Today, people who are in charge of removing old tiles need to pay attention to how they do it, as the risk of exposure is great since over the years, construction materials become friable and thereby release more asbestos in the air. Wearing adequate protective equipment during the removal process is essential, as this is the only way you can protect yourself against exposure to asbestos. Nevertheless, it is always recommended to hire a professional to perform this job for you, since attempting to remove asbestos tiles on your own can easily result in the contamination of your entire home. The following brands of tiles would be manufactured with asbestos between 1940 and 1980:

• Woodtone Excelon Tile
• Imperial Excelon Tile
• Armstrong Excelon Tile
• Travertine Embossed
• Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile
• Designers Series Excelon
• Excelon Beveled Edging
• Craftlon
• Excelon Feature Strips
• Flintkote Tiles
• Carey Asphalt Floor Tiles
• Travertex Excelon
• Spatter Excelon
• Straight Grained Excelon
• Pabco Floron Floor Tile
• USG Ceiling Tile
• Styletone Edition
• Armstrong Solarian Vinyl Asbestos Tile
• Centennial Excelon Tile
• Embossed Parquet
• Driftstone
• Swirl Chip
• Metric Chip
• Kentile Vinyl Asbestos Tile

If you worked as a tile setter during the last century, you were most likely exposed to asbestos, which is why you need to keep a close eye on your health. Your risk of developing a terrible disease as a result of occupational asbestos exposure is high. In the unfortunate case, you already have a cancer diagnosis related to asbestos exposure, we strongly encourage you to contact our legal team, as we have been helping industrial workers injured by asbestos exposure recover the compensation they deserved for over 30 years.

What diseases can tile setters develop as a result of asbestos exposure?

Asbestos exposure is associated with numerous diseases, the majority of which affect the lungs. It is worthy of note that it will take between 20 and 50 years for a disease to develop as a consequence of asbestos exposure since these afflictions have a long latency period. The following are only some of the awful diseases you can come to struggle with as a result of past occupational asbestos exposure:

• lung cancer
• mesothelioma
• gastrointestinal cancer
• colorectal cancer
• bronchial cancer
• esophageal cancer
• throat cancer

It is crucial to seek medical attention if you experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, or a persistent cough, as you may have developed lung cancer or mesothelioma due to workplace asbestos exposure. Nonetheless, because once inside the body, asbestos fibers can travel to other tissues and organs through the bloodstream, cancer may occur in another part of your body. Regardless of the symptoms you experience, if you feel that something is not right concerning your health, please visit a specialist. Our law firm will be able to recover compensation on your behalf if you suffer from lung cancer, mesothelioma, gastrointestinal cancer, bronchial cancer, esophageal cancer, throat cancer, or colorectal cancer.

We provide quality legal assistance to tile setters injured by workplace asbestos exposure

Since 1990, we have been providing victims of toxic exposure with the legal assistance they needed to obtain the financial compensation they were entitled to, and our legal team is bound to do the same for you if you are a former tile setter who struggles with a disease as a consequence of occupational asbestos exposure.

While complex and tedious, the legal process will require minimal involvement on your part, as you will only have to send your attorney your employment and medical records. By virtue of the vast knowledge and extensive experience they have, our attorneys will recover the maximum compensation you are entitled to for your diagnosis within the shortest time possible. For additional information, do not hesitate to contact our law firm and we will gladly answer your questions.