Textured Coating
Asbestos in Textured Coatings and Other Building Materials
Textured coatings were quite popular in home construction from the 1920s through the 1980s. Various forms of stucco siding and wall coverings as well as "popcorn" ceilings were forms of textured coatings; these could be applied to concrete as well. Generally, the purpose was to create a surface with more visual interest than a plain, bare surface.
Aesthetic beauty was only part of it, however; the use of asbestos fiber provided some soundproofing and, more importantly, fire resistance capability as well.
A home or building that was constructed prior to 1980 and which has not undergone major remodeling or renovation is likely to contain asbestos texturing. If in doubt, you will want to carefully remove a small sample of the wall and submit it to a local environmental lab for testing. If the presence of asbestos texturing is confirmed and you are a private individual homeowner, you have two choices: seal up the material with a resin polymer designed for this purpose and paint or texture over it, or have it removed. Although you have the legal right as a homeowner to do this work yourself, it is inadvisable - and you are still subject to environmental laws regarding the transport and disposal of asbestos waste.
Textured Coating Products Containing Asbestos
The following partial list of textured coating products were known to contain asbestos:
| Product Name | Start Year | End Year |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia-Pacific Texture | 1956 | 1974 |
| Kaiser Gypsum Cover-Tex Wall Texture | 1968 | 1975 |
| Kelly-Moore Deco-Tex Ceiling Texture | 1964 | 1978 |
| Kelly-Moore Paco Spray Texture | ||
| Kelly-Moore Paco Texture | ||
| Kelly-Moore Paco Wall Texture | 1960 | 1978 |
| Kelly-Moore Paco-Tex Wall Texture | ||
| National Gypsum Gold Bond Color Textures | ||
| National Gypsum Gold Bond E-Z Spray Texture | ||
| National Gypsum Gold Bond Texas Texture | ||
| National Gypsum Gold Bond Texture | ||
| National Gypsum Gold Bond Velvet Spray Quick Texture | ||
| National Gypsum Gold Bond Velvet Texture A.R. | ||
| National Gypsum Gold Bond Vinyl Texture | ||
| United States Gypsum "Sheetrock" Texture | 1964 | 1979 |
| W.R. Grace Ari-Zonolite Texture | 1961 | 1964 |
Hazards Associated with Textured Coating Products
Recent research in the U.K. indicates that the presence of asbestos texturing in a home presents a relatively low exposure risk - provided the materials are intact and in good repair. The danger begins when wall and ceiling surfaces coated with asbestos textured coating are damaged or in a crumbling state (friable). As is the case with lead-painted surfaces, the health risks increase considerably when these surfaces are sanded down in preparation for resurfacing by the unaware.
An even larger asbestos exposure hazard occurred at the time of construction and installation of asbestos textured coatings, when workers had to add raw, loose asbestos fiber to the paint or other texturing medium. Few workers had access to effective respiratory safety equipment and asbestos inhalation was widespread among these workers.
Sources
Bowker, Michael. Fatal Deception: The Untold Story of Asbestos (New York: Touchstone, 2003)
Burdett, Garry and Graham Revell. "Summary Report on Additional Work Carried Out On The Monitoring of Chrysotile Containing Textured Decorative Coatings." Health & Safety Laboratory, U.K. Government Publication HSL/2006/19.
