Drywall Taper Asbestos Exposure

Drywall was an amazing invention of the early 20th century.  While most of us take it for granted these days, walls of long ago were made of plaster, not pre-fabricated sheetrock that could be quickly and easily put into place, greatly speeding up any building process. 

When drywall was invented in 1916 by the United States Gypsum Corporation, many individuals believed it would produce shoddy buildings that wouldn’t stay together.  However, when the Second World War arrived, its usefulness was recognized and few went back to plaster when the war ended.

The Process of Drywalling

Installing drywall usually takes two individuals: the installer – who puts the sheets in place, and the taper – who sees to it that the joints are no longer noticeable after installation is complete.

Using a trowel, tapers spread a particular kind of putty on the joints of the drywall, covering seams, screws, and nail heads.  The compound must then be left to dry, and when that step is complete, tapers will sand the compound so that its smooth and the joints are invisible.  This often takes several tries, and each time, dust particles are thrown into the air during sanding. 

Both tapers and installers may also be at risk during the installation process, when installers may find it necessary to trim sections of sheetrock to fit in the intended spaces.  Again, this causes dangerous dust to circulate through the air and allows it to be inhaled by laborers working nearby.

Drywall repair also presents potential hazards, especially if the drywall was installed prior to the 1970s before strong asbestos warnings were issued.  Those working on old buildings should be especially careful about wearing proper protection when ripping out or sawing through old drywall.

Drywall Products Containing Asbestos

For decades, drywall tapers used a variety of products which contained dangerous asbestos, including drywall tape, joint compound, plaster, wall patching compounds and asbestos cement panels.  These were manufactured by a variety of different companies who specialized in such products.

Before the dangers of asbestos were widely known, those working with these products did little in regards to protecting themselves from the inhalation of dangerous airborne asbestos fibers.

Drywall Tapers and Asbestos Diseases

While drywall taping may have seemed like a fairly innocuous job, the fact remains that many who were responsible for this job throughout the decades have already developed some sort of asbestos-related disease, such as the cancer known as mesothelioma, whose only known cause is exposure to asbestos. 

Do you have a loved one who worked as a drywall taper?  Or perhaps that was your occupation and you’ve already been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease or suspect that you may be suffering from an illness such as mesothelioma or asbestosis. For more information about the disease and your legal rights as an individual unknowingly exposed to asbestos, contact us for a copy of our free Mesothelioma Information Kit.