Asbestos in Spackling Materials

Asbestos in spackling materials often provides a dangerous level of crumbling ("friable") asbestos, especially when the spackling is being removed. Products such as spackle, spackle plaster for walls, and spackling compounds used in a variety of applications may contain asbestos for added insulation properties. Unfortunately, asbestos exposure is the direct cause of mesothelioma, lung cancers, and asbestosis.

Patching and Sealing Cracks

Spackling products are used to seal cracks, patch holes, and cover imperfections in drywall and other types of construction surfaces. Asbestos in spackling materials became a component of millions of walls in:

• Homes
• Schools
• Libraries
• Offices
• Theaters
• Other public buildings

The spackling compounds and spackle plaster used in the 1940s through 1970s may well have contained high levels of asbestos. Sometimes the asbestos in spackling materials was added intentionally for its heat resistance properties or just to match drywall that had asbestos.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma

When old, friable or crumbling asbestos is disturbed, or when a new asbestos-containing material is installed, the microscopic fibers of asbestos may be released into the air, where an unsuspecting human or animal can inhale them. The fibers settle themselves in the lungs or in other internal organs, where they can initiate a cancer-forming process that results in devastating illnesses such as mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma usually takes decades to manifest itself after the initial asbestos exposure. It's a fatal cancer with no cure. The life expectancy of an individual diagnosed with mesothelioma ranges from a matter of months to perhaps a year or two. Unfortunately, many drywall workers and spackling workers who used asbestos-containing spackling materials day after day were unknowingly inhaling asbestos fibers that would eventually give them mesothelioma.

Learn More about Asbestos in Spackling Materials

If you worked with spackling materials such as spackling compounds or spackle plaster and you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, contact us today. We can provide you with information regarding the financial, legal and medical resources available to you.