CertainTeed Asbestos Roofing Shingles
Product Description
CertainTeed Corporation was one of the most prominent building materials manufacturers in the United States throughout the twentieth century, producing a broad range of construction products for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Among its most widely distributed product lines were asbestos-containing roofing shingles, which were manufactured and sold under the CertainTeed brand for decades before asbestos use in building materials came under federal regulatory scrutiny.
CertainTeed roofing shingles were marketed as durable, fire-resistant, and weather-resistant roofing solutions. These properties made them attractive to builders, contractors, and property owners across the country. The shingles were used extensively in both new construction and reroofing projects, appearing on residential homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities throughout the mid-twentieth century. CertainTeed’s distribution network was expansive, meaning its roofing products reached worksites in virtually every region of the United States.
As a company, CertainTeed also operated within the cement-pipe manufacturing sector, producing asbestos-cement pipe products alongside its roofing lines. This breadth of asbestos-containing product manufacturing has made CertainTeed a central figure in asbestos litigation and trust fund compensation proceedings. The company’s roofing shingles, in particular, are among the documented products listed in asbestos claims records and trust fund eligibility materials.
Asbestos Content
CertainTeed asbestos roofing shingles were manufactured using chrysotile asbestos as a primary component of their composition. Asbestos was incorporated into roofing shingle products because of its exceptional heat resistance, tensile strength, and binding properties. When combined with organic or inorganic binders and other roofing compounds, asbestos fibers created a product that was highly resistant to fire, moisture, and physical degradation under outdoor conditions.
The presence of asbestos in these shingles is consistent with industry-wide manufacturing practices during the period when these products were produced. Federal regulatory frameworks, including standards developed under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and subsequent EPA and OSHA rulemaking, identified asbestos-containing roofing materials as a recognized category of hazardous building products. CertainTeed’s roofing shingles fall within this category of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) as documented in regulatory and litigation records.
The asbestos content in roofing shingles is categorized as a bonded or non-friable form of ACM when the product is intact. However, during cutting, breaking, weathering, sanding, or removal, the material can become friable, releasing respirable asbestos fibers into the surrounding air. This characteristic is central to the occupational exposure history associated with CertainTeed roofing shingles.
How Workers Were Exposed
Industrial workers and tradespeople who handled CertainTeed asbestos roofing shingles faced meaningful exposure to airborne asbestos fibers during a range of routine work activities. Exposure did not require prolonged or unusual contact with the product; standard installation, cutting, and removal tasks were sufficient to disturb asbestos-containing materials and generate fiber release.
Roofing workers, laborers, and construction workers who installed CertainTeed shingles were among those most directly exposed. Cutting shingles to fit around vents, chimneys, edges, and other roof features was a common task that generated significant dust. Workers who snapped, sawed, or broke shingles without respiratory protection inhaled airborne fibers in the immediate work area. Ventilation on open rooftops could disperse fibers widely, and nearby tradespeople—not only those directly handling the material—could also be exposed.
Reroofing and demolition work created particularly hazardous conditions. When existing asbestos roofing shingles were removed from structures during renovation or tear-off projects, weathered and damaged shingles could release fibers even before cutting tools were applied. Workers who stripped old roofing layers, often working in close quarters without respiratory protection, faced sustained exposure over the course of these projects.
Industrial workers in manufacturing environments where CertainTeed products were produced or processed also faced exposure at the source. Workers in facilities that fabricated asbestos-containing roofing products encountered raw asbestos fiber and asbestos-laden dust as a routine part of their work environment.
Beyond the primary tradespeople, bystander exposure was also documented. Workers in adjacent trades—electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and general laborers present on the same worksites—could be exposed to asbestos dust generated by roofing activities without directly handling the shingles themselves. Family members of workers who carried asbestos-contaminated clothing and equipment home may also have experienced secondary exposure.
Diseases associated with asbestos exposure and documented in claims involving CertainTeed products include mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related illnesses. These conditions typically have long latency periods, often emerging decades after initial exposure, which is why claims related to products manufactured in the mid-twentieth century continue to be filed today.