Flintkote Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile

Flintkote Company was one of the United States’ largest manufacturers of building materials throughout much of the twentieth century, producing a wide range of construction products that were sold under the Flintkote brand name. Among those products was a line of vinyl asbestos floor tile that was widely distributed to commercial, industrial, and residential construction markets. Today, Flintkote vinyl asbestos floor tile is recognized as a significant source of occupational and secondary asbestos exposure, and it has been the subject of civil litigation brought by workers and others who allege injury resulting from contact with the product.

Product Description

Flintkote vinyl asbestos floor tile was a resilient flooring product manufactured and sold by the Flintkote Company for use across a broad range of building types. Vinyl asbestos tile, commonly referred to as VAT, was a standard flooring solution during the mid-to-late twentieth century and was widely installed in schools, hospitals, office buildings, factories, and homes throughout the United States. The tiles were typically square, measuring nine inches or twelve inches per side, and were installed by adhering them directly to subfloor surfaces using compatible mastic adhesives.

The Flintkote Company’s involvement in building materials extended well beyond floor tile. Company records and product documentation reflect that Flintkote manufactured and distributed a broad catalog of construction products, including roofing products, cement pipe, pipe insulation, joint compound, and ceiling tile — many of which also contained asbestos. The floor tile line represented one segment of this larger manufacturing portfolio. Flintkote products were distributed nationally and reached job sites across virtually every region of the country, making the brand a well-recognized name in the construction trades.

Asbestos Content

Vinyl asbestos floor tile, as a product category, incorporated asbestos fibers as a standard manufacturing component during the decades when this type of flooring was in widespread production and use. Asbestos was valued by manufacturers for the properties it contributed to finished flooring products, including dimensional stability, resistance to heat and fire, and durability under foot traffic and mechanical stress. In vinyl asbestos tile, asbestos fibers were typically blended with vinyl resins and other materials to form the body of the tile itself.

Litigation records document that plaintiffs alleged Flintkote vinyl asbestos floor tile contained asbestos as a constituent ingredient, and that the company was aware of the hazards associated with asbestos-containing materials during the period in which these products were manufactured and sold. Plaintiffs alleged that adequate warnings were not provided to end users, installers, or workers who came into contact with the product. The specific asbestos content of any given tile could vary based on formulation and production period, but the use of asbestos in this class of flooring product during the relevant decades is consistent with standard industry practice as documented in historical records and regulatory proceedings.

How Workers Were Exposed

Occupational exposure to asbestos from vinyl asbestos floor tile generally occurred through activities that disturbed the tile or the materials used in connection with it. Litigation records document that plaintiffs alleged exposure during installation, removal, cutting, grinding, and demolition work involving Flintkote floor tile and comparable products.

During installation, workers cut tiles to fit around obstacles and along room perimeters, a process that could release asbestos-containing dust into the surrounding air. Dry-cutting or scoring with hand tools created fine particulate that could remain airborne for extended periods in enclosed work areas. Workers who sanded, ground, or scraped adhesive residue from subfloor surfaces during preparation or removal activities faced additional dust exposure, as these processes could disturb both the tile itself and underlying mastic adhesives that may have also contained asbestos.

Renovation and demolition work posed particular risks. Older vinyl asbestos tile, once it has become brittle or damaged with age, is more easily broken and more likely to release fibers when disturbed. Workers involved in building renovation, floor replacement, and demolition projects — including those who may not have been primarily assigned to flooring work — could be exposed to asbestos-containing dust generated by these activities.

Industrial workers generally represent the broad category of workers identified in connection with this product. This encompasses laborers and tradespeople working in factories, plants, and industrial facilities where Flintkote flooring products were installed, maintained, or removed. In addition to direct installation and removal trades, maintenance workers, custodians, and other building occupants in facilities with damaged or deteriorating vinyl asbestos tile could experience ongoing exposure if the tile was allowed to break down without remediation.

Secondary or para-occupational exposure has also been alleged in litigation, with plaintiffs describing exposure through contact with work clothing and equipment brought home by workers who handled asbestos-containing flooring products.

Documented Product Identification

The following details are drawn from public asbestos litigation records, manufacturer catalog pages, technical manuals, and corporate history materials. Each item reflects the product as documented in those sources.

Documented asbestos-use period: 1940-1982

Corporate context: Flintkote Company was a manufacturer of building materials, roofing products, coatings, and industrial cements. The company produced asbestos-containing products and also purchased and resold asbestos products from other manufacturers.

Brand identification: Products branded under names including Fibrex, Thermalkote, Rexalt, Decoralt, Decocolor, Decobase, Decoturf, Van Packer, Unimastic, Spraykote, Nu-static, Steadfast, Viskalt, Weldon, Skykote, Super Stakool, Flintdek

Documented asbestos components: cement, coating, mastic, felt, board, pipe, siding, shingles, floor tile, chimney components, deadener, sealer, adhesive, putty.

Industries served: Railroad, Roofing, Construction, Automotive, Flooring, Tennis court surfacing, Residential building, Commercial building.

Documented product lines:

  • R.R. Car Cement (1940s-pre 1968). Railroad car cements and sealants produced for various railroad companies including NYC R.R., IC, L&N, Missouri-Pacific, Southern Railway, and Pullman — asbestos components: cement.
  • Plastic Cement (Early 1940s-1982). Roofing plastic cement also known as Viskalt Flashing Cement — asbestos components: cement.
  • Fiber Roof Coating (FRC) (1945-1982). Fibrated roof coating for roofing applications — asbestos components: coating.
  • Fibrex Cement (Early 1940s-1982). Fibrated cement product also known as Fibrex I — asbestos components: cement.
  • GP-8 Tile Cement (Early 1940s-1982). Tile adhesive cement also known as R-14-C — asbestos components: cement.
  • Thermalkote (Late 1940s-1982). Insulating coating product also known as Filler Coat Binder — asbestos components: coating.
  • Asbestos Cement Board (1950-1970). Building board material containing asbestos fibers — asbestos components: board.
  • Asbestos Cement Pipe (1962-1977). Pipe products made with asbestos cement — asbestos components: pipe.

Flintkote manufactured numerous asbestos-containing cements, coatings, and mastics with asbestos content ranging from 1% to 65%. The company also purchased and resold asbestos products from other manufacturers including joint treatment compound, spray texture paint, and ceiling tile.