GAF Asphalt Tile (1959–1971)

Manufacturer: GAF Corporation Product Category: Floor Tile / Roofing / Pipe Covering Years Produced: 1959–1971

Product Description

GAF Corporation was one of the largest building materials manufacturers in the United States throughout the mid-twentieth century, producing a broad range of construction products under the GAF brand. Among these products was GAF Asphalt Tile, a resilient floor tile manufactured and distributed from 1959 through 1971. The tile was widely used in residential, commercial, and industrial construction during this period, valued for its durability, low cost, and ease of installation.

GAF Asphalt Tile was sold primarily as an interior flooring product, though GAF Corporation’s broader product lines during this era also extended into roofing materials and pipe covering applications — categories that shared overlapping raw material sourcing and manufacturing processes. GAF Asphalt Tile was available in a variety of colors and sizes and was commonly specified for high-traffic areas in schools, hospitals, office buildings, factories, and private homes. Because of its affordability and wide commercial availability, the product reached an exceptionally broad installation base across the United States during the years of its production.

GAF Corporation’s parent and predecessor entities were deeply embedded in the American industrial materials market, and the company’s manufacturing facilities operated under standard industrial practices of the era, which routinely incorporated asbestos into resilient flooring and related construction materials.

Asbestos Content

GAF Asphalt Tile, as manufactured by GAF Corporation during the 1959–1971 production period, contained asbestos as a component of its composition. Asbestos was a standard ingredient in resilient floor tile formulations of this era. Manufacturers incorporated asbestos fibers — most commonly chrysotile — into asphalt and vinyl-asbestos tile products because of the material’s binding properties, its ability to reinforce the tile matrix, and its resistance to heat and compression under foot traffic.

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and related regulatory frameworks have recognized asbestos-containing floor tiles of this type and vintage as materials requiring specific handling and abatement protocols. Floor tiles manufactured during the period encompassing GAF Asphalt Tile’s production years are documented as a category of asbestos-containing building material (ACBM) requiring professional assessment when encountered in existing structures.

The GAF Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust, established through the GAF Corporation bankruptcy proceedings, specifically identifies asbestos-containing products manufactured and distributed by GAF Corporation — including floor tile products from this era — as the basis for eligible claims. Trust documentation reflects the company’s acknowledgment of asbestos content in its product lines.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers in a range of industrial and construction trades encountered GAF Asphalt Tile throughout its production and installation lifecycle. Industrial workers generally — including those employed in the manufacturing, distribution, installation, and later removal of asbestos-containing floor tile — faced potential exposure to airborne asbestos fibers at multiple points.

During manufacturing, workers at GAF Corporation’s production facilities handled raw asbestos fiber in the process of mixing and forming tile stock. Mixing asbestos-laden materials, cutting tile blanks, and finishing operations generated dust conditions that put workers in direct proximity to loose asbestos fibers.

During installation, floor tile installers, floor layers, and construction trades workers cut, scored, and fitted GAF Asphalt Tile to fit floor surfaces. Cutting and trimming asbestos-containing tile — whether with hand tools or mechanical saws — releases asbestos fibers into the surrounding air. Workers performing this work in enclosed spaces such as building interiors faced repeated inhalation exposure throughout their working careers.

During renovation and demolition, workers tasked with removing or replacing existing GAF Asphalt Tile installations faced significant exposure risk. Breaking, chipping, or grinding old tile to remove it from a substrate — particularly when tile adhesives had hardened — could release substantial quantities of asbestos fiber. OSHA’s asbestos standards for the construction industry recognize floor tile removal as a regulated operation with specific engineering controls and respiratory protection requirements, reflecting the documented hazard of this type of work.

Secondary or bystander exposure also occurred among workers in the same facilities or job sites where GAF Asphalt Tile was being installed or removed, even if those individuals were not directly handling the product. Supervisors, helpers, and other tradespeople present during cutting and removal operations shared the ambient fiber burden in the work environment.

Because GAF Asphalt Tile was installed across an exceptionally wide range of building types — including industrial facilities, commercial buildings, schools, and government structures — the population of workers with documented or potential occupational exposure to this product is broad.