There are an estimated 3000 products that contain asbestos. In Ontario asbestos was widely used in sprayed-on material and in pipe and boiler insulation until 1973.footnote 3 The use of many other asbestos containing materials continued until the mid 1980's. Asbestos is still used in the manufacture of a limited number of products, including some floor tiles, cement products, friction materials and textiles. The following list was adapted from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Sample List of Suspect Asbestos Containing Materials.footnote 4 It is not an all inclusive list but is intended as a general guide to show which types of building materials may contain asbestos.

Possible Asbestos-Containing Materials in buildings

  • Acoustical Plaster
  • Adhesives
  • Asphalt Floor Tile
  • Base Flashing
  • Blown-in (Loose fill) Insulation
  • Boiler Insulation
  • Breaching Insulation
  • Caulking/Putties
  • Ceiling Tiles and Lay-in Panels
  • Cement Pipes
  • Cement Siding
  • Cement Wallboard
  • Construction Mastics (floor tile, carpet, ceiling tile, etc.)
  • Cooling Towers
  • Decorative Plaster
  • Ductwork Flexible Fabric Connections
  • Electrical Cloth
  • Electrical Panel Partitions
  • Electrical Wiring Insulation
  • Elevator Brake Shoes
  • Elevator Equipment Panels
  • Fire Doors
  • Fireproofing Materials
  • Flooring Backing
  • Heating and Electrical Ducts
  • High Temperature Gaskets
  • HVAC Duct Insulation
  • Joint Compounds
  • Pipe Insulation (corrugated air-cell, block, etc.)
  • Roofing Felt
  • Roofing Shingles
  • Spackling Compounds
  • Sprayed-on Insulation
  • Taping Compounds (thermal)
  • Textured Paints/Coatings
  • Thermal Paper Products
  • Vinyl Floor Tile
  • Vinyl Sheet Flooring
  • Vinyl Wall Coverings
  • Wallboard

Footnotes