Tarkett | Asbestos-Containing Floor Tile | Manufacturer Reference

Company History

Tarkett is a flooring manufacturer with a long commercial history in the United States, producing resilient flooring products — including vinyl composition tile, sheet vinyl, and related floor-covering materials — for residential, commercial, and industrial markets. The company’s American operations have roots in the mid-twentieth century flooring industry, a period during which asbestos was a standard additive in resilient tile products across virtually the entire industry.

During the post-World War II construction boom, resilient floor tile became one of the most widely installed finish materials in American buildings. Asbestos was prized by manufacturers for its reinforcing properties: it improved dimensional stability, resistance to cracking, and durability under foot traffic, while also providing some degree of fire resistance. Industry-wide, asbestos content in vinyl asbestos tile (VAT) typically ranged from roughly 12 to 35 percent by weight during the peak years of production, approximately the 1950s through the late 1970s.

Tarkett continued manufacturing and selling flooring products in the United States through the asbestos era and beyond, eventually ceasing the use of asbestos in its products in approximately the early 1980s, consistent with broader industry changes driven by increasing regulatory pressure and evolving health science. The company remains an active flooring manufacturer today under the Tarkett brand, though its current products do not contain asbestos.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Tarkett manufactured and sold vinyl asbestos floor tile products that plaintiffs alleged contained asbestos as a primary reinforcing constituent. Court filings document claims involving Tarkett flooring products installed in a wide range of settings, including schools, hospitals, office buildings, retail spaces, and private residences throughout the United States.

Resilient floor tile of the type associated with Tarkett during this era was produced under several brand identities and product lines that reflected common industry naming conventions. Plaintiffs alleged that these products, variously marketed under Tarkett and predecessor or affiliated brand names, contained chrysotile asbestos fibers embedded within the vinyl binder matrix. Chrysotile — the most commercially prevalent form of asbestos — was the fiber type most commonly used by resilient flooring manufacturers throughout this period.

Court filings document that the at-issue products were distributed through flooring wholesale channels, building supply distributors, and flooring contractors, making them accessible to a broad range of installation trades. Because resilient floor tile was often installed in multiple layers over decades of a building’s life, workers and occupants in older structures may have been exposed to Tarkett products without direct knowledge of the specific manufacturer, as tiles were frequently covered rather than removed during renovation.

It is important to note that asbestos-containing floor tile, when intact and undisturbed, is generally considered non-friable — meaning it does not readily release fibers under normal conditions. Fiber release risk increases substantially during activities that disturb, cut, grind, sand, scrape, or demolish the tile or its associated adhesive. Both the tile itself and the black mastic adhesive commonly used to install resilient floor tile during this era may contain asbestos.

Occupational Exposure

The trades most historically associated with potential exposure to asbestos-containing resilient floor tile include floor layers, tile setters, and resilient flooring installers, but exposure was not limited to those who installed the product initially. According to asbestos litigation records, plaintiffs alleged significant exposure during renovation, repair, and demolition activities — work that often occurred years or decades after original installation.

Workers who may have encountered Tarkett asbestos-containing floor tile during the course of their occupational duties include:

  • Floor covering installers and tile setters who cut, scored, or broke tiles to fit irregular spaces, generating airborne dust
  • Roofers and general laborers involved in commercial building renovation who removed old floor coverings
  • Electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians who cut through existing floor tile to access underfloor systems
  • Maintenance workers and custodial staff who sanded, buffed, or scraped deteriorating tile surfaces
  • Demolition workers involved in gutting or tearing down structures containing original resilient flooring
  • Construction workers present in work areas where tile cutting or removal was underway, even if not directly involved in flooring work
  • Homeowners and do-it-yourself renovators who removed or worked around resilient tile in older homes without knowing it contained asbestos

Court filings document that bystander and secondary exposure claims have been part of Tarkett-related litigation, reflecting the reality that asbestos fiber release during flooring work was not confined to the immediate installer. In enclosed spaces — basements, commercial kitchens, school corridors — airborne fibers generated during tile work could accumulate and affect anyone present in the area.

The latency period for asbestos-related diseases — the time between first significant exposure and disease onset — typically ranges from 10 to 50 years. This means that workers who installed or disturbed Tarkett floor tile products in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s may only be receiving diagnoses today. Diseases associated with occupational asbestos exposure include mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart), lung cancer, asbestosis (a chronic fibrotic lung disease), and pleural disease.

Tarkett is a Tier 2 manufacturer with respect to asbestos litigation on this reference site. That designation means the company has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation in jurisdictions across the United States, and plaintiffs have alleged that its floor tile products caused asbestos-related disease. However, no established asbestos bankruptcy trust exists for Tarkett claims, and liability has not been determined as a matter of established legal fact.

According to asbestos litigation records, Tarkett has been pursued through the civil tort system by individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related conditions who alleged exposure to the company’s floor tile products. Court filings document that these cases have proceeded in multiple jurisdictions over a period of decades, with claims centering on the company’s alleged role as a manufacturer and distributor of asbestos-containing resilient flooring.

Because Tarkett does not have a Chapter 11 asbestos bankruptcy trust, injured individuals cannot file an administrative trust claim as they might with legacy asbestos defendants such as Armstrong World Industries or Congoleum — manufacturers in the same resilient flooring industry who did undergo asbestos-related bankruptcy proceedings and established compensation trusts. Claims against Tarkett, if pursued, would proceed through the civil litigation system rather than an administrative claims process.

This legal posture has several practical implications for workers and families researching exposure history:

  1. Standard civil statutes of limitations apply, and they vary by state and disease type. It is important to consult with an asbestos attorney promptly following a diagnosis, as delays can affect legal options.
  2. Product identification documentation — including installation records, building specifications, work histories, and union records — can be valuable in establishing that a specific plaintiff was exposed to Tarkett products specifically, as opposed to the products of other flooring manufacturers.
  3. Co-defendant trust claims may be available even when the primary manufacturer is not a trust defendant. Many asbestos cases involve exposure to products from multiple manufacturers, and claims against trust defendants (Armstrong, Congoleum, and others in the flooring industry) may proceed alongside civil litigation against non-trust defendants like Tarkett.

Summary

Tarkett manufactured resilient floor tile products that, according to asbestos litigation records, plaintiffs alleged contained asbestos through approximately the early 1980s. Workers involved in installing, removing, renovating, or demolishing structures containing these products — as well as bystanders present during such work — may have been exposed to asbestos fibers. Diseases associated with that exposure, including mesothelioma and lung cancer, can take decades to develop following initial exposure.

Tarkett does not have an established asbestos bankruptcy trust. Workers and families with potential exposure claims involving Tarkett floor tile products should consult with an experienced asbestos attorney to evaluate civil litigation options, review applicable deadlines, and determine whether trust claims against other flooring industry defendants may also apply to their specific exposure history. Detailed occupational records, building histories, and co-worker witness accounts can all play an important role in establishing and supporting such claims.