United States Gypsum (USG): Asbestos-Containing Products and Occupational Exposure History

United States Gypsum Company — widely recognized by the trade name USG — was among the most prominent manufacturers of building materials in twentieth-century America. From joint compounds and plasters to ceiling tiles and exterior stuccos, USG products were standard issue on residential and commercial construction sites for decades. According to asbestos litigation records, a broad range of USG products manufactured from the 1920s through the mid-1970s contained asbestos, exposing generations of tradespeople — plasterers, drywallers, carpenters, insulators, and tile installers — to potentially harmful mineral fibers.

Company History

United States Gypsum Company was established as a consolidation of regional gypsum producers and grew into one of the largest manufacturers of wallboard, plaster, and related building products in the United States. Operating under both the USG corporate name and recognizable sub-brands — including Sheetrock, Red Top, Texolite, Durabond, and Imperial — the company supplied materials to nearly every segment of the construction industry throughout the mid-twentieth century.

USG products were distributed nationally and appeared on jobsites ranging from single-family residential homes to large-scale commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and naval vessels. Court filings document that the company’s product lines expanded substantially during the post-World War II construction boom, a period during which asbestos was widely incorporated into building materials for its fire resistance, tensile strength, and insulating properties.

USG is understood to have phased out asbestos from its product formulations in the approximately early 1980s, following increasing regulatory pressure from agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as growing awareness of the health hazards associated with asbestos exposure.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, United States Gypsum manufactured and sold an extensive catalog of products alleged to have contained asbestos across multiple product categories, including joint compounds, plasters, ceiling tiles, texture finishes, and insulation materials. The following documented products span the periods noted in product identification records and litigation discovery materials.

Joint Compounds and Spackling Products

  • USG Joint Compound (approximately 1937–1976): A widely distributed drywall finishing compound used across residential and commercial construction.
  • Perf-A-Tape Cement (approximately 1944–1976): Used in conjunction with the Perf-A-Tape Joint System for finishing gypsum board seams.
  • Perf-A-Tape Joint System (mid-1940s–early 1970s): A combined system of roll tape and joint compound used to finish and seal drywall seams.
  • Texolite Joint Compound (approximately 1952–1976): A finishing compound distributed under the Texolite brand.
  • Durabond All Purpose Joint Compound (approximately 1970–1976): A setting-type compound used for drywall finishing.
  • USG Cover Coat (approximately 1964–1976): A finishing compound applied as a final coat over joint tape and compound.
  • Sheetrock Smoothcoat (approximately 1965–1974): A finishing product used in conjunction with the Sheetrock drywall system.

Spackling and Paste Products

  • Durabond Paste Spackling Putty (approximately 1952–1976): Manufactured in powder form and used to seal joints on interior walls, ceilings, and floors.
  • Paste Spackling Putty (approximately 1952–1975): A general-use spackling compound for interior surfaces.
  • Texolite Paste Spackling Putty (approximately 1952–1976): A Texolite-branded spackling product.

Plasters and Finish Coats

  • Red Top Cover Coat Finish Plaster (approximately 1948–1972): A finish plaster used widely in residential and commercial interior construction.
  • Red Top Firecode Plaster (approximately 1962–1964): A fire-resistant plaster formulation.
  • Red Top Firecode “V” Plaster (approximately 1962–1969): A fireproofing plaster applied in settings requiring enhanced fire resistance.
  • Oriental Interior Finish Plaster (approximately 1942–1972): An interior finish plaster used in residential and commercial applications.
  • Oriental Exterior Stucco Finish Coat (approximately 1930–1973): Applied to exterior walls of residential and commercial structures as a finish coat.
  • Structolite Plaster (approximately 1955–1972): A base coat plaster used in interior wall and ceiling systems.
  • Pyrobar Mortar Mix (approximately 1969–1972): A mortar product with documented use in fire-resistant assemblies.

Acoustical Products

  • Audicote Acoustical Plaster (approximately 1954–1972): A sound-insulating plaster applied to walls, floors, and ceilings in commercial and institutional settings.
  • Hi-Lite Acoustical Plaster (approximately 1954–1972): A sound-insulating plaster marketed for application to floors, ceilings, and walls.
  • Acoustone 180 Ceiling Tile (approximately 1966–1975): An acoustical ceiling tile used in commercial and residential interiors.
  • Shadowline Ceiling Tile (approximately 1968–1976): A ceiling tile product with a distinctive shadow-line profile used in commercial construction.

Texture and Surface Products

  • A-B Tex Texture Paint (approximately 1935–1974): A textured paint applied to interior wall and ceiling surfaces.
  • Imperial QT Texture (approximately 1961–1976): A texture finish used in commercial and residential construction.
  • Textone Texture Finish (approximately 1928–1975): One of USG’s longest-produced texture products, used across residential and commercial projects.
  • Texolite Block Filler (approximately 1958–1966): A surface filler used on concrete masonry units.
  • Texolite Dry Fill (approximately 1959–1961): A dry-fill surfacing product.
  • Texolite Drywall Surfacer (approximately 1961–1972): A surfacing compound for drywall substrates.

Insulation and Industrial Products

  • K-Fac Industrial Insulating Block (approximately 1943–1950): Plaintiffs alleged this insulating block was supplied for use on naval vessels.
  • K-Fac 19 Rigid Block Insulation (approximately 1970–1973): A rigid insulation block used in industrial settings.
  • Thermaluz (approximately 1961–1965): An electrical product alleged to have contained asbestos in litigation records.

Roofing and Siding

  • Roof Shingles (approximately 1937–1975): Asbestos-cement roofing shingles used in residential and commercial construction.
  • Siding Shingles (approximately 1937–1975): Exterior siding shingles distributed for residential and commercial applications.

Occupational Exposure

According to asbestos litigation records, workers across multiple trades faced potential asbestos exposure through the use of USG products during the decades they contained asbestos. The occupational groups most frequently identified in litigation include:

Plasterers and lathers worked directly with USG plasters, finish coats, and acoustical plasters, mixing dry powders and applying wet material in enclosed spaces with limited ventilation. Court filings document that the dry mixing of joint compounds and plasters released respirable asbestos dust at levels that could result in significant fiber inhalation.

Drywall installers and finishers (also called tapers or joint compound applicators) used USG joint compounds and spackling products as part of routine drywall installation. Plaintiffs alleged that the sanding of dried joint compound — a standard step in finish work — generated fine asbestos-laden dust that remained suspended in the air for extended periods.

Ceiling tile installers worked with Acoustone 180 and Shadowline ceiling tile products. Cutting, fitting, and trimming ceiling tiles was alleged in court filings to release asbestos fibers in quantities sufficient to create inhalation risk.

Insulation workers and pipefitters may have encountered K-Fac Industrial Insulating Block and K-Fac 19 Rigid Block Insulation, particularly in industrial and naval settings. Plaintiffs alleged these products were handled in close proximity to other trades, contributing to bystander exposure.

Roofers and siding applicators handled USG roof and siding shingles, which plaintiffs alleged contained asbestos-cement formulations common to the industry during the product periods identified.

Naval personnel and shipyard workers are identified in court filings as potential bystander exposees, particularly in connection with K-Fac Industrial Insulating Block supplied to naval vessels during the 1940s.

Because many USG products were used in combination — joint compound applied over gypsum board, plaster coats layered over base coats, texture finishes applied over primed surfaces — workers often encountered multiple asbestos-containing products from a single manufacturer in the course of a single project.

United States Gypsum does not maintain an asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. USG has not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization under Section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code — the mechanism by which many asbestos defendants established structured compensation trusts for claimants.

According to asbestos litigation records, USG has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation arising from the products described above. Plaintiffs alleged that USG knew or should have known of the hazards associated with asbestos in its products and failed to provide adequate warnings to workers and end users. Court filings document claims by plasterers, drywall finishers, insulators, and other tradespeople who alleged occupational exposure to USG asbestos-containing products during the product periods identified.

Because USG is a Tier 2 defendant — actively litigated but without a bankruptcy trust — individuals with potential claims related to USG product exposure must pursue compensation through the civil court system rather than a trust claim process.

If you or a family member worked with or around USG products between approximately the late 1920s and early 1980s and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, the following information may be relevant:

  • No USG asbestos trust fund exists. Compensation claims against United States Gypsum must be pursued through personal injury or wrongful death litigation in civil court.
  • Product identification is central to any claim. Being able to identify specific USG products — by name, approximate date of use, and jobsite — strengthens a potential legal case. The product list above may assist in that identification process.
  • Other trust funds may apply. Workers who used USG products alongside materials from other manufacturers may have viable claims against asbestos bankruptcy trusts established by other defendants. Many asbestos cases involve multiple defendants and multiple exposure sources.
  • Statutes of limitations apply. The time allowed to file an asbestos-related claim varies by state and by the date of diagnosis. Consulting an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation promptly after diagnosis is strongly recommended.
  • Occupational and military records matter. Union membership records, employment histories, Social Security earnings records, and military service documentation can help establish jobsite presence and product contact necessary to support a claim.

Workers in the plastering, drywall, insulation, roofing, and ceiling installation trades, as well as naval personnel and shipyard workers with documented exposure to USG products, are among those who have historically pursued claims related to this manufacturer.