GAF Corporation Roofing Felts (1928–1981)

Product Description

GAF Corporation manufactured roofing felts from 1928 through 1981, producing a line of fiber-reinforced sheet materials used extensively in commercial and residential construction throughout the mid-twentieth century. These products served as underlayment layers in built-up roofing systems, providing waterproofing membranes between structural decking and finished roofing surfaces. GAF roofing felts were sold under various trade designations and were standard specification materials in industrial, commercial, and institutional construction projects for decades.

The roofing felt category encompassed a range of saturated and coated sheet products. Saturated felts were impregnated with asphalt or coal tar compounds and incorporated reinforcing fibers to provide dimensional stability and tear resistance. Coated felts received additional surface treatments to enhance weather resistance and adhesion properties. These materials were installed in multiple layers — a method known as built-up roofing — with each felt ply bonded to the next using hot-mopped asphalt or cold-applied adhesives. Finished roofing systems commonly incorporated four or more plies of felt, meaning large quantities of the product were used on any given project.

GAF Corporation was among the largest manufacturers of roofing and building materials in the United States during the relevant period. The company’s roofing felts were distributed nationally through building materials wholesalers, roofing contractors, and industrial supply channels. Products were used not only in roofing applications but also in related construction trades involving pipe covering and flooring systems where similar felt-based materials provided insulation, cushioning, or moisture barriers.

Asbestos Content

GAF roofing felts produced during the 1928–1981 period contained asbestos fibers incorporated into the felt substrate as a primary reinforcing material. Asbestos — particularly chrysotile, and in some formulations amosite or other regulated fiber types — was valued by manufacturers for its tensile strength, fire resistance, dimensional stability under heat, and compatibility with asphalt saturation processes. These properties made asbestos-reinforced felt technically superior to organic fiber alternatives for high-temperature and fire-rated roofing applications.

The asbestos content in felt products was not incidental or trace-level contamination. Asbestos fibers formed a significant component of the mat structure that gave the felt its mechanical integrity. During manufacturing, loose asbestos fibers were processed into a web or mat, which was then saturated with asphalt or coal tar compounds under heat and pressure. This process bound the fibers within the matrix but did not eliminate the potential for fiber release when the finished product was cut, torn, abraded, or otherwise disturbed during installation or removal.

AHERA (the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act) and subsequent EPA regulatory frameworks identified asbestos-containing roofing felts among the categories of building materials requiring assessment and management in schools and public buildings. Regulatory documentation recognizes that friable or non-friable asbestos-containing roofing materials, including felts, can release respirable fibers under disturbance conditions consistent with roofing installation, repair, and demolition activities.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers and roofing tradespeople encountered GAF roofing felts at multiple points across the product’s life cycle, from manufacturing through installation and eventual removal.

Manufacturing Exposure: Workers at facilities producing asbestos-reinforced roofing felts handled raw asbestos fiber in loose form before and during the mat-formation process. Fiber processing, opening, blending, and web formation generated substantial airborne fiber concentrations in production environments prior to the establishment of enforceable OSHA exposure limits in 1971 and subsequent revisions to those limits over following decades.

Installation Exposure: Roofers installing built-up roofing systems cut GAF roofing felts to dimension using knives, snips, and power cutting tools. Cutting operations released asbestos fibers directly into the breathing zone of workers performing the task and those working nearby. Hot-mopping operations, in which felts were embedded in heated asphalt, could also disturb fiber bonding and contribute to airborne exposure. Workers installing multiple plies across large commercial or industrial rooftops experienced repeated, sustained exposure across the duration of projects.

Adjacent Trade Exposure: Workers in pipe-covering and flooring trades who used GAF felt-based products in related applications faced similar cutting and handling exposures. Pipefitters, insulators, and floor-covering mechanics who incorporated asbestos-containing felts into their work were exposed through the same mechanisms — cutting, trimming, and fitting materials in confined or enclosed spaces where fiber concentrations could accumulate.

Tear-Off and Demolition Exposure: The removal of existing roofing systems containing GAF felts — whether during reroofing, renovation, or demolition — created significant exposure risk. Aged felt materials, particularly those that had become brittle or degraded, could release fiber aggressively when torn, scraped, or disturbed by power equipment. Workers engaged in tear-off operations often worked directly in the debris field of disturbed asbestos-containing material without adequate respiratory protection, particularly before regulatory requirements mandated respiratory controls for asbestos work.

OSHA’s asbestos standards, codified at 29 CFR 1910.1001 (general industry) and 29 CFR 1926.1101 (construction), recognize roofing felts as a category of asbestos-containing material subject to regulated work practices. These standards document the exposure pathways described above and establish the basis for engineering controls, respiratory protection, and medical surveillance requirements applicable to work involving such materials.

Documented Trust Fund / Legal Options

GAF Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust

GAF Corporation established the GAF Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust to resolve asbestos-related personal injury and wrongful death claims arising from exposure to GAF asbestos-containing products, including roofing felts manufactured between 1928 and 1981. The trust operates as a formal claims resolution mechanism, providing compensation to eligible claimants without requiring active litigation in most circumstances.

Filing Eligibility: Individuals diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases — including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other asbestos-attributable conditions — who can document occupational or other exposure to GAF roofing felts or other GAF asbestos-containing products may be eligible to file claims with the GAF Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust. Claim eligibility typically requires documentation of product-specific exposure, supported by work history records, co-worker affidavits, employer records, or other evidence placing the claimant in contact with GAF products during the relevant period.

Typical Claim Categories: The trust processes claims across standard disease categories recognized in asbestos trust fund administration, including:

  • Mesothelioma — malignant mesothelioma of the pleura, peritoneum, or pericardium
  • Lung Cancer — primary lung cancer with documented asbestos exposure history
  • Asbestosis — pulmonary fibrosis attributed to asbestos exposure, confirmed by imaging and clinical criteria
  • Other Asbestos-Related Conditions — pleural disease and other non-malignant conditions recognized under applicable trust distribution procedures

Pursuing a Claim: Claimants and their legal representatives should gather employment records, union records, Social Security earnings histories, and any available documentation linking the claimant’s work history to GAF roofing felts or related products. Medical records establishing diagnosis and, where available, pathology reports confirming fiber burden or fiber type may strengthen claims. An attorney experienced in asbestos trust fund claims can assist in compiling required documentation and navigating the trust’s claims submission process.

Workers exposed to GAF roofing felts during the 1928–1981 production period, as well as their surviving family members in cases of wrongful death, should consult with qualified legal counsel to evaluate eligibility for compensation through the GAF Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust.