The invention of asbestos-based sheetrock led to the premature
deaths of thousands of drywall tapers From the time that gypsum
board was invented in 1916 to the early 1980s, drywall tapers
suffered asbestos exposure during various work-site activities:
like mixing drywall and taping compounds containing powdered
asbestos, or sanding walls with asbestos-based taping compounds.
Drywall taper was one of the most dangerous asbestos jobs in
construction. DRYWALL TAPERS AND ASBESTOS June 10, 2010 – U.S.
Gypsum invented gypsum board (also called drywall, sheetrock or
wallboard) to replace the age-old time-consuming process of
applying layer upon layer of plaster over a framework of wooden
laths. Drywall came in standard size sheets that sandwiched a
layer of gypsum and asbestos between two sheets of heavy paper.
Asbestos was used because it added strength to the walls, it was
resistant to fire and temperature changes, and it was
inexpensive. While sheetrock workers could finish a wall in a
fraction of the time requi