Congoleum Corporation/Congoleum Canada Limited

Congoleum

In December of 1919 the Congoleum Company registered this ™ in Canada for use on their line of floor coverings. The company was incorporated in Philadelphia, while much of its production took place in New Jersey. The founder of Congoleum was Michael Nairn who originally operated the business as Nairn Linoleum. When he brought his oilcloth craft to North America from Scotland, he brought with him his link to his asbestos supplier in the African Congo which lead to his choice of the corporate name, Congoleum.

Congoleum was the first manufacturer of asbestos tiles to offer a no-wax option. Sales of their flooring products took a leap until other manufacturing companies caught up with the technology.

Congoleum Canada Limited made asphalt asbestos tile and vinyl floor covering at its manufacturing facility at 3700 St. Patrick Street in Montreal, Quebec. The Congoleum Company, unlike Armstrong, concentrated on flooring and all products relating to flooring installation including adhesives. Low grade, short strand, asbestos was added to flooring products to add durability in both the product itself as well as the felt that was laid beneath vinyl sheet flooring. Congoleum Canada had its own Gold Seal ™ as pictured here, registered in 1953.

Gold Seal

While other manufacturers did not disclose the asbestos content in products, Congoleum labeled their products as containing asbestos. What Cogoleum did not do was include a warning that cutting, scraping or sanding their flooring products would release asbestos into the air and it was necessary to protect against breathing in that dangerous dust.

Congoleum products were labeled Congoleum, Congoleum-Nairn, Narin or simply Gold Seal and were widely available at flooring centres and building yards throughout Canada. A wide range of colours and patterns appealed to both the residential and commercial customer. A gradual shift away from tile to sheet flooring took place in the 1970 with many asbestos tiles being scrapped out of homes and buildings with no respiratory protection in order to update the flooring.

Do-It-Yourself homeowners as well as trade professionals involved with the installation of or removing flooring that contained asbestos are at risk for developing asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma. Some Congoleum products contained asbestos until 1983 and may still be found in many properties.

If your home was built before 1984 it should be assumed that there will be some materials in your property that contained asbestos and testing should be done before a renovation project is started.

If you live in Canada and have been diagnosed with an asbestos disease, please contact us for more information on how to seek compensation.

Client Testimonials

I'm so glad that I contacted Brown Law Office as soon as I got into my car accident. They made the process so easy on our family and helped us get a substantial cash settlement. I would recommend Brown Law Firm to anyone injured in a car accident.

Charles F.

After trying to deal with the insurance company myself, I realized that they would never treat me like the valued client I thought I was. In my opinion, you cannot handle a motor vehicle accident file without a lawyer on your side, and I was glad the Brown Law Office handled my file from beginning...

Kim D.

I am so glad to have been helped by a law firm that treated me like family from the day I walked in. They've got a complete no-quit, yet down to earth attitude. I will instantly refer to your firm anyone I know who needs a litigation lawyer.

Elon T.

Contact Us

Fill out the contact form or call us at 905.430.4500 or 877.430.3383 to schedule your free consultation.

Leave Us a Message