Does Tar Paper Have Asbestos Risks And Next Steps?

Tar paper — also called roofing felt or felt paper — can contain asbestos, but only if it was manufactured before the 1980s. The risk depends entirely on when it was made, whether it is intact, and whether you disturb it. If it is intact and left alone, it poses very little risk. If you cut, tear, sand, or burn it, fibers can become airborne and inhaled. The next step is not panic. It is identification, then a decision about whether to leave it in place or have it professionally removed.

What Is Tar Paper and Why Was Asbestos Used in It?

Tar paper is a felt-like sheet made from paper fibers saturated with asphalt or tar. It is used as a moisture barrier under roofing shingles, behind siding, and under some flooring. It is thin, dark, and comes in rolls.

Asbestos was added to many building products in the United States between roughly the 1920s and the 1970s. Manufacturers used it because it is fire-resistant, strong, and cheap. In roofing felt, asbestos fibers reinforced the paper and improved heat resistance. This was common practice, not an accident.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began restricting asbestos use in the 1970s. By the early 1980s, most domestic manufacturers had stopped adding asbestos to roofing felt and similar products. So the age of the material is the single most useful clue. Tar paper made before the 1980s is the material of concern. Tar paper made after that is very unlikely to contain asbestos.

One clarification worth making: not every pre-1980 roll of tar paper contained asbestos. Some did, some did not, and manufacturers did not always label it. That is why testing is the only way to know for certain.

Does Tar Paper Have Asbestos Risks and Next Steps?

The risk from tar paper comes down to one thing: whether fibers are released into the air and inhaled. Asbestos is dangerous when it is friable — meaning it crumbles or breaks down into fine particles easily. Intact tar paper is not friable. It is bound in asphalt and holds together.

This is the part most people miss. The material sitting quietly under your roof or siding is not the problem. The problem is the sawing, tearing, sanding, scraping, and disposal that sends microscopic fibers into the air where you breathe them.

Here is what that means in practice:

• Intact tar paper in place: minimal risk if undisturbed.
• Cutting, tearing, or sanding it: fibers can become airborne.
• Burning it: releases fibers into the air and is never safe.
• Power tools on it: high risk because they scatter fine dust.
• Hand removal with wet methods: lower risk but still requires protection.

The next steps depend on your situation. If the material is intact and you are not planning renovations, leaving it alone is often the reasonable choice. If you are renovating, or if the material is damaged and crumbling, testing and professional handling become the priority.

How Do You Know If Your Tar Paper Contains Asbestos?

You cannot tell by looking. Asbestos-containing tar paper and asbestos-free tar paper look the same. Color, texture, and smell do not distinguish them. The only reliable method is laboratory testing.

Testing works by taking a small sample and sending it to an accredited lab. The lab uses microscopy to identify asbestos fibers. Accredited laboratories in the U.S. participate in programs such as the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program, which sets competence standards for asbestos testing.

Sampling itself carries risk. If you cut a sample from material that contains asbestos, you can release fibers. For this reason, many health and safety agencies recommend that a qualified professional take the sample rather than the homeowner.

If you are not sure about the age of the material, or if it was installed before the 1980s, testing is the honest answer. Guessing is not.

What Are the Actual Health Risks of Asbestos Exposure?

Asbestos causes disease when fibers are inhaled and lodge deep in the lungs. The body cannot break them down or clear them effectively. Over years, this can lead to scarring and, in some cases, cancer.

The three main diseases linked to asbestos are asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. All three are well documented in the medical literature. The link between asbestos and mesothelioma is one of the strongest cause-and-effect relationships in occupational medicine.

Two things matter for risk: how much you were exposed to, and how long the exposure lasted. A single brief exposure is generally considered low risk compared with years of occupational exposure. But no exposure level is considered completely safe, which is why the goal is always to minimize contact with airborne fibers.

Timing matters too. Asbestos-related diseases typically develop many years after exposure, often decades. This long delay is one reason the risks were not recognized for so long.

It is worth being clear about what this does not mean. Finding old tar paper in your home is not the same as having an asbestos-related disease. Most people who encounter asbestos in a home setting, without disturbing it, do not go on to develop illness. The concern is real but it is tied to exposure, not to the mere presence of the material.

What Should You Do If You Find Tar Paper in Your Home?

Start by not disturbing it. Do not cut it, tear it, sand it, or run power tools through it. Do not sweep or vacuum debris from it with a standard vacuum, which can blow fibers back into the air.

Then figure out what you are dealing with. If the material is intact and you are not renovating, the practical approach is often to leave it in place and monitor it. If it is damaged, crumbling, or about to be disturbed by a project, that changes the calculation.

For removal, the safest route is a licensed asbestos abatement professional. Abatement involves containment, wet methods to suppress dust, protective equipment, and proper disposal. These are not steps a homeowner can safely replicate with a dust mask and a trash bag.

If you are hiring a contractor for any renovation that will disturb older materials, ask whether they are trained in asbestos handling. Many jurisdictions require this. If they are not, that is a reason to pause.

Some clinicians and public health agencies offer guidance if you are concerned about past exposure. If you have had significant occupational exposure, it is reasonable to mention it to a doctor, though there is no routine screening test that reliably catches asbestos disease early in people without symptoms.

Is It Ever Safe to Leave Asbestos Tar Paper Alone?

Yes, in many cases. Intact, undisturbed asbestos-containing material is generally considered low risk. This is a position held by multiple public health agencies, including the EPA, which advises that asbestos in good condition may be left in place.

The reasoning is straightforward. If the fibers stay bound in the material, they cannot be inhaled. The danger comes from disturbance.

That said, “leave it alone” is not a permanent answer for every situation. Material can degrade over time. Water damage, settling, and age can make it friable. If the condition changes, the risk changes with it.

This is where judgment matters. A stable, intact roll of felt under a roof that no one is touching is a different situation from crumbling material in an attic you use for storage. The condition and the likelihood of disturbance should drive the decision.

Common Myths About Tar Paper and Asbestos

Myth: All tar paper contains asbestos. Only material made before the 1980s is a concern, and even then, not all of it contained asbestos.

Myth: If it looks fine, it is safe. Appearance tells you nothing about asbestos content. Intact material is lower risk, but that is about condition, not content.

Myth: A dust mask is enough protection. Standard dust masks are not designed to filter asbestos fibers. Proper respiratory protection for asbestos requires specific equipment and fit testing.

Myth: You can just throw it in the trash. Asbestos-containing material has specific disposal requirements in most areas. Improper disposal is both a health and legal issue.

Myth: One exposure means you will get sick. Disease risk rises with cumulative exposure. A single low-level exposure is not the same as years of occupational contact.