Abstract: There is disclosed a class of asbestos-free, surface coating compositions useful for finishing of interior building walls or ceilings constructed with wallboard and the like, the so called dry wall construction. The compositions contain, as a substitute for the commonly employed asbestos fibers, a synthetic fiber which is a water-dispersible, thermoplastic polyolefin prepared by solution polymerization with a coordination catalyst and precipitated from the solution under high shear forces. The synthetic fibers can be surface modified by treatment with hydrophilic colloids such as starch or polyvinyl acetate or can bear carboxyl or sulfonate groups to improve their water dispersibility. The fibers are commercially available under the designation SWP from the Crown Zellerbach Company, Camas, Washington.