Carey Asbestos Felts

Product Description

Carey Asbestos Felts were a line of asbestos-containing felt underlayment and backing materials manufactured by Celotex Corporation. Produced from approximately 1960 through 1982, these products were used primarily as substrate and cushioning layers in flooring applications, serving as an interface between subfloor surfaces and finished floor coverings such as vinyl tile, sheet flooring, and other resilient flooring systems.

The Celotex Corporation was a major building materials manufacturer with a broad product portfolio that included insulation, roofing, and flooring components. During the mid-twentieth century, the incorporation of asbestos into felt underlayment was considered standard industry practice. Asbestos fibers were added to felt materials because they imparted dimensional stability, resistance to moisture and compression, and enhanced durability — properties that were valued in commercial and industrial flooring installations where heavy foot traffic and equipment loads were common concerns.

Carey Asbestos Felts were marketed and distributed for use in industrial and commercial settings throughout their production run. The product line remained in active manufacture until 1982, a period that largely coincided with the tightening of federal asbestos regulations and growing awareness within the scientific and regulatory communities of the serious health hazards associated with asbestos fiber exposure.

Asbestos Content

Carey Asbestos Felts contained chrysotile asbestos, also known as white asbestos and the most widely used form of asbestos in commercial manufacturing during the twentieth century. Chrysotile is a serpentine mineral fiber that was favored by manufacturers for its flexibility and its ability to be woven or matted into felt and sheet products. Despite its comparatively lower biopersistence relative to amphibole asbestos varieties, chrysotile has been classified as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and is regulated as a hazardous material under multiple federal frameworks, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) asbestos standard and the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA).

In felt underlayment products of this era, asbestos fibers were typically integrated into the felt matrix during manufacturing, bound together with binders and resins designed to hold the fiber structure intact under normal service conditions. However, the bonded structure of asbestos-containing felts does not eliminate exposure risk. When these materials are cut, torn, abraded, or otherwise disturbed — as routinely occurs during flooring installation and removal — the fiber matrix can be disrupted, releasing respirable chrysotile fibers into the surrounding air.

The integrity of asbestos-containing felt products degrades over time. Aged or deteriorating felt underlayment, when encountered during renovation or demolition activities, presents a heightened exposure risk because the binder materials holding fibers in place may have weakened significantly, making the product more friable and more likely to release fibers upon disturbance.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers who handled, installed, or removed Carey Asbestos Felts during the product’s production years represent the population most directly at risk for occupational asbestos exposure. The nature of flooring work — which involves cutting felt sheets to fit floor dimensions, pressing and adhering materials to subfloors, and, in renovation contexts, removing and disposing of existing underlayment — created consistent and repeated opportunities for fiber release.

Cutting asbestos-containing felt with hand tools or power cutting equipment was among the highest-exposure tasks associated with these products. Scoring, trimming, and fitting felt underlayment to irregular floor surfaces generated airborne dust that could contain substantial concentrations of respirable chrysotile fibers. Workers performing these tasks in enclosed environments with limited ventilation faced particularly elevated exposure conditions.

Floor removal and demolition activities posed significant additional risks. When older flooring systems containing Carey Asbestos Felts were torn up — whether during facility renovation, equipment relocation, or building demolition — the felt underlayment was frequently broken apart, releasing accumulated fibers that had been embedded in the material for years or decades. Workers involved in this type of remediation work, as well as those in adjacent areas, could be exposed to fiber releases without always having been informed of the asbestos content of the materials they were handling.

Secondary exposure pathways also existed. Workers who laundered the clothing of flooring installers, or who shared workspaces with those performing flooring installation and removal, could have encountered residual asbestos fibers on surfaces, tools, clothing, and equipment. This bystander exposure pattern has been documented in occupational asbestos litigation more broadly and is relevant to the general industrial work environments where Carey Asbestos Felts were installed.

Sustained occupational exposure to chrysotile asbestos has been associated in medical and epidemiological literature with serious pulmonary and pleural diseases, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and pleural plaques. Diseases related to asbestos exposure typically have long latency periods, often ranging from 20 to 50 years between initial exposure and clinical diagnosis.

Documented Trust Fund / Legal Options

Celotex Corporation faced substantial asbestos-related litigation arising from its manufacture and sale of asbestos-containing products, including Carey Asbestos Felts. Litigation records document that plaintiffs alleged Celotex knew or should have known of the health hazards associated with asbestos fiber exposure and failed to adequately warn workers and consumers of those risks. Plaintiffs alleged that the company continued manufacturing and distributing asbestos-containing products despite the availability of this information and despite the serious and potentially fatal consequences of occupational exposure.

Celotex Corporation ultimately filed for bankruptcy reorganization as a result of its asbestos liability. The Celotex Asbestos Settlement Trust was established through the bankruptcy proceedings to administer claims from individuals who developed asbestos-related diseases from exposure to Celotex products, including Carey Asbestos Felts. Claimants seeking compensation through the trust are generally required to demonstrate product-specific exposure — meaning documentation or evidence connecting their asbestos exposure to a Celotex product — and a qualifying asbestos-related disease diagnosis.

However, Carey Asbestos Felts are categorized here as a Tier 2 litigated product because civil litigation has also been a significant pathway for affected workers and their families. Litigation records document claims pursued in state and federal courts by individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, and related conditions who alleged exposure through flooring work involving these felt products. Plaintiffs in these cases alleged that Celotex and affiliated entities failed in their duty to provide adequate warnings and that this failure directly contributed to preventable asbestos-related illness.

Industrial workers who worked with or around Carey Asbestos Felts between 1960 and 1982 — or who performed renovation or demolition work involving these materials after that period — and who have since been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease should consult with a qualified attorney experienced in asbestos litigation. Legal counsel can evaluate trust fund eligibility, assess civil litigation options, and advise on applicable statutes of limitations, which vary by jurisdiction and may be measured from the date of diagnosis rather than the date of exposure.

Documentation that may support a legal claim includes employment records, union membership records, contractor logs, building maintenance records identifying flooring products installed at a worksite, coworker testimony, and medical records confirming an asbestos-related diagnosis.