Carey Fiberock Felt / Asbestos Felt / Carey Asphalt Floor Tiles

Product Description

Carey Fiberock Felt, Carey Asbestos Felt, and Carey Asphalt Floor Tiles were a line of flooring and underlayment products manufactured by the Celotex Corporation under the Philip Carey brand name. Produced from approximately 1935 through 1973, these products were widely distributed for use in residential, commercial, and industrial construction throughout the United States. The Carey product line encompassed asphalt-saturated felt underlayment materials as well as finished vinyl-asphalt floor tiles, both of which were standard components of mid-twentieth-century flooring systems.

Philip Carey, which operated as a division and predecessor entity ultimately absorbed into the Celotex Corporation, had a long history in the manufacture of asbestos-containing building materials. The Carey flooring line was marketed to contractors, building supply distributors, and industrial facilities as a durable, moisture-resistant, and cost-effective flooring solution. Floor tiles bearing the Carey name were installed in factories, warehouses, schools, hospitals, office buildings, and private homes across the country during the decades of peak production. Asphalt felt underlayment products were used beneath finished flooring surfaces in many of these same settings, serving as a moisture barrier and cushioning layer.

Production of these asbestos-containing Carey flooring products continued until the early 1970s, when mounting scientific evidence regarding the health hazards of asbestos and increasing regulatory scrutiny prompted industry-wide reformulation. The Celotex Corporation eventually faced extensive asbestos-related litigation arising from its Carey product lines and other asbestos-containing materials manufactured under its umbrella, ultimately leading to the establishment of a dedicated asbestos settlement trust.

Asbestos Content

Carey Fiberock Felt, Carey Asbestos Felt, and Carey Asphalt Floor Tiles were manufactured with chrysotile asbestos as a primary reinforcing and binding constituent. Chrysotile, a serpentine-form asbestos mineral also known as white asbestos, was the dominant fiber type used in the vinyl-asphalt tile and felt underlayment industries during this era because of its flexibility, tensile strength, and compatibility with asphalt binders.

In asphalt floor tiles of this period, chrysotile asbestos fibers were typically blended directly into the tile matrix alongside asphalt, mineral fillers, and plasticizers. The resulting composition gave tiles their characteristic durability and dimensional stability but also meant that asbestos fibers were distributed throughout the body of each tile. In felt underlayment products, chrysotile was incorporated into the fiber substrate and saturated with asphalt, creating a sheet material in which asbestos fibers were bound throughout the felt layer.

Regulatory actions taken by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and subsequent rulemaking, along with OSHA’s asbestos standards codified at 29 C.F.R. § 1910.1001 and § 1926.1101, have established that chrysotile asbestos poses significant health risks when fibers are released into the air and inhaled. Chrysotile exposure has been linked in the medical and scientific literature to mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other serious asbestos-related diseases.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers and tradespeople encountered airborne chrysotile asbestos fibers from Carey flooring products through a range of work activities performed during the decades these materials were in active use. Exposure pathways were associated both with the original installation of tiles and felt underlayment and with subsequent disturbance of existing flooring during renovation, maintenance, and demolition work.

Workers involved in the handling and cutting of Carey Asphalt Floor Tiles were at risk of generating airborne fiber release. Scoring, snapping, sawing, or grinding tiles to fit around obstacles and room perimeters could fracture the tile matrix and release bound chrysotile fibers into the breathing zone. Similarly, the application and trimming of Carey asbestos felt underlayment — which required cutting rolls of material to length and fitting sheets to subfloor surfaces — could disturb the fiber-laden felt and release asbestos into the surrounding air.

Industrial workers generally were among the trades documented as having occupational contact with Carey flooring products. Factory and warehouse floor crews, building maintenance personnel, and workers involved in facility renovation and demolition were routinely exposed during the long service life of these installed materials. Floor tile removal, in particular, is recognized as a high-dust activity; scraping or chipping old asphalt tiles from substrates can release significant quantities of asbestos fiber, especially when tiles have become brittle with age.

Because asbestos-containing floor tiles and felt underlayment were installed in enormous quantities in industrial and commercial facilities throughout the mid-twentieth century, the population of workers with potential Carey product exposure was substantial. Many of these workers were not informed of the asbestos content of the materials they handled and were not provided with respiratory protection or other safeguards that might have reduced their fiber intake.

Documented Trust Fund / Legal Options

The Celotex Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust was established to compensate individuals harmed by asbestos-containing products manufactured or distributed by the Celotex Corporation, including products sold under the Philip Carey brand name such as Carey Fiberock Felt, Carey Asbestos Felt, and Carey Asphalt Floor Tiles. This trust was created as part of Celotex’s asbestos bankruptcy resolution and operates under court-approved trust distribution procedures.

Trust Name: Celotex Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust

Product and Manufacturer Eligibility: Claims involving Carey Fiberock Felt, Carey Asbestos Felt, and Carey Asphalt Floor Tiles manufactured by the Celotex Corporation / Philip Carey are within the scope of this trust. Claimants must document exposure to a covered Celotex or Carey product and a diagnosed asbestos-related disease.

Typical Claim Categories: The Celotex Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust processes claims across the standard asbestos disease categories recognized by asbestos trust distribution procedures, including:

  • Mesothelioma — malignant mesothelioma of the pleura, peritoneum, or pericardium
  • Lung Cancer — with documented asbestos exposure history
  • Asbestosis — confirmed by pulmonary function testing and imaging consistent with trust criteria
  • Other Asbestos-Related Diseases — including diffuse pleural thickening and related conditions meeting trust diagnostic criteria

Filing Eligibility: Eligible claimants include individuals diagnosed with a qualifying asbestos-related disease who can establish occupational or other significant exposure to Celotex or Carey asbestos-containing products. Claims may also be filed by surviving family members or legal representatives of deceased individuals on behalf of estates.

Individuals who believe they were exposed to Carey Fiberock Felt, Carey Asbestos Felt, or Carey Asphalt Floor Tiles and have subsequently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related condition are strongly encouraged to consult with a qualified asbestos attorney. Legal counsel experienced in trust fund claims can assist with gathering the necessary exposure documentation, medical records, and product identification evidence required to submit a claim to the Celotex Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust.