Owens Corning stopped manufacturing and selling products containing asbestos in 1972, but the history is more complicated because asbestos-related liabilities continued for decades. Owens Corning was one of the major producers of asbestos-containing insulation, particularly its Kaylo brand of calcium silicate pipe insulation and One Cote acoustical plaster, which contained asbestos from the 1950s through the early 1970s. As medical evidence linking asbestos to mesothelioma and lung disease became clear, the company began phasing it out. By May 1972, Owens Corning ceased production of asbestos-containing Kaylo. However, asbestos-containing products remained installed in thousands of buildings and ships, leading to massive lawsuits. By the late 1990s, Owens Corning faced over 400,000 asbestos claims. This led the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2000 specifically to resolve asbestos liability. It emerged from bankruptcy in 2006 after creating a trust to pay future asbestos claimants. Today, no Owens Corning insulation product sold in retail stores contains asbestos. Modern Pink Fiberglas, FOAMULAR, and Thermafiber mineral wool products are all certified asbestos-free. If your home was built before 1980 and has grayish, cement-like pipe insulation or vermiculite attic insulation, that may contain asbestos, but it would not be a current Owens Corning product.
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