After a recent report on the news program 60 Minutes, some people are reluctant to put laminate flooring in their homes. The report on 60 Minutes, and several follow up pieces reveal that there are concerns about the amount of formaldehyde found in laminate flooring made in China. Although formaldehyde is a naturally occur substance made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, however, when most of us think of this chemical, we think of the frogs that we dissected in high school were stored in. Formaldehyde in too great of concentrations is not safe for humans.
Formaldehyde becomes a part of laminate flooring due to the adhesive used to make the flooring and other non-solid wood materials, such as medium density fiber board (MDF) or composite furniture. Too much formaldehyde in the air, especially in enclosed space such as a house or trailer can cause health problems, some severe. Due to these concerns, California has regulated the levels of toxicity in composite products as a way to provide stringent controls on formaldehyde emissions on products sold in the state.
Eckards is incredibly exacting with our laminate flooring providers and only purchases flooring which is well within the most stringent regulations in the industry. CARB2 emission standards are intended to protect the public from exposure to unsafe levels of formaldehyde in wood products. Since the establishment of the initial CARB standards in 2009 and subsequent CARB2 standards, formaldehyde emissions have dropped. Prior to these standards, the acceptable level were ten to twenty times higher than the current allowable levels.
Consumers can determine if the laminate flooring they are purchasing is safe by looking for a label with the “California 93120 Compliant for Formaldehyde” or California Phase 2 Compliant” stickers which indicate that products with these stickers meet appropriate guidelines. All finished paneled goods, which include laminate flooring sold in California are required to meet the standards of CARB2.
People interested in using laminate flooring in their homes do not need to avoid products made in China, where news reports of formaldehyde originated from. Whether those products were made in China or elsewhere a CARB or CARB 2 inspection indicates the product is safe. The alarm over formaldehyde was worth noting because of legitimate concerns over breathing the chemical in. Fortunately, consumers were not the only ones who paid attention to those concerns. Government regulators and inspectors paid attention too and are ensuring that laminate flooring is safe. Consumers can be confident that as long as their flooring has been appropriately inspected, it will be safe for use in their homes.
If you are interested in learning more about laminate flooring check out these other articles from our blog:
- Your Laminate Flooring is No Good Unless it Has These 10 Things
- Difference between laminate and engineegered wood
- How to Install Laminate Flooring
