Does Luxury Vinyl Flooring Emit Chemicals

Vinyl is made from pvc or polyvinyl chloride plastic which produces toxic chemicals during manufacturing like dioxin a carcinogen and reproductive toxicant.

Does luxury vinyl flooring emit chemicals. There are no federal laws or rules prohibiting the group of chemicals known as phthalates from vinyl flooring. The off gassing of vinyl flooring chemicals will be a painstakingly slow process that can progress for some time after the installation the duration of time will depend on a variety of factors such as the number of chemicals released into the air the ventilation in the space and the size of the environment that is impacted by the off gassing. Ask the manufacturer to store the vinyl flooring or furniture in its. A flooring professional should be able to help do the research.

The consumer product safety commission does limit phthalates to less than 0 1 of the material used in toys and kids products. It s commonly assumed that using recycled content in your luxury vinyl flooring is more sustainable and environmentally friendly than using 100 virgin vinyl. Linoleum flooring is a safer alternative to vinyl flooring and manufacturers have started offering phthalate free flooring that doesn t contain the potentially dangerous chemicals identified by. These chemicals can contribute to indoor air pollution by drifting out of the flooring and into the air and dust inside homes.

These chemicals slowly release themselves from the vinyl and into the surrounding air. These toxic substances are harmful to the air quality of the immediate environment and can cause respiratory problems over time. A recent study found that most vinyl flooring made from reprocessed plastic contained toxic phthalates lead cadmium brominated flame retardants and other toxic chemicals. Government regulators around the world are increasing scrutiny and restrictions on the use of some.

It is very low voc and most of it is phthalate free now though those were replaced with alternate plasticizers. Because of the materials used in its manufacture vinyl will sometimes emit various levels of volatile organic chemicals or voc s into the air for a period after initial installation. Luxury vinyl plank lvp is much lower in offgassing than people generally think. There is a huge difference between lvp and sheet vinyl flooring.

Household surfaces can absorb the fumes and re emit them into the air creating a vicious cycle. I know most of us think vinyl is one of the worst options. During the production of materials such as vinyl various chemicals are used.