In a previous posting you explained that you don't reccomend laminate flooring due to it's emission of formaldehyde fumes. This would obviously cause serious problems for anyone with pre-existing respiritory problems.

What can be done if a laminate floor has been installed in the home of someone with respiritory difficulties? Are there any ways to reduce or elimitate the formaldyhyde outgassing if ripping up the new flooring is not an option?

Dear Debra,

Thank you for all your helpful information!

My husband and I are going to do some updating of our 25 year old flooring and kitchen cabinets. Although neither of us are particularly chemically sensitive (that we know of anyway), we have been trying to convert to less toxic options when possible and affordable. We have used your information as we research flooring that would work for our budget and house situation. I am still unclear, however, which are longer term toxic concerns (we may have children in the next few years) and which are concerns only as long as they smell (which is the VOC rating?). You mentioned the Bruce engineered hardwood not seeming particularly toxic based on smell--would that be a fair test for us to use as well? Or how would we know if there is toxicity apart from smell?

Also, I looked at the Greenguard certificate for a Wilsonart laminate flooring which rated "Formaldehyde" at <0.05 ppm (<0.06 mg/m). If formaldehyde is listed on the MSDS, under what number, (if any), would you feel comfortable for 'formaldehyde'? We could do a Bruce engineered hardwood for less cost than a Wilsonart laminate that is Greenguard certified. Basically, if the Bruce engineered hardwood doesn't smell, is that ok to use? And is there a possibility that it is less toxic overall than the Wilsonart laminate?

Thanks for your help!

I found online, a non toxic padding for wood floor but I don't have the website... Do a search under those words.

Thanks for t he info on the hardwood from lowes. I'm chem sensitive and will check out the solid parquet.

We're building a number of very green homes and are researching flooring. We've had some good and bad experiences with bamboos, strand bamboos, solid and engineered.

The first issue is what you are installing the floor on. If it's concrete go with strand bamboo or engineered. If there is a wood subfloor you can use about anything.

The next thing you have to do is buy a box of the wood from your supplier to test in the house. Not only have we been surprised at how different the colors and grains are in the house we've been shocked at the amount of very odorific off gassing from supposedly green and non-toxic wood products. Even if the MSDS says there is no formaldehyde or other chemicals you don't want we've found the actual product was different.

There's been enough surprises that we just can't risk large orders without trying a box at a cost of $100 to $200 per box. This has saved us several times from design and/or environmental mistakes.

Doing a little web searching I found that formaldehyde is very common in flooring. I am chemical-sensitive and I have found that the sniff-test isn't sufficient to detect out-gassing wood products because they essentially smell like wood. If I place the product in an air-tight environment (big plastic bag or, for large items, a suitable storage container, or closet with a door) and leave it for 24 hours I can generally notice the contaminate smell. Unfortunately, the most effective detection method I have found is to live with the product for a day or two and notice if my eyes and lungs burn.

I have included a couple links to articles referring to formaldehyde-free flooring products, and a link to an article describing the problem.

www.columbiaforestproducts.com/about/press.aspx?show=a&disp=34

www.hoskinghardwood.com/Hardwood_Floors_7/17/Mannington_Engineered_Wood_Flooring.aspx

www.woodfloorrg.com/EcoIssues/EcoIcons/OtherAttributes/NoFormaledhyde.aspx

If you have any chemical sensitivity at all, do not choose laminate flooring. We made that mistake in our last house. The cleaner they recommended gave me a dreadful 3-day headache that made me feel very sick, and my head ached and throbbed constantly. For the next full year plus, the toxic chemicals came up through the floor, through my socks, and through my rubber soled slippers into my feet and halfway up my calves. It felt awful. Even over a rug that we laid in the living room. That was after numerous cleanings with water & vinegar. The toxic cleaner was long gone. It was in the laminate. Did I ever regret laying that awful laminate. It was Armstrong and an expensive one. Not a cheap laminate. It also looked horrible. Never a speck of shine. So much for a satin finish. It looked dull and lifeless. Horrible stuff. Horrible mistake. We sold the house - practically gave it away actually. Moved far away. Don't make the same mistake. You'll regret it.

We are installing laminate floors in our home now, and I would like to say that having the laminate sit in your home for a few days to see if you detect any chemicals or if you have a reaction is not a good idea. We had the laminate flooring sit in our house for almost a week, before the installation began and I did not have a reaction until they started cutting and installing the boards. When I went into a room that had the laminate recently installed my lungs started hurting and it felt like my air passages were constricting. My ears also itched and I developed congestion in my head. I've been researching what to do and so far have found that keeping the windows in your house open will help, but today the outside temperature is in the 30 degree F range so that is not an option. I bought an air cleaner, but it does not seem to be helping. I hope the problem improves or we may be selling our home.

We recently purchased a house so have been having painting done and installed hardwood floors in two bedrooms. We used the Benjamin Moore no VOC paint so that smell hasn't been too bad, but since we have installed the floors there has been a fairly strong odor.

We bought Armstrong hardwood floors (to match the floor that was already in the house) that is California 93120 HWPW compliant for formaldehyde Phase 2, which I am told means it contains less than .05 formaldehyde, and just smelt like wood when I smelled a single piece.

We used Stauf's WFR930 alcohol based wood floor adhesive (which I didn't realize until after the fact that they made adhesives with no VOC's that were not water-based, I was told my warranty would be void if I used water-based because they have had problems with the wood staying down).

The installer told me the odor would not be too bad, but I am finding otherwise. It has been a week since the floors were installed and I still smell a fairly strong odor, at least for me with a sensative nose.

We have been trying to leave the windows open as much as possible, with safety and weather temperatures considered. I can not tell now what the smell is (the floors or the adhesive), but it makes my nose burn. I am particularly concerned because one of the rooms is my 2 year old daughter's bedroom. She doesn't have a chemical sensitivity, that I know of, but I am worried about the chemicals effecting her long term health and development. People tell me I am overreacting. What do you think?

Is the harm from the chemicals gone once the smell is gone? How long will that take? Now I am wishing I would have just installed a "green" carpet.

I saw that someone mentioned two options for covering cement floors, and I wanted to throw out a third one--natural cork. We finished our basement (which is dry) and used natural cork for the flooring. It requires a thin plastic sheet to cover the cement first and then the cork squares fit together without glue or nails. Looks beautiful, is quite durable and has a very mild natural cork smell. And, it was quite affordable.