Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are unfortunately prevalent in nearly every home. Manufacturers have gotten better about minimizing VOCs now that their negative effects on health are better understood.

However, VOCs haven’t been eliminated. They can still be found in a variety of aerosol sprays, cleaning products, office equipment, furniture, air fresheners, paint and even flooring. Some flooring adhesives also contain dangerous levels of VOCs.

Natural flooring materials like wood aren’t necessarily free of VOCs either. The finishes and sealers used on wood floors may keep them glossy and provide at least some protection from spills, but they may also pollute indoor air.

Effects of VOC Exposure

The symptoms of VOC exposure range from mild eye, nose and throat irritation and headaches to serious damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Some VOCs are even suspected to be carcinogenic.

Doing certain activities, such as stripping paint from walls, painting or applying sealants indoors, can increase airborne VOCs to extremely dangerous levels. Always heed product warnings that advise ventilating a room during application.

If you’re using a product known to release VOCs and begin to experience nose and throat irritation, nausea, dizziness or fatigue, go outside, get fresh air and ventilate the space.

FloorScore® Certifications for Indoor Air Quality

SCS Global Services, an organization committed to safe and sustainable building materials, established the FloorScore certification for flooring, underlayment and adhesives that don’t emit dangerous levels of VOCs. Flooring materials that gain FloorScore certification qualify for use in a variety of healthy and green building types, including LEED v4, WELL, BREEAM and CHPS.

SCS Global partners with third-party ISO-17025 accredited labs to test the safety of all types of flooring products. Only flooring products that meet or exceeds some of the most stringent VOC standards are granted certification.

Metroflor’s Luxury Vinyl Flooring Products Are FloorScore Certified

Not all flooring is made equal. In fact, flooring is one of a home’s features that’s most likely to emit dangerous levels of VOCs. Members of a household may not experience symptoms of VOC exposure immediately, but the effects can be cumulative after decades of breathing polluted indoor air.

Some flooring manufacturers take VOCs seriously and have committed themselves to developing safe flooring that helps maintain good indoor air quality (IAQ).

Metroflor has invested a lot into formulating vinyl flooring and installation materials that don’t emit dangerous levels of VOCs. The FloorScore certification and safety of our products is one of the reasons so many hospitals, doctors’ offices and assisted living facilities trust Metroflor for their luxury vinyl plank and tile needs.

We care about the health and safety of our residential and commercial clients, their families and the customers and patients that frequent their businesses.

Making safe flooring is just one of the ways we strive to make the world a healthier and safer place.

Transparency

Customers who care about environmental sustainability, IAQ and creating safe and healthy indoor environments don’t just rely on each supplier’s word that their products are safe. We think discerning flooring shoppers deserve to see third-party testing and verification before they invest in a manufacturer’s products.

We’re proud to partner with transparency platforms like Declare^SM so our customers can see for themselves:

• Where many of our commercial floors come from
• What they’re made of
• How they can be safely disposed of

Our customers can also find detailed Health Product Declarations (HPDs) for many of our luxury vinyl tile and plank flooring products.

Environmental Responsibility

We believe reducing our carbon footprint makes sense from a business and global perspective. We’ve taken a number of steps to minimize the pollution our business adds to the environment.

Our Déjà New line not only boasts exceptional quality and stunning designs but also maintains a carbon-neutral status thanks to our commitment to carbon offset initiatives.

In July 2020 we proudly enrolled in UPS’s carbon neutral shipping program for the transportation of all our flooring samples and Metroflor accessories.

We’ve also committed to helping create greener communities with our own facilities. Our Halstead Customer Support Center was the tenth LEED Platinum project finished in Georgia and the first in the city of Calhoun.

Customers curious about the environmental impact of our products and the steps we take to minimize health and environmental dangers should review our environmental data sheets available for most of our products.

Get Luxury Vinyl Tile and Plank Products from a Company That Cares About You

Safety, sustainability and health are important factors consumers consider when choosing which products they put in their homes and businesses – but they’re not the only factors.

People want flooring that will stand up to traffic, resist stains and scratches and look great. Metroflor is proud to create durable luxury vinyl flooring products that meet all the needs of consumers seeking a high-quality, affordable flooring solution.

Browse our many luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank products, as well as our array of safe Prevail maintenance and installation accessories for more information.