Vinyl Plank Flooring

October 7, 2019, by Lisa Powers

Question from Grace

Thank you for all the fabulous info. We are looking to remodel our house and live in it 5-7 years before we build a house with a more non toxic budget. I am trying to find a good wood flooring that I won’t be worried about us living with but also something that we can afford for our remodel. Our contractor would like to use lifeproof vinyl plank, which claim to be phthalate & formaldehyde free. Any other cautions for this brand? This seems good but I would prefer hardwood. I was reading your post which I will link below, was there any final decision on Home Legend Hardwood? Also have you looked into OptiWood? We live in Alaska and have animals & kids so trying to find a balance between price, durability & non toxic.

 

Lisa’s Answer

While Home Legend claims to be formaldehyde free, an independent test by Andrew Pace of Green Design Center found that it does emit formaldehyde from the back. Andy tests the products on his site, so you can trust what he sells. If you are considering another brand, ask the manufacturer for independent testing to support their claims. Of course, solid wood flooring finished with no or low VOC finishes is less toxic than engineered wood.

Andy tests products for formaldehyde emissions for a $100 fee. He has found formaldehyde from samples of flooring that claim to be VOC-free. It might worth testing a sample before you install it.

You can read more here about vinyl flooring.