Laminate Floors Can Damage Your Air Quality

Posted in Air Quality, on August 04, 2016

Did you know that the flooring in your house may not be safe for your family’s health, or your home’s air quality? Well some of the most common laminated flooring found in a lot of modern and older homes has been linked to having formaldehyde in some of the adhesives and resins that are used in the production of wood laminate. Exposure to formaldehyde has been connected with respiratory issues and even some cancers.

Laminate flooring isn’t hardwood flooring but it gives off a similar looks, and is made out of lots of layers of materials that include wood fibres and the image of wood which gives it the similar look of hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring can pose a serious risk to your air quality and the health of your loved ones.

Although tasks of cancer from formaldehyde exposure from laminate flooring has been small, the risk is still there, and with a chemical like that lingering in your air and affecting your air quality, the risk gets higher. Formaldehyde is actually found in a lot of daily household items, like paints, spray foam insulation, furniture, and much more.

Often we as consumers don’t think about our indoor air quality, and focus on how certain products make our houses look, but having poor air quality can lead to a lot of terrible health problems. Today a lot of homes are built with laminate flooring and fewer gaps for air to escape, which may cause your home to work more energy efficient but it can cause a lot of indoor air quality problems! The laminate floors release formaldehyde which then gets stuck in the air because of the few gaps that are there to let any air escape, meaning your air quality is suffering as well as the health of those living in the home.

If you want wood laminate to be your flooring, don’t fear! There are options that don’t put your health and air quality in risk. Look for options that don’t contain any urea-formaldehyde glues. Also look for those options when shopping for any furniture and wood cabinetry, to help prevent any damage to your air quality. It is important to know where the product was produced, and imported from, and we recommend staying clear of anything that has been imported in from China.

If you are installing the wood laminate yourself, you can help protect your air quality by letting the floor air out in a garage for about a day before installing it. Also when installed let in fresh air and use exhaust fans to help prevent any damage to your air quality and to rid any humidity or moisture which could develop into mould.

Give us a call if you are installing or have laminate wood flooring so we can ensure your air quality is safe and you are not living in a dangerous environment! We want to make sure your air quality and home is as healthy as it can be!

Laminate Floors Can Damage Your Air Quality

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