Last year’s scandal involving Chinese laminate flooring that did not comply with CARB formaldehyde regulations and was sold by Lumber Liquidators prompted a segment on The Dr. Oz Show about laminate flooring. Much of the segment, originally aired April 11, 2016, inaccurately portrayed the majority of laminate flooring products and the overall laminate flooring industry according to the North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA). The often inaccurate and sometimes sensational coverage necessitated the following statement NALFA:
- NALFA sets standards for the performance of laminate flooring manufactured in North America, including conformance to the Air Toxic Control Measure 93120 (ATCM) enforced by the California Air Resource Board (CARB) since 2008. All of NALFA’s regular member companies, which include every major laminate flooring manufacturer in North America, certify their products to the ANSI-accredited NALFA LF-01-2011 standard, a rigorous, 10-step testing process performed by independent testing facilities.
- Products certified to conform to the ANSI standard are awarded the NALFA Certification Seal. The NALFA Seal serves as verification that a product will provide the retailer and consumer a safe flooring option.
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NALFA-certified laminate flooring meets or exceeds CARB requirements for formaldehyde emissions.
The tainted, Chinese laminate flooring that was sold by Lumber Liquidators represents a potential health risk and should not have been allowed into the country for sale. The CDC’s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) report (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/laminateflooring/) confirms this. This product violated California state law, and as such, Lumber Liquidators has been fined and continues to work through multiple legal challenges. This flooring was not NALFA-certified.
- In 2016, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) will put into effect new rules governing the formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood products, which are a primary component in laminate flooring and other popular household products. The EPA standard is anticipated to closely mirror the California standard. In advance of this rule change, NALFA member companies have been manufacturing laminate flooring in compliance with the California standard since 2008. You can read more about the rules on the EPA’s website (https://www.epa.gov/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-emission-standards-composite-wood-products).
A list of laminate flooring and accessory manufacturers who have earned the NALFA certification may be found at NALFA.com.
About NALFA
The North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) was formed in 1997 by U.S. and Canadian manufacturers and importers of laminate flooring. Since its inception, NALFA has been dedicated to creating voluntary product performance standards for laminate flooring in North America. For more information, visit www.nalfa.com.
SOURCE: North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA)
