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Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring

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Posted 3/18/2019 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
It supposedly doesn’t offgas, but it’s still vinyl.

What are your thoughts, opinions, or experience with this? Would you get this type of flooring? Why or why not?
Posted 3/18/2019 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
Does it have formeldahyde in it?
Posted 3/18/2019 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
This is from 2015

https://www.momscleanairforce.org/non-toxic-flooring/
Posted 3/19/2019 1:46 AM (GMT 0)
I had read Debra Lynn Dadd’s article about a year ago, and this is what I had in the back of my mind. https://www.debralynndadd.com/q-a/nontoxic-vinyl-plank-flooring/

Green Building Supply won’t carry it due to the environmental toxicity in production and disposal more so than harm to people in their home. https://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/learning-center/flooring-lc/why-we-dont-sell-luxury-vinyl-tile

Just wondering about opinions or experiences from others on the forum. We are house hunting and will have to deal with flooring replacement.
Posted 3/19/2019 3:00 AM (GMT 0)
ceramic tile is really the best, but it ain't cheap
Posted 3/19/2019 3:47 AM (GMT 0)

Lapis_29 said...
ceramic tile is really the best, but it ain't cheap

And unless you get heated - it’s very cold.
We have a section of ceramic tile in our house.
Posted 3/19/2019 10:25 AM (GMT 0)
We had this type of flooring in the apartment where I coincidentally got my first mold symptoms (from ventilation problem, not from flooring).
I didn't know it was luxurious lol. We were renting the apartment, so the flooring wasn't new when we moved in, I can't really tell about the off gassing. All I can say is, even though it looks modern, aesthetically it doesn't come close to real wood.
I should also think tiles are the best bet to avoid mold or chemicals. You can have underfloor heating with tiles, it's heaven - but this is also a costly option.
Posted 3/19/2019 12:29 PM (GMT 0)
We do not have vinyl so I can’t give you an opinion on it. We bought a new model home that had sat for a year. I didn’t react too much. I do react to our basement which was recently finished. It has engineered hardwood from Shaw. Upstairs has carpet - which seems to have offgassed enough and a nicer engineered hardwood that I’m really good with.

Our last home had real hardwood and I would find faint white circles all the time - almost like a kid spilled little drops of milk. I see them now in our new house outside on the wood ceiling of our porch. So, it was some type of mold.

Have you read this?
https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2017/05/zero-voc-flooring.html?m=1
Posted 3/19/2019 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks so much guys and girls!

I have read most of the articles but it had been a while.

I initially was leaning towards ceramic tile throughout, as that is what is in my relative’s house. Very unusual for this area, though, and may be a drawback for resale. I would think it would be hard to remove it once it’s down. Drawbacks - hard, cold, harder to clean, dangerous if you fall on it.

Luxury vinyl plank is in a lot of the newer and remodeled houses. I don’t have reactions to it, but I don’t really like it. It looks like fake plastic wood.

Last night I was thinking about hardwood floors in the bedrooms and maybe living room, but I fear mold with wood floors. I know you can get vapor barriers to put down first, but still. This is a very warm, humid area. Humidity will cause mold and warp the wood. Plus I am clumsy and very messy with water. I know I would spill something and be totally paranoid about the liquid seeping into the cracks and growing mold.

So much research. So many decisions. So much fear and confusion. If only I had a trustworthy and competent comrade who was as obsessed with indoor air quality and mold as I am to do everything for me and all I would have to do is pick the color. Don’t we all wish for this imaginary personsmile

Post Edited (WalkingbyFaith) : 3/19/2019 10:08:32 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/19/2019 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
Difficult decision for sure.

Re: ceramic tiles - I don’t find them hard to clean but drop anything fragile on it and it’s guaranteed broken. But I wouldn’t like it in my dining room or living room.

And vinyl flooring - The newer flooring I’ve seen - is difficult to distinguish between it and laminate.
But spilled water can get in between the “planks” too.

There doesn’t seem to be a perfect solution.

No matter what - it’s all an improvement from carpet. Dust collecting.... mold forming if you spill any liquid.
Posted 3/19/2019 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
Daisies - is granite toxic?
Posted 3/19/2019 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
Granite can off gas radon. It’s important to keep them sealed. Probably still give off some radon though.
Posted 3/19/2019 10:42 PM (GMT 0)

k07 said...
Granite can off gas radon. It’s important to keep them sealed. Probably still give off some radon though.

Thanks. I didn’t know granite was bad.

Seems like everything is bad.
Posted 3/19/2019 10:43 PM (GMT 0)
Daisies,

I think Marmoleum is true linoleum. It’s on Green Building Supply’s website.
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