Selecting the flooring for your custom built home is an exercise in aesthetics and practicality. This is especially true for rooms such as the kitchen, bathrooms, and utility room. Water, and lots of it, are part of the function of each of these rooms, so not only is it important to choose flooring you like, but it also has to be moisture-resistant.
Luxury sheet vinyl meets this strict criteria. It’s waterproof and comes in endless designs. The new vinyl on the market uses printing technology that makes it appear as the real thing instead of a photo of stones, bricks, natural materials, or patterns.
Things to Consider
While it’s a go-to product when form and function are important, there is a downside. Some of it is manufactured with materials that degrade indoor air quality (IAQ). Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and phthalates are gases that are known to cause health problems from mild to severe.
Products that contain petroleum products off-gas VOCs and phthalates as they age. Warm temperatures speed the off-gassing process. This occurs mainly when the product is new and eventually stops. Some things always pose a threat like vehicle exhaust and natural gas appliances, while others, like luxury vinyl flooring, stop emitting VOCs and phthalates eventually.
Alternatives
There are countless products used in homes that emit VOCs, from air fresheners to makeup. Cleaners, plastics, vinyl products, candles, anything perfumed and many products used in a custom built home have VOCs. Fortunately, there are alternatives for some of the offending products.
Look for products labeled as low- to no-VOCs or are clean-air compliant. Manufacturers use different labeling images, but the language they use is fairly consistent.
The team members at Alair Homes are on the front lines of helping you choose products that are safe for your home. There are alternatives for flooring, paint and wood products that contain no VOCs or phthalates, including luxury sheet vinyl. We can show you the products that sheet vinyl manufacturers have available that are clean air complaint.
In fact, one of the top advantages with a custom built home versus a tract home is your ability to choose the products that go into it. You’ll be able to specify the interior paints, cabinets and flooring materials. When you insist that each of these has low or no VOCs, you’ll breathe much easier after you move in.
Why It Matters
People react differently to VOCs and phthalates. Some have no reactions while others develop health problems from mild to serious. These chemicals are known carcinogens, cause organ and nervous system damage. Some people only suffer flu-like systems or respiratory irritations.
Bottom Line
A custom built home can meet the most rigorous standards for clean air when you work with our teams to select safe interior products, including luxury sheet vinyl. There are plenty of alternatives available to protect your family’s health and comfort.