Article Number : 5135 |
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| Date | 12/14/2009 8:25:23 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=5135 |
| Abstract | Indoor air quality is an important issue because most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors at home, work or school. Poor indoor air quality can be caused by a number of factors, including... |
| Article | Indoor air quality is an important issue because most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors at home, work or school. Poor indoor air quality can be caused by a number of factors, including inadequate ventilation, poor cleaning and excessive emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The FloorScore program, developed by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) in conjunction with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), tests and certifies flooring products for compliance with indoor air quality emission requirements adopted in California. Flooring products include vinyl, linoleum, laminate, wood, ceramic, rubber, wall base and associated sundries. A flooring product bearing the FloorScore seal has been independently certified by SCS to comply with the VOC emissions criteria of the California Section 01350 program. Thus, products with the FloorScore seal have passed a third-party certification process and are recognized as contributing to good indoor air quality in order to protect human health. Flooring products that meet FloorScore requirements in effect at the time of certification can display the FloorScore label. The FloorScore program gained even more credibility when the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) approved hard surface flooring products certified by FloorScore as an alternative compliance path to achieve credit in the LEED Rating System for New Construction, specifically EQ4.3 Low-Emitting Materials: Carpet Systems. To achieve the LEED credit, a minimum of 25% of the finished floor area (both carpet and non-carpet areas) of a building must be comprised of non-carpet floor products, and all these non-carpet flooring products must be FloorScore certified. A frequently asked question: • Where can I find a list of flooring products that have earned the FloorScore seal? A current list is maintained at RFCI.com and at scscertified.com. In short, what does FloorScore require? To earn the FloorScore seal, a flooring product must satisfy the requirements of the SCSEC-10-2004 Environmental Certification Program–Indoor Air Quality Performance, which includes: 1) testing that demonstrates compliance with emission concentrations for listed VOCs under California Section 01350; 2) manufacturing facility site audits; 3) annual product re-testing; 4) product record keeping, and 5) a documented quality control plan. Can IAQ really be improved? Certainly, with any or all of these five strategies: 1. Improve the HVAC system design and maintenance. 2. Ensure adequate ventilation with clean air. 3. Improve air filtering. 4. Schedule maintenance. or remodeling for minimum impact. 5. Control the sources of VOCs. |