By Dewevai Buchanan Vice president of hardwood, Unilin Flooring
As American consumers have become increasingly concerned about green aspects ranging from indoor air quality to the destruction of our planet’s precious rainforests, their shopping habits have begun to reflect a new responsibility in their purchasing choices. This new awareness is an advantage for retailers carrying environmentally accountable products.

Retailers carrying FloorScore-certified products have a distinct selling advantage over their competitors’ non-certified products because they can objectively tell their customers the flooring they are offering meets one of the most stringent indoor air quality certification programs in the world. FloorScore tests for 78 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), some of which are listed on California’s Prop 65 as known carcinogens or reproductive toxins. (A carcinogen is a cancer-causing substance; a reproductive toxin is a chemical that can damage the reproductive systems of children and adults.) On the commercial front, FloorScore certification opens doors for retailers to aggressively pursue commercial sales.

FloorScore is recognized as one of the most credible certification programs in the United States. FloorScore tests and certifies hard surface flooring and adhesives for compliance with rigorous indoor air quality emission requirements. Flooring and adhesives that earn FloorScore certification enjoy a legitimately enhanced market position, distinguished by the FloorScore certification label.

The market for commercial projects requiring compliance with specific air quality emissions standards is a substantial, potential revenue source open to retailers carrying the right products. Some key points:

• FloorScore certified flooring meets criteria required by a variety of well-respected organizations.

• FloorScore certified hard surface products contribute points to projects under The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED v3 Commercial Interiors and New Construction and Major Renovations program.

• FloorScore certified products meet the criteria for the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), a measureable standard set for educational facilities.

• Regarding healthcare facilities, products bearing the FloorScore label may honorably claim they meet criteria established for the Green Guide for Health Care.

The domestically manufactured engineered products in the Mohawk, Columbia and Century Flooring lines, as well as those in the TimberFusion commercial line by Daltile, led the industry by being the first engineered wood products to earn FloorScore certification.