Does Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Flooring Make People Sick?

When people are looking for a quick flooring fix, they may be tempted to go with vinyl flooring or PVC flooring for their homes. This is especially true if the area they&#;re looking to repair is in a part of the home that is exposed to a lot of water, as vinyl flooring does hold up well to moisture. However, these plastic floors do come with downsides. While some are obvious, like lacking natural beauty of hardwood flooring, others might not be apparent to people that aren&#;t experts. One particularly troublesome downside to vinyl flooring is the hazards to health it might pose.

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As flooring experts, we&#;ll take a short dive into what PVC flooring is and why it can make people sick. 

What is PVC Flooring

PVC flooring is just another term for the more commonly used term vinyl flooring. The acronym PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, the material that the flooring is made out of. In common use, the word polyvinyl was shortened to vinyl, the term most people are familiar with.

The material polyvinyl chloride is fused and pressed to make strips of plastic flooring that will often be designed to look like wood or some other appealing flooring material like stone or tile. However, PVC strips are normally very thin, often less than half an inch, and while they can be wear-resistant because of the material they&#;re made from, some complain that it&#;s almost more like a mat than proper flooring.

Dangers of PVC Flooring

While the durable material vinyl floors are made out of may appeal to some homeowners looking to install it in a room where more damage may be expected, like a kitchen or bathroom, this material does have some downsides, primarily the health concerns that come along with it.

In recent years, more studies have come out linking PVC flooring to health issues like asthma and even rare cancers. The reason for this is the chloride that the name polyvinyl chloride comes from. In order to produce chloride-based plastics, most of these floors are made out of reprocessed plastics to reduce the cost of production, however, these plastics contain toxic chemicals that are released when they get broken down, exposing the material to hazards like lead and phthalates.

Compounding the health risks posed by PVC is that the production of chloride-based plastics itself produces toxic chemicals that can damage the health of anyone exposed to them, specifically the class of chemicals known as dioxins, which are carcinogenic chemicals that can remain in the environment for a long period of time and accumulate in an individual&#;s body, potentially leading to health issues.

Is PVC Flooring Safe

The safety of vinyl flooring is going to depend on your particular circumstances at home. The chemical toxins in PVC flooring get released into the home as dust and can accumulate in the air, but in a small space that people aren&#;t often exposed to, this risk will be reduced. However, if you have young children at home you may want to consider the risks associated with vinyl flooring, as children have been shown to get up to 10 times the exposure as adults do because they often spend so much time playing on the floor.

Now that you know a little more about the hazards posed by PVC flooring you&#;re in a better position to figure out what kind of flooring is best for your home. Every home will have different needs, but as hardwood flooring experts, we are big fans of hardwood.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Pvc Vinyl Flooring Factory. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

H·FLOR Heterogeneous Sheet SUN-KISSED ASH from Stone Collection

When you&#;re searching for the best flooring option for your home, there are numerous things to consider &#; from affordability to design to maintenance. There are also many flooring materials to choose from, including vinyl flooring. Vinyl flooring is durable, affordable, and easy to clean and maintain.  You can explore more vinyl benefits and learn more about these advantages here.

However, you should be aware of several drawbacks to using vinyl flooring when making your decision. This article will discuss five disadvantages of using vinyl flooring, including:

1. Cannot be repaired
2. Can emit volatile organic compounds
3. Shorter lifespan than wood floors
4. Difficult to remove, especially if adhesive is used during installation
5. Not eco-friendly; challenging to recycle

Cannot be repaired

Disadvantages of flooring vinyl &#; difficulty to repair

When damaged, vinyl flooring is extremely difficult to repair. Often, the only option to fix a vinyl floor is to replace it. This is especially true for sheet vinyl flooring. A less costly alternative can be to patch the damaged area by removing and replacing it with a new section. However, this has its drawbacks. One of the significant advantages of vinyl flooring is that it is waterproof; patching the flooring will create seams allowing water to permeate it. A patch will also only match the pattern of the original floor if cut along the existing pattern lines, which is easier said than done.

Can emit volatile organic compounds

For a short time after installation, vinyl flooring emits what is known as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These are gasses that can have a long-term impact on your health and are also dangerous for the environment. They can be especially hazardous to those with respiratory problems. Some common symptoms include headaches, dizziness, eye itchiness, or respiratory tract irritation when exposed for just short periods of time. Prolonged exposure can result in asthma, respiratory allergies, and other serious lung problems. To reduce gasses in the home, open doors and windows to keep your rooms well ventilated. The effects of VOCs can be further minimized by choosing a low-VOC floor.

Difficult to remove, especially if adhesive is used during installation

Disadvantages of vinyl flooring sheets &#; difficulty to remove

Vinyl flooring is often glued to ensure it stays in the right place when moving furniture and other things around. When installed this way, the flooring becomes difficult to remove because you will have to carefully pry the planks or sheets from the subfloor so they stay fully intact. Removing vinyl flooring is a very time-consuming process, whether it is done by you or a professional. To avoid the complex removal process, choose a vinyl flooring that doesn&#;t require glue or heavy adhesives. Look for vinyl floors that install as floating floors instead; this type of flooring locks or clicks in place to prevent it from moving around.

Not eco-friendly; difficult to recycle

In a world where builders, designers, and homeowners are increasingly focused on sustainable building materials and practices, vinyl flooring could be more eco-friendly. Vinyl floors are often made using toxic chemicals that can damage the environment, including the volatile organic chemicals discussed earlier. Vinyl floors include polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, used in many other objects within your home, including siding and window frames, pipes, and wall coverings. PVC prevents the flooring from breaking down and decomposing in order for it to maintain its quality. Many recyclers will only take used vinyl flooring if they can make a significant profit from it, which is difficult to do, making vinyl recycling even more challenging.

Excellent qualities of vinyl flooring depending on what brand you choose

Wood Collection&#;s GOLDEN SESAME by H·FLOR Heterogeneous Sheet

The only way to decide if vinyl is the right choice for you is by weighing its benefits and drawbacks. While there are several disadvantages to using vinyl flooring, these may be outweighed by the advantages. For example, while vinyl flooring has a relatively shorter lifespan than natural materials, such as wood, it is also significantly cheaper. If you haven&#;t already, check out our complete list of vinyl flooring benefits and advantages here.

To minimize the drawbacks or adverse effects of vinyl flooring, pay attention to the brand, manufacturer, and quality. Choosing high-quality vinyl flooring is essential when deciding between the many options out there, as it can significantly impact the lifespan and durability of your floor. LX Hausys&#; HFLOR Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) offers many high-end natural-looking wood and fine stone finishes that would look stunning in your home. HFLOR&#;s LVT collection offers incredible freedom and creativity both in terms of design capabilities and installation methods.

Contact us

If you are considering vinyl flooring for your home, let&#;s talk. We&#;re excited to discuss your flooring needs, questions, or concerns. Visit our site, fill out a form, and one of our experts will reply to you quickly at the you provide.

 

 

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Foam Back Vinyl.