{"id":389,"date":"2023-09-14T15:01:14","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T15:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/?p=389"},"modified":"2023-10-04T11:29:56","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T11:29:56","slug":"whats-so-luxurious-about-luxury-vinyl-tile-part-i-the-dirty-secret-behind-a-diyers-dream-material","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/2023\/09\/14\/whats-so-luxurious-about-luxury-vinyl-tile-part-i-the-dirty-secret-behind-a-diyers-dream-material\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s So Luxurious About Luxury Vinyl Tile, Part I: The Dirty Secret Behind a DIYer\u2019s Dream Material"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was written by\u00a0Burgess Brown.<\/strong>\u00a0Healthy Materials Lab<\/a>\u00a0is a design research lab at Parsons School of Design with a mission to place health at the center of every design decision. HML is changing the future of the built environment by\u00a0creating resources<\/a>\u00a0for designers, architects, teachers, and students to make healthier places for all people to live. Check out their podcast,\u00a0Trace Material<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is Part I<\/strong> of a three-part series on the hazards of vinyl flooring. In Part II<\/strong> we\u2019ll explore the long history of worker endangerment by the vinyl industry and the ways that legacy continues in China today.<\/p>\n

\n

If you\u2019ve stayed in a recently renovated AirBnB, stumbled upon quickly-flipped properties on Zillow, or tuned into the DIY corner of YouTube in the last couple of years, you\u2019ll recognize a common interior design trend: imitation wood or stone floors branded as \u201cLuxury Vinyl Tile.\u201d These floors are everywhere and for good reason. LVT is affordable, durable, easy to maintain and quick to install \u2014 a DIYer\u2019s dream! But it\u2019s not just DIYers that have hopped on the LVT train \u2014vast numbers of high-end hotels, schools, affordable housing units and office buildings have plasticized their floors.<\/p>\n

Behind the slick rebrand and influencers\u2019 stamp of approval, LVT manufacturers are hiding a \u201cdirty climate secret,\u201d according to a recent report<\/a>\u00a0from the Center for Environmental Health, Material Research L3C, and Autocase Economic Advisory.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s in a Name?<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n

Image generated by Architizer using Midjourney<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Vinyl flooring has been around in some form since the plastics revolution of the early 20th century. It became a residential interior staple during the postwar housing boom. Sheet vinyl was a quick and affordable option for developers racing to house a growing population. Today\u2019s vinyl can look quite different, but at its core, it\u2019s still a petrochemical product made with chemicals of serious health and climate concern. The addition of the luxury classification in vinyl branding is a recent marketing term, and it is hoodwinking hordes of purchasers. It typically designates vinyl tiles or panels (LVT or LVP) that are made to imitate the look of wood, stone or ceramic.<\/p>\n

The popularity of these tiles and panels, particularly of the loose lay variety, have exploded thanks to another boom period: pandemic renovations. In 2021, LVT sales grew by a whopping 37.4%<\/a>. By 2022, vinyl flooring made in China alone became the most common flooring sold in the United States, accounting for over one- quarter of all flooring sold in the U.S.<\/a> According to the report from Center for Environmental Health, there are serious issues with lack of transparency and accuracy around the human and environmental toll of the LVT boom.<\/p>\n

A Dirty Climate Secret<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n

Image generated by Architizer using Midjourney<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

CEH\u2019s report, titled \u201cFlooring\u2019s Dirty Climate Secret<\/a>\u201d, uncovers issues with the accuracy of reported carbon emissions by manufacturers of LVT and a lack of transparency around toxic chemicals used in production of vinyl flooring. Here are the four key findings from the report:<\/p>\n

1. Carbon Emissions from producing PVC are underestimated by between 8% and 180% in Manufacturer Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).<\/h5>\n

According to the report, manufacturer EPDs use outdated data and rely on carbon emission estimates from a single U.S. based production plant that doesn\u2019t accurately reflect global emissions.<\/p>\n

2. Workers all along the supply chain, along with frontline and fenceline communities in the U.S. and abroad are endangered by exposure to hazardous chemicals used to make LVT; Vinyl flooring manufacturers use significant quantities of highly toxic chemicals like PFAS and mercury to produce PVC.<\/h5>\n

PFAS, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances also known as \u201cforever chemicals,\u201d are toxic to humans at extremely low levels of exposure. The production of PFAS chemicals releases greenhouse gasses that degrade the ozone layer while mercury, also used in PVC production, produces climate warming greenhouse gas emissions. You may have seen recent coverage of a report from the U.S. Geological Survey<\/a> that found PFAS in nearly half of the tap water in the U.S.<\/p>\n

3. Asbestos is used to produce chlorine to make PVC flooring in the United States \u2013 importing asbestos for PVC production represents the last remaining legal use of this toxic mineral fiber.<\/h5>\n

Yes, you read that right: asbestos. The U.S. imports approximately 373 metric tons of asbestos from mines in Russia and Brazil each year specifically to fuel the production of PVC. There is risk of exposure and release into the environment at all stages of this global supply chain. The EPA, which has partially restricted asbestos use in the U.S., proposed a ban on asbestos in 2022 that has been met with fierce opposition from the chemical industry.<\/p>\n

4. Increased use of coal has resulted in higher carbon dioxide emissions because US manufacturers have shifted the majority of vinyl flooring production to China.<\/h5>\n

U.S. vinyl flooring manufacturers have shifted the bulk of production to China where coal is used to produce PVC instead of natural gas, which is used in the U.S. The use of coal as a feedstock releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

So, according to the CEH report, the LVT boom is causing an enormous increase in carbon emissions and is exposing workers, fenceline communities and residents to extremely toxic chemicals. All of this is under or mis-reported by vinyl manufacturers. Where does this leave architects, designers, and DIYers choosing flooring? We have to ask what is the true cost of this \u201cinexpensive\u201d product and why would we ever want to use this product? Fortunately, there are plenty of beautiful, healthy, and affordable alternatives to LVT.<\/p>\n

Healthier, Affordable Alternatives<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n

Image generated by Architizer using Midjourney<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When choosing flooring materials, look for materials containing benign, regenerative ingredients and use non-toxic finishes. Here are some options to specify instead of vinyl:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Linoleum<\/strong> (tiles, planks, and poured) is made primarily from plants\u2014linseed oil from the flax plant and wood flour from trees. Other ingredients are added to ensure durability.<\/li>\n
  2. Cork<\/strong> comes from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, which is harvested and regenerates without injuring the tree.<\/li>\n
  3. Hempwood<\/strong> is a plant-based option that supports carbon sequestration through growing hemp. Its durability is equivalent to hardwood.<\/li>\n
  4. Solid hardwood can be finished using products free of toxic solvents, allowing it to breathe and help regulate the interior climate and improve indoor air quality.<\/li>\n
  5. Engineered hardwood<\/strong> made with soy-based binders is often more affordable than a solid wood option.<\/li>\n
  6. Porcelain tile<\/strong> is benign and fully vitrified, making it highly durable and chemical-resistant.<\/li>\n
  7. Reclaimed flooring<\/strong>, when made from healthy materials and found locally, saves materials that would end up in landfills and reduces carbon emissions and health impacts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    For more in-depth guidance on healthier flooring, check out the Healthy Materials Lab flooring materials collection<\/a>. You\u2019ll find detailed spec guidance and a list of rigorously vetted flooring products that have been holistically evaluated by our team for their content and performance.<\/p>\n

    This is Part I of a three-part series on the hazards of vinyl flooring. In Part II we\u2019ll explore the long history of worker endangerment by the vinyl industry and the ways that legacy continues in China today.<\/p>\n

    The post What\u2019s So Luxurious About Luxury Vinyl Tile, Part I: The Dirty Secret Behind a DIYer\u2019s Dream Material<\/a> appeared first on Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    This article was written by\u00a0Burgess Brown.\u00a0Healthy Materials Lab\u00a0is a design research lab at Parsons School of Design with a mission to place health at the … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=389"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":395,"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389\/revisions\/395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/smalldivine.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}