Frequent Questions After the Lumber Liquidators ’60 Minutes’ Report

In the wake of the “60 Minutes” report alleging that Lumber Liquidators sells laminate flooring with excessive levels of formaldehyde, confusion in the marketplace among consumers has reigned supreme. Here are some answers to some of the common questions that have materialized since the airing of the “60 Minutes” episode:

Q: Do the allegations in the report pertain to Lumber Liquidators’ wood flooring as well as their laminate?
A: No, the report focused exclusively on the company’s laminate flooring, which is not wood flooring. In the report they tested Lumber Liquidators’ laminate made in China, which, in 30 of 31 cases, was found to be at unacceptable levels as defined by CARB standards. Lumber Liquidators disputes the methodology used for the testing (the full statement from Lumber Liquidators can be found at the end of this article).

Q: What is CARB?
A: CARB is the California Air Resources Board, which is a state agency that creates regulations governing everything from car exhaust to emissions from televisions. Engineered wood flooring and laminate flooring sold in the state of California must be compliant with CARB’s Phase 2 requirements, meaning that the cores used to manufacture the products are in compliance with the formaldehyde emissions deemed acceptable by CARB.

Q: Do the CARB requirements apply to the rest of the country?
A: No, but on July 7, 2010, President Obama signed the bipartisan Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act into law. This legislation called for nationwide emission standards mirroring those set by CARB. The law required “final promulgation of regulations” no later than Jan. 1, 2013, but has yet to be enacted. On March 3 three original sponsors of that bill sent a letter to the administrator of the EPA urging “swift action” to implement the regulation.

Q: What are the health hazards of formaldehyde?
The EPA has a website about formaldehyde here, and a fact sheet about formaldehyde from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry can be found here. According to the EPA, formaldehyde can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, and throat. High levels of exposure may cause some types of cancers. The level of exposure is the issue; formaldehyde is present in many natural materials and foods and is produced by the human body.

Q: How do I know if my floor is safe?
Again, the episode only investigated Chinese-made laminate flooring from Lumber Liquidators. Consumers who are concerned about their flooring may have it tested. The testing starts at around $350 (the National Wood Flooring Association has a list of independent testing labs here). For the most common test, the homeowner sends in a sample of the flooring and emissions from the finished sample are measured. Deconstructive testing can also be done, in which the face is taken off the flooring, but that is more expensive and is only done by a handful of labs in the country. The NWFA recommends that consumers who don’t know what type of flooring they have contact a certified professional.

Q: Are there special removal procedures to use when dealing with flooring that may have excessive formaldehyde?
No, it isn’t like removing products with mold, lead paint or asbestos.

Q: Are other flooring companies involved in this report?
No. The allegations focus solely on laminate flooring products sold by Lumber Liquidators from Chinese suppliers.