Flooring ?'s

[dreamin_disney]

Hello. Looking to get new flooring for my bedrooms. Right now we are doing my daughters floor first. Painted her room and closet and ripped out the old carpet. Well we bought some beautiful woven Bamboo flooring at $2.50 sq ft. Took a week to arrive and had to air it out for 5 days. Hubby left it in the dining area to air out so it can expand. Well I'm sensitive with allergies. Well hubby has taken awhile to painted room one day, few days later removed cabinet from closet and used some stuff to patch up holes, nextday painted closet. Well not sure if it was the flooring airing out or the stuff he used to patch walls but my allergies started acting up and sinuses got bad with headache, dizziness and nauses. I remembered seeing something on tv about could your floors be making you sick. Looked it up about some flooring releasing high formaldehyde. Did a lil research and about low voc #'s and carb . Well the flooring we had was made in china and not much info, nothing on the back of the flooring. I hear China doesn't have the same guidelines as US so didn't want to take any chances and took it back to the store.

Anyone have any tips or ideas what type of flooring is best for people with allergies and asthma or good brand made in US or low Voc #? Reason for removing old carpet was allergy Dr. told me flooring is better than carpet.

 

[wenrob]

I would think porcelain or ceramic tile? Did you ask your doctor?

 

[NinaBella]

I am looking at that tile that looks like wood, but it's $41 a square foot.

The flooring recall was for laminate flooring (fake wood), not bamboo flooring. I would think fumes from everything else your DH was doing was the trigger of your issues, not the bamboo flooring if true natural bamboo flooring. Paint fumes gives most average folks a headache and dizziness.

You can also look at just doing a finished concrete floor. That is popular in states like Florida as it works to keep the home cooler in the summertime. Then place some nice area rugs for a color pop.

 

[wenrob]

I am looking at that tile that looks like wood, but it's $41 a square foot.

The flooring recall was for laminate flooring (fake wood), not bamboo flooring. I would think fumes from everything else your DH was doing was the trigger of your issues, not the bamboo flooring if true natural bamboo flooring. Paint fumes gives most average folks a headache and dizziness.

You can also look at just doing a finished concrete floor. That is popular in states like Florida as it works to keep the home cooler in the summertime. Then place some nice area rugs for a color pop.

Holy crap, where are you looking at for the tile?

 

[ronandannette]

Everything EXCEPT ceramic tile or natural stone will off-gas to some degree (even hardwood, cork, bamboo etc.) due the adhesives and solvents used in milling it. Laminate and carpet would be the worst and all bets are off for anything produced in Asia. You'll never really know the material content and the low price indicates that the most economical materials were used (sometimes even the wood, or in your case bamboo is chemically contaminated during growth or storage).
ETA: we rob is right that concrete would also be inert.

 

[NinaBella]

Holy crap, where are you looking at for the tile?

Home Depot. We were there shopping for other items and DH pointed out the price as it was a display we walked past. I didnt inquire further. Perhaps the sign was per case but said per square foot? It wouldn't be the first incorrect sign.

 

[khgreen]

Wood look tile varies in price but it can easily be found for $2-3.00 a square foot. We just redid a bathroom and we looked at a LOT of tile. Even in the "fancy" tile shops the wood look tile was at the most $5-6.00 a sf. It costs more to install than to buy. I tiled my bathroom after watching a YouTube video. It was hard and took 3 days but I saved a fortune.

 

[wenrob]

Home Depot. We were there shopping for other items and DH pointed out the price as it was a display we walked past. I didnt inquire further. Perhaps the sign was per case but said per square foot? It wouldn't be the first incorrect sign.

I'm thinking that's by the case, especially at Home Depot.

 

[dreamin_disney]

The bamboo flooring we bought was from China. Not much info o the box or on the back of the planks. We went to Lowes and saw a nice cali bamboo (clickable ones) and the sign said low voc but I think it was $5.49 sq ft. The bamboo we took back was Home legend but the boxes didn't have much info like the same brand at home depot and the store we bought from was like an outlet flooring store. Before hubby took them bac he did say he could smell a very light smell.

I watched a video that a family bought wood/laminate flooring from liquator store that's been on 60 min and it had info on the back that it was incompliance and from china. he had his home tested and it was higher emissions. His kid had been admitted into ER twice in one year and his wife sick with allergies more since getting the flooring . I keep reading to stay away from china flooring.

Definitely staying away from laminate as I was told it has higher voc

if you have asthma or allergies and have bamboo flooring and no issues from it or sensitives please let me know what brand or kind you have

 

[Anthony1971]

ALL bamboo flooring will have a smell. The click and lock is the same flooring just made into click and lock. If you want hard wood and you believe that is the cause you can buy unfinished oak and use a water base stain. This still will need to be sanded and it is a bear to put down as oak unless you buy a high Quality not HD or Lowes it will not be straight.. you will always have some that is not... but the box stores sell a lower quality.. your best bet is to pay to have it put down look in your local paper there are a lot of installers that will do it for under $1.00 a SQF... but you will still have to have it sanded and stained which is the easier job to do yourself. But be aware pre-finished flooring is far more durable and by using a water based stain and POLY it will be even easier to scratch.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We have bamboo flooring in part of our house which we bought from Home Depot. It's been almost 10 years since it was installed. It looks great and we have had no issues with allergies (we all have several). I'm guessing the flooring had nothing to do with the OP's issues.

 

[dreamin_disney]

ALL bamboo flooring will have a smell. The click and lock is the same flooring just made into click and lock. If you want hard wood and you believe that is the cause you can buy unfinished oak and use a water base stain. This still will need to be sanded and it is a bear to put down as oak unless you buy a high Quality not HD or Lowes it will not be straight.. you will always have some that is not... but the box stores sell a lower quality.. your best bet is to pay to have it put down look in your local paper there are a lot of installers that will do it for under $1.00 a SQF... but you will still have to have it sanded and stained which is the easier job to do yourself. But be aware pre-finished flooring is far more durable and by using a water based stain and POLY it will be even easier to scratch.

I'm learning all flooring will have some but low voc will be the best for me

We have bamboo flooring in part of our house which we bought from Home Depot. It's been almost 10 years since it was installed. It looks great and we have had no issues with allergies (we all have several). I'm guessing the flooring had nothing to do with the OP's issues.

The flooring we bought didnt have much info. Hubby made calls and couldn't get answers. I'm sure the flooring wasn't the main thing but a combo of everything but after learning about VOC's I want to find something with low numbers. What brand did you buy?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Why bump a 2 year old thread? Spamming?