On our quest to select Green flooring products for our home, the one factor that has a direct and immediate effect on our lives is the quality of the air that we breathe in our homes. Poor air quality can cause allergic reactions, skin irritations and make a home uncomfortable. In this article, we will address several factors that contribute to indoor air quality:
- Dust & Animal Hair: Breath allergy free
- Cleaners & Chemical Gasses: The hidden allergen.
- Sealers & Finishes: VOC’s in our air.
Dust & Animal Hair: Breath allergy free.
Dust and animal hair can be difficult to remove from our homes. Tile offers the benefit of that when you clean, you can feel confident that your floors are truly clean. Once the dirt is removed, and there is no animal hair deep down in the carpet pile, hidden from view, you have accomplished an undeniably clean surface. Clean tile is truly clean flooring. Low-tech cleaning options work efficiently to keep your floor free of allergy causing dust, dirt and hair. A static dust mop or mini-vacuum in the hands of your child will suck up most hair and dust around your room. Since tile is virtually a solid surface, you can be assured that no nasty allergens are buried where you can’t see them.
Cleaners & Chemical Gasses: The hidden allergen.
Toxic chemicals and cleaners are not needed to clean tile. Cleaners are full of chemicals and fragrances that can emit odor and can cause allergic reactions to those who are chemically sensitive. Clean water and a mop will remove most household dirt and gets your floors squeaky clean. We all need a little extra help when our flooring gets extra sticky or neglected. For a tough cleaning task, open up a window and add a little ammonia to hot water to get any sticky residue off of ceramic or porcelain tile. Diluted ammonia dissipates quickly and will not leave a fragrance. (Fragrances are chemicals that linger.)We can’t talk about chemicals without first talking about VOC’s. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gases that are emitted from many items in our homes. Paints, office equipment, sofa cushions, glue, and some building materials can all be culprits of emitting VOCs into the air we breathe. Some items may emit VOCs while you are using them (like cleaners) and others (like foam) release gas as they decompose. VOC gas can cause allergic reactions, headaches, and irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat.
Ceramic and porcelain tile is essentially baked earth. The glaze is made of silica, minerals and metal oxides. After baking, the tile is solid and virtually VOC free. Florida Tile went the extra mile and to have their products certified for low chemical emissions by the Greenguard Environmental Institute, complying with the State of California’s requirements for low emitting materials and making their tile LEED friendly.
When considering whether or not your flooring is emitting VOCs you need to consider the installation materials used with your flooring product. In most tile installations, the following products are used:
- Backer-board: A cement based or gypsum based product used as an underlayment.
- Thinset: Used to adhere the tile to your floor
- Grout: Used to fill the space between tile
All of the products above are typically cement-based and cure to a solid state therefore emitting very few VOCs. Grouts and thinsets do have chemical additives that give them enhanced performance but because of the dusty nature of the products, chemically sensitive people may want to stay out of the house while the tile is being installed. Check with the product manufacturer for the exact VOC content of the installation materials used for your project.
Sealers and finishes: Glazed ceramic and porcelain tile do not require sealing or finishing. The glaze on the tile is a glass layer that protects the body of the tile from being stained. Wood, stone and other types of flooring require sealers or urethane finishes to protect from scratching and staining, and are culprits of VOC emissions.
Ceramic and porcelain tile are a fantastic green building option and air quality is just one reason. Watch out for future posts that will further demonstrate that tile is the green leader in flooring materials.
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