Burns, Tenn.—American OEM has obtained renewed status of its CARB ULEF exemption on engineered wood flooring products. This renewal was granted after a perfect record of passing indoor air quality tests for formaldehyde emissions, and it was also extended to include product with HDF core materials, which the company will manufacturing beginning in the second quarter of 2018. This exemption grants American OEM the ability to reduce submittal samples for VOC testing, and establishes the company’s products as ultra-low risk for off gassing.
“The health and safety of our consumers is of upmost concern to us,” said Don Finkell, American OEM founder and CEO. “We will continue quarterly tests for VOCs to ensure we remain compliant with all regulations, even though it is no longer required.”
This type of continuous quality assurance provides customers with peace of mind—something that, according to Finkell, many lost after the “60 Minutes” special exposed unsafe levels of formaldehyde in wood-based products sold in a major retail chain.
HPVA laboratories is a third-party laboratory that has been testing and certifying North American manufacturers of engineered wood products for more than 50 years. The lab is currently a California- approved, third-party certifier (CARB TPC-8).
In addition to CARB exempt status, American OEM has also achieved Indoor Advantage Gold certification for ultra-low emitting materials, verifying that all hardwood produced in the company’s Tennessee facility contributes to healthy indoor air quality for customers of American OEM private-label products, as well as all products sold under the company’s new Hearthwood brand.