Solon, Ohio—The month of May has been declared “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month” by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Tarkett understands the impact this can have on the health and wellness of those with asthma and allergies, the company said, and offers both residential and commercial flooring solutions that have been certified asthma & allergy friendly by the AAFA.
The AAFA’s asthma & allergy friendly certification program helps people make informed purchases for healthier homes, schools and workplaces. Only those products that pass stringent tests are awarded the designation. For flooring to be certified asthma & allergy friendly, independent testing must show that the floor is easily cleaned and has a low capacity for retaining allergens. The certification process involves testing not only the product itself, but also the installation method and recommended cleaning process as a complete system to ensure no harmful materials are introduced while installing or cleaning the floor.
“For the 60 million Americans who live with asthma and allergies, choosing products with low VOCs that won’t harbor irritants and are easily cleaned without harsh chemicals can make a huge difference in their overall health and wellness, whether at home, in the classroom or in an office environment,” said Roxane Spears, vice president, sustainability, Tarkett North America. “At Tarkett, we found working with a physician-led testing protocol like AAFA was important to provide a positive impact on the health of the indoor space.”
For healthier homes, Tarkett offers a variety of asthma & allergy friendly certified floors, such as its FiberFloor residential sheet vinyl collections. FiberFloor products reduce the exposure to asthmatic and allergic triggers and are phthlalate-free, stain resistant and easy to clean. They are also moisture resistant, making them ideal for kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms.
For commercial spaces where occupant health and wellness are a priority, products such as Tarkett’s iD Inspiration LVT and iQ sheet vinyl products are available. The newest addition to the company’s list of asthma and allergy friendly products, iD Latitude LVT not only provides superior style and resistance to scratch, scuff, stain and abrasion with Techtonic technology, it is third-party certified carbon neutral.