Werner Braun: Buying carpets with low emissions

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August 10, 2012

Werner Braun: Buying carpets with low emissions

Anonymous The Dalton Daily Citizen Fri Aug 10, 2012, 02:00 PM EDT

Have you ever bought a brand new car and relished the first few weeks when it gave off that “new car” smell?

There’s something about that smell that symbolizes beginnings, fresh starts — a clean slate.

There was a time when some folks loved that “new carpet” smell for some of the same reasons, although others didn’t.

But today we’re a bit wiser about chemical emissions and to what some might find unpleasant. The carpet industry has taken a lead in reducing emissions from carpets that once contained very small amounts of chemicals to those that contain almost none at all.

It’s actually a fact that carpet has long been one of the lowest-emitting products you can bring into your home. But the myth that carpet releases high levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) has persisted. And it’s just not the case. In fact, I call it an urban legend.

The myth began in the 1980s with a New York Times article decrying the “toxicity” of “Killer Carpet.” Back then, a combination of compounds, including latex, with small amounts of 4-PCH was used in carpet production, resulting in that “new carpet” smell.

But in the 1990s, manufacturers worked very hard to get those 4-PCH levels in latex down to extremely low parts per billion levels. And today, within four days of a roll of carpet coming off the assembly line, 99-plus percent of the VOCs are gone and they are gone forever.

And that’s good for consumers, who have a right to products that are environmentally friendly and which contribute to good air quality in their homes.

For those of you who are concerned about levels of VOCs in your flooring, you should know that the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has created an indoor air-quality testing program called Green Level Plus, which tests carpets for VOCs and certifies those brands that are low-emitting.

This program has been in place for over two decades, and I’m happy to say that since then the vast majority of products produced by CRI members have surpassed the Green Level Plus standards.

We also have a Green Label Plus program for the adhesives that are used in installation, and a Green Label program for the padding that is used to cushion the carpet.

Green Level Plus is kind of like an Energy Star rating, where you have a seal that indicates that the product has met the highest standards. If you see an icon with the acronym CRI inside of a small green house on the label of the carpet you’re purchasing you’ll know it’s met CRI’s Green Level Plus standard.

Even though the emission of VOCs in today’s carpeting is minuscule, some people still feel the need to air it out before installation in much the same way that many folks take the plastic off their dry-cleaned clothing to let it sit a day or two before wearing. If you’re one of those, here are some tips to keep in mind before installing your new carpet:

• Try to have your carpet delivered a day or two before it’s installed so it can be unrolled outside and aired a bit, possibly in a carport or garage.

• Make sure that low-VOC adhesive is used during installation.

• Use pad or cushion that has passed the Green Label testing program.

By far, the vast majority of commercial and residential carpets available for purchase today meet the Green Label Plus standard. You can find a long list of certified products on the CRI website, www.carpet-rug.org.

Werner Braun is president of the Dalton-based Carpet and Rug Institute.

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