Are you having trouble making sense of all the different certification labels for floors? Don’t worry – it’s all simpler than it seems! In this blog post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the various floor labels. You’ll learn exactly what standards floors have to meet and what testing they undergo.
The Blue Angel
The Blue Angel is a German label, also known as Der Blaue Engel, that indicates when a particular product is less harmful to the environment than similar products. In other words, it indicates that a product is more environmentally friendly than similar products. The label, which originated in Germany, has existed since 1978 and is awarded to products that are considered low-emission. Which floors have the Blue Angel label? City Laminate has this seal of approval, which ensures that the 24 cm wide laminate floors are of high quality! Do you want an extra wide laminate floor with this hallmark? You can have it too! The Country House Laminate collection offers extra wide laminate floors that are more than 32 cm wide!
REACH
REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals. It is a European regulation governing the production and trade of chemical substances. All countries in the European Union must comply with this regulation. Therefore, products produced and offered in Europe must carry the REACH mark. This regulation applies to plastic children’s toys and flooring with a plastic base, such as Tile Rigid Click Vinyl. Children’s toys are also subject to this label, which is why you may sometimes hear that Floer floors are “as safe as children’s toys.” Vinyl floors do not contain any substances that are harmful to your health, so you do not have to worry anymore!
When searching for vinyl flooring, make sure to choose a product that has the Whalebone Vinyl label and the REACH certificate. It is important to note that vinyl flooring is not meant to be chewed on. Instead, you can enjoy the beauty and durability of Whalebone Vinyl by simply walking on it!
DIBt
The DIBt quality mark is a German quality mark awarded by the German Institute for Building Technology. This institute generally deals with emission values and awards the seal based on them. The seal is usually awarded to vinyl flooring and guarantees a good emission value. Vinyl floors are also free of phthalates, which are harmful plasticizers. What are plasticizers? They are substances used to make a material such as vinyl more flexible by changing its hardness.
When you see a vinyl floor with a DIBt quality mark, you can assume that the product does not contain any harmful plasticizers. The wide vinyl floors from the Forest collection with a width of 24 cm bear this label. It is important to note that all floors in this range are free of harmful substances. So, no need to stress! Interested in more floors with the DIBt label? Check out the Tile Vinyl floors!
Emission Class
Since 2012, products used in indoor decoration and construction have been assigned an emission class. This French label is called ‘Émissions dans l’air intérieur’, but it’s quite a mouthful and not very exciting. The emission classes range from A+ to C. Class A+ is the greenest label and means the product has very low emissions, while class C means the product has very high emissions.
For example, the Nature Rigid Click Vinyl has an A+ emission class, meaning that Click Vinyl floors have very low emissions. Emissions refer to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a collective name for a group of substances. The good news is that none of these substances can be found in any of our floor coverings. In addition to Nature Rigid Click Vinyl, Herringbone Vinyl also has an A+ emission class.
FloorScore
FloorScore is a certificate awarded for indoor air quality in floor coverings, among other products. As floors fall under this category, it makes sense that the certification applies to them. The hallmark was developed by SCS (Scientific Certification Systems) in collaboration with the RFCI (Resilient Floor Covering Institute). A company employee inspects the floors on-site, and an auditor reassesses quality and performance annually based on desk reviews to keep the certifications up to date. If a floor has the FloorScore seal of approval, it is qualified to be used in ecological and green building projects. Herringbone Rigid Click Vinyl, among other products, has received the FloorScore certificate.
Why so many Quality Marks?
The entire Floer range is not produced in the same factory or country. As a result, some floors have different hallmarks to indicate whether they are low emission or not harmful. Furthermore, there is currently no general label for all different types of floors in the Netherlands. Therefore, if the label on the floor you have in mind is different from your neighbour’s, it does not necessarily mean it is more harmful. Thanks to these different quality marks, we can guarantee that laminate and vinyl floors are 100% safe and clean. This makes them suitable for every type of household!
Are you curious about these beautiful floors? Order the Floer Collection Book for free and discover the entire range. This way, you can immediately find some favorites! Already have your eye on a Floer floor and want to see it in person? Order a sample and find out!
Interested in learning more about Floer? Check out our popular FloerTube videos! Also, on the Floer blog, you can learn about the differences between Rigid Click Vinyl and Laminate, Herringbone Vinyl with borders and piping, or the 5 mistakes you make when laying a floor. Curious? Read all about it!
