Floor Stores Score

Top southwest Ohio flooring retailers end confusion over conflicting “green” claims with Natural Interiors® Scorecards

Forty-nine percent of the hardwood flooring lines sold at Carpetland Carpet One Floor & Home in Milford, OH, have been tested and independently certified to meet healthy indoor-air quality standards.

Seventy-four percent are from companies that have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification or meet other sustainability standards.

Scorecards showing these certifications for each product are part of the Natural Interiors® Design Center program that has been licensed exclusively in southern Ohio by Carpetland and Schumacher & Co. Custom Hardwood Floors in Milford, OH; Buddy’s Flooring America in Beavercreek, OH;  and ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings in Cincinnati. The scorecards include all products sold in the store — from laminate to tile, linoleum, cork and even vinyl.

“We want our customers to have the verification they are looking for when it comes to concerns about product chemicals and indoor-air quality, as well as sustainability information that means a product is better for the planet,” said Steve Contois, Carpetland vice-president. “The scorecard program also shows how extensive our ‘green’ product offerings are, while providing the same information for our traditional products.”

The program’s scorecards, which use Better for People and Better for the Planet icons, list indoor-air quality and planet friendly attributes for each product.

Carpetland Carpet One Floor & Home

Check marks appear in the icons if the product has achieved a third-party scientific certification, verifying that it meets set limits for chemical emissions or planet-friendly sustainability standards

As part of the program, Schumacher & Co. Custom Hardwood Floors, located at the Carpetland in Milford, also has expanded its hardwood floor finishing services to include low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound), solvent-free and low-odor options.

“We now offer a finish for all of our customers, including those who want their floors finished with no chemical odors in their homes,” said Roy Young, quality control manager for Schumacher & Co. “And for those concerned about the planet, we have the area’s largest selection of sustainable wood – from reclaimed barn wood to FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified.”

Beyond all traditional flooring products, both companies have sold and installed a full line of “green” flooring products  for the past decade.

The Natural Interiors® scorecards  make it easy to compare competing claims among “green” products. For example, cork manufacturers all point out that their products are made of a renewable resource. But cork also contains adhesives, which can emit formaldehyde and other Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The scorecards at Carpetland show 40 percent of the cork products they sell have third-party certifications for meeting set indoor-air quality standards. Sixty percent of the bamboo flooring brands, which also contain adhesives, have indoor-air quality certifications.

Standards shown on the scorecards for products that have indoor- air quality certifications include GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification, FloorScore Certification, CRI Green Label Plus and compliance with the most stringent indoor- air quality standards set by the state of California. A product’s planet –friendly benefits also are shown on the scorecards through certifications that range from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification to multi-attribute lifecycle assessment certifications such as Cradle to Cradle. The scorecard books also contain a glossary that explains all standards and certifications.

“With more ‘green’ flooring experience than most retailers in the region, it makes sense that Carpetland Carpet One and Schumacher & Company would take their programs to the next level by giving customers the product documentation they want,” said Nancy Kibbee, marketing director for Natural Interiors® programs. “Having this information ends the confusion that has been created by competing and conflicting claims about who has the best ‘green’ products.”©

Visit Carpetland Carpet One and Schumacher & Co. Custom Hardwood Floors at 920 Lila Avenue, Milford, OH 45150. (513) 831-4800. You may also email technical questions about the Scorecard information to contact@naturalinteriors.com or call Natural Interiors at (513) 984-9472.