How Have Top Retailers Implemented Their Bans On Phthalates In Flooring
Almost four years later, we checked up on three of the largest flooring retailers. We purchased vinyl floor tiles in 2018 from The Home Depot , Lowes , and Lumber Liquidators . When available, we chose brands and patterns we had tested in 2015. We separated the tiles into their distinct top and bottom layers. In addition to testing for phthalates, we tested the tiles for heavy metals and bromine to identify whether contaminated recycled vinyl may be present.
None of the new samples we tested contained phthalates at levels we could detect. We commend these retailers for following through on their commitment to eliminate toxic phthalates from vinyl flooring.
The instrument used for this screening reliably detects phthalate levels of approximately 1% and higher. Most top and backing layers contained the non-phthalate plasticizer DOTP . DOTP is considered a safer alternative to phthalates, although data gaps remain which must be filled, particularly with regard to possible endocrine disruption. DOTP received a Benchmark 3 with data gaps in a 2012 GreenScreen hazard assessment, compared to a List Translator-1 score for phthalates like DEHP and DINP. Benchmark 3 indicates a chemical can be safely used but there is opportunity for improvement. New research showing interaction of DOTP with hormone receptors underscores the need to further test this chemical. A few of the new tiles contained benzoate ester plasticizersalso considered safer alternativesin addition to DOTP.
Gray Vinyl Flooring In All Looks
Gray vinyl flooring, particularly in wood-look, has grown exponentially over the last decade. Although gray vinyl tiles, particularly in stone looks, are also very popular in the kitchen.
In addition to looking chic and trendy, gray floors set the tone of a cool, contemporary home. They give you a neutral backdrop for decorating in virtually any color. Aquas, greens, bright bold colors or even black and white they will all go with your sleek gray flooring.
Designers are now even starting to blend grays with other neutrals, like beige, to create hybrid colors. These greige colors are the best of both worlds. You get the cool, contemporary feel and grey combine with the neutrality of beige. Also, keep your eyes peeled for charcoals and gray-browns joining the scene.
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Will the gray vinyl flooring trend last in 2022 and beyond?
Heck, yes! Gray will be hot and trendy for decades to come. I wouldnt give it a second thought!
Recommendations For Home Improvement And Flooring Retailers Going Forward
Any flooring retailer that has yet to take action should survey its suppliers and adopt policies to eliminate phthalates in flooring. Companies must also phase out the use of recycled vinyl feedstocks that are contaminated with phthalates or other substances of high concern . The circular economy will be a failure if we keep reintroducing hazardous chemicals back into commerce.
Given the lifecycle hazards of vinyl plastic, over time retailers should also adopt programs to reduce and phase out the use of PVC plastic in flooring. The production, use, and disposal of PVC flooring may release hazardous chemicals, including chlorine gas, ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride, mercury, PFAS, asbestos, and dioxins, exposing workers and fenceline communities to dangerous chemicals. Safer alternatives, such as bio-based linoleum, are readily available. Linoleum lasts longer and requires less toxic cleaning products to maintain. Retailers should also work to reduce and eliminate phthalates and PVC in other building materials and consumer products over time.
In closing, our new testing confirms the impact our campaign has had in driving phthalates out of flooring. We look forward to tackling the next categories of remaining uses of these dangerous chemicals sold at retail to slam the door on phthalates once and for all.
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Where To Use Bold Pattern Vinyl Flooring
We are a little biased I know and would say everywhere, but a dash of contemporary coloured vinyl really brings out the best when used in the more neutral-toned rooms of your home.
Bathrooms, kitchen and utilities are all spaces where a spot of colour and pattern can make a big difference.Mentioned in this blog post about the patterned flooring used in George Clarkes Old House New Home, a classic monochrome bathroom was totally transformed with the installation of a bright geometric flooring. The more uncomplicated the rooms decor, the more impact a bright and bold flooring will create.As George Clarke himself said, vinyl is back!
If a room has a predominant single colour theme pastel green in your bathroom perhaps or yellow in the kitchen your choice of design can either complement or contrast this shade.
Pick a tone that contrasts for maximum impact: go for pale yellow walls and couple with a vinyl pattern that includes a dash of purple or deep blue. It doesnt have to be the whole pattern, just a coloured shape within the design will do the trick super effectively.Otherwise to complement, go for a differing shade of the main theme. A deep blue pattern flooring design would look stunning against other lighter shades of blue for walls, curtains or cushions. Layer up and think of textures.
Success Home Improvement Retailers Follow Through On Commitments To Remove Phthalates From Flooring

Tens of millions of pounds of phthalates annually eliminated from vinyl flooring: Thats the victory our collaborative Mind the Store campaign scored in 2015 after we secured commitments by leading retailers to eliminate phthalates from flooring. We did this by first testing dozens of floor tiles from the nations largest home improvement retailers, then reporting the results, and meeting with the companies and challenging them to step up. This effort was a collaboration between the Ecology Center, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, the Environmental Health Strategy Center and Healthy Building Network.
Four years later, our new tests found that the top retailers of flooring have honored that commitment. Their actions demonstrate the power that retailers have to transform the marketplace away from unnecessary toxic chemicals in building and consumer products to mind the store.
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Vinyl Flooring Color Trends
Going into 2022, were moving more toward light, desaturated colors, with lots of cool tones thrown into the mix. You wont find a lot of yellow, orange, or red undertones. Plus, the lights are getting even more extreme with more white-washed, beachy looks.
Homeowners are increasingly using flooring to set the tone or feel of their home. That means, we need more options! And manufacturers are responding with more beautiful colors than ever before.
Of course, not all of them are trending. Here are the best vinyl floor colors to stay trendy in 2022.
Modern Pattern Vinyl Flooring Thatll Rock Your Socks Off
Patterned vinyl flooring is the perfect look for those who demand a real individuality and style in their home. If like me, many of your rooms sport a neutral or pale colour palette, make your statement with an attention-grabbing design laid down across the floor.All of the patterned floorings that follow are available on our website .Just this once, let yourself go wild!
Read on and transform your spaces look with some bold, bright and beautiful colourful floor covering:
Ok, we all need a spot of the bright, bold and beautiful in our lives. Our homes can become filled with pastels and pales but for that one accent piece to add depth and texture to the spaceIndulge yourself!A colourful floor covering is just the ticket when being the wallflower is not an option and in this post, we look at some of our boldest and brightest.
Our vinyl flooring is designed to spruce up an otherwise neutral room. Its simple to fit and guaranteed to put the you firmly into your room!All our vinyl flooring is produced and shipped in rolls. We can manufacture up to 2.9m wide by 20m in length and tweak both the patterns size and the colours to fit your vision.
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Floor And Decor Vinyl Flooring
With our leading technology as well as our spirit of innovation,mutual cooperation, benefits and development, we will build a prosperous future together with your esteemed company for Floor And Decor Vinyl Flooring, Dark Vinyl Plank Flooring, Grey Vinyl Floor Tiles, Vinyl Click Tiles,Laminate Flooring B& M. To improved expand market, we sincerely invite ambitious individuals and providers to hitch as an agent. The product will supply to all over the world, such as Europe, America, Australia,Albania, Dominica,Slovakia, Romania.Item have passed by means of the national qualified certification and been well received in our main industry. Our expert engineering team will often be ready to serve you for consultation and feedback. We are able to also deliver you with cost-free samples to meet your specifications. Ideal efforts will probably be produced to provide you the most beneficial service and solutions. Should you be interested in our company and solutions, please make contact with us by sending us emails or call us straight away. To be able to know our solutions and enterprise. ar more, you’ll be able to come to our factory to see it. We’ll constantly welcome guests from all over the world to our firm. o build business enterprise. elations with us. Please feel absolutely free to speak to us for organization. nd we believe we will share the best trading practical experience with all our merchants.
Vinyl Flooring Installation Trends
I know, I know there is nothing trendy sounding about flooring installation. No matter how big of a flooring enthusiast you are, its doubtful you sit at home thinking OMG I am so excited about this trendy loose lay vinyl flooring!
Its not necessarily the look or the style that is trending here its the idea that these new options are now available.
You see, vinyl flooring is all about making your life easier. Less maintenance, easier installation, more longevity. Ive said it before and it still holds true: vinyl is the busy homeowners flooring.
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Which Should You Choose
Windows Floors & Decor has seen a surge in popularity for luxury vinyl flooring, both in sheet and tile form. Not only is it more cost-effective compared to linoleum, but its stylish, versatile, and highly customizable. You can make it look and feel -like anything you want at a fraction of the cost. And if it gets damaged, it is easily replaced . Because of these exact reasons, Windows Floors & Decor does not offer linoleum flooring. We believe that homeowners benefit more from luxury vinyl flooring both as far as cost and aesthetics are concerned.
If you are trying to decide between linoleum flooring and vinyl, your Windows Floors & Decor representative can show you the difference that luxury vinyl flooring can make in your home. Contact your local rep for a an in-home consultation today!
Everything You Need In A Flooring Company
When you need quality work done fast, there’s no better flooring company than Gulf Coast Floors and Home Decor. Our family owned and operated flooring company has been proudly serving the greater Lake Charles, LA community since 1994. With over 100 years of combined experience, our team of craftsmen has the knowledge, skills and equipment to install any flooring style we sell.Reach out to your local expert flooring company serving the greater Lake Charles, LA area.
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S Style Vinyl Flooring
The last time the floor beneath our feet was given this much lovin might have been back in the 70s with all the quirky, cool and funky patterned vinyl flooring designs that became de rigeur.
Its easy to look back and give the styles new names, but did anyone know at the time about boho-chic, folk, gypsy, hippie, ethnic, retro, classic, disco, safari, and military looks. Phew!And thats even before we look at the 1970s fabrics such as crochet, suede, lace and macramé!
We cant guarantee to completely capture the look of suede with our cool patterned vinyl flooring but we can add some quirkiness to the colour and tones to give that 70s retro lino look!
Trending Vinyl Flooring Looks

As I mentioned, the coolest thing about this years vinyl flooring trends is the realistic looks manufacturers can accomplish. Once upon a time, realistic wood-look vinyl flooring was unheard of. Now, I bet if I showed you some current options, youd never guess they were vinyl!
Currently, you will find vinyl flooring available in styles that mimic current wood and tile flooring trends, and even a few vinyl-specific trends as well.
The consensus among design experts is that wood-look flooring and wood accents are the new neutral. Wood looks are incredibly trendy and versatile enough to go with tons of styles, from farmhouse to contemporary.
These days, wood-look vinyl is just as realistic as wood-look laminate.
Better technology is constantly being created and used to make vinyl flooring look more like real hardwood. Whatever you see trending in engineered hardwood, whether it is a rustic oil-finished Oak or a more contemporary smooth maple, the vinyl flooring industry will be quick to create a visual that will be nearly impossible to tell apart from the real deal. Carly Notcha,US Floors
With that said, there are quite a few textures and wood-look species you should keep an eye out for this year. In 2022, vinyl manufactures will only be producing even more convincing wood looks mimicking the hottest wood flooring look and texture trends.
Trending Wood-Look Vinyl Textures
Trending Vinyl Wood-Look Species
Will the wood-look vinyl flooring trend last in 2022 and beyond?
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Welcome To Decor Floors
offers a myriad selection of flooring combinations from traditional to the most exotic flooring options. We offer a wide variety of brand name flooring products for both residential and commercial use. From quality carpeting and area rugs, to tile and vinyl, to the natural beauty of hardwood floors, Decor Floors has it all. Below is a list of just a few of the brand-name flooring manufacturers that we represent.
Driving Phthalates Out Of Flooring
In 2015, 58% of 65 vinyl floor tiles we tested contained elevated levels of phthalate plasticizers, including 100% of samples collected from Lumber Liquidators, 70% from The Home Depot, and 48% from Lowes. Over half of the top layers, made of virgin vinyl, contained phthalates. Many backing layers contained contaminants from recycled vinyl: lead, cadmium, antimony, and bromine , for example. These contaminants were most likely from plastic electronic waste.
Fueled by our test results and public report, we persuaded the nations largest home improvement and flooring retailers to eliminate added phthalates from flooring. The Home Depot was the first to commit to phasing out this hormone-disrupting class of chemicals by the end of 2015. Soon after, we secured similar commitments from top competitors, including Lowes, Lumber Liquidators and Menards. And in the month that followed, other major retailers of flooring joined them, including Ace Hardware and Floor & Décor.
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Make Your Space Match Your Style
The walls are painted, the floors are laid and the sofa is delivered now it’s time to give your room panache and personality. We carry an extensive line of home gifts and accessories to fit any style. At Gulf Coast Floors and Home Decor, you will find creative, unique home decor like:Table top accessories | Window treatments | Area rugs | Furniture pieces | Young Living Essential Oils | Kamado Joe ceramic grillsDone right, accessories make your house a home. Visit our Lake Charles, LA showroom to shop our amazing assortment of home decor and furnishings.
How To Order Our Vinyl Flooring
If you havent already guessed, were a little different from the big box stores.We offer a truly bespoke service where every order is individually manufactured and because of that, we can tweak and amend the pattern before we click print on the big machine.Firstly, find the pattern that will fit right in and help complete your space.Maybe the design is ready to roll and nothing needs changing and if thats the case, enter your room dimensions into the two boxes on the product page and add to basket.
If you would prefer the pattern scale to be larger or smaller, do the same and pop your dimensions into the boxes but add a little note into the message box that will be on the following order page.If its a unique colour choice that floats your boat, again just write the info into the order notes box.We can change most of the shades within our patterned vinyl flooring ranges and we can work from Pantone references, links from a paint manufacturers website, or from somewhere else youve found online.
We will always email you a visual proof before we move to production so whether its a scale change, a colour tweak or even if its as-is from the web page, youll see the design before we send it along to the clever people who run the machines.
In fact, well wait patiently or we can further tweak until youre 100% happy. Only when youve approved the artwork will we press the green button.
Oh, and there is no extra charge for this service. Neat, eh?
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Vinyl Flooring Layout And Pattern Trends
The way you lay a flooring pattern can really spice up whether it is trendy or not. You can pick a very classic floor but lay it in a herringbone pattern to add drama to any room. Herringbone and Chevron patterns are showing up everywhere, as well as laying a room on a diagonal. Courtney Greger,My Flipping Job
This year, patterned floors are a huge hit.
Unfortunately, when people hear the word pattern or the dreaded parquet , they imagine the horribly out of date 1970s parquet floors.
Dont worry todays patterns are anything but dated. Youll see sleek, upscale, modern designs as well as larger and larger tiles and planks.