ᐅ Engineered flooring as an alternative to hardwood - buying guide and manufacturers

hampshire schrieb:

The environmental impact compared to linoleum, for example...

Do you have any details on that? Unfortunately, chemistry is not my area of expertise.

For example, how does the environmental impact of linoleum and Ecuran differ? They both seem to largely consist of plant oil and solids like lime and fibers, right?

RotorMotor schrieb:

Do you have any details on that? Unfortunately, chemistry is not my area of expertise.

I am not a chemist myself and rely on secondary literature.
The materials can be entirely natural in origin – oxidized linseed oil combined with cork, wood, or mineral components, natural pigments, and jute as the carrier material. This makes them compostable without residues when disposed of (provided that the worst adhesives or tropical wood flour, etc., are not used).
I do not know the energy balance involved in their production.

RotorMotor schrieb:

For those who reject design flooring, are you also concerned about the Blue Angel certification?

The Blue Angel label does not guarantee that a product is completely harmless. It only indicates that the labeled products are more environmentally friendly than comparable products within the same product category – but the Blue Angel does not provide information on which of two certified products is better. Consumers can therefore choose a product that may not be ideal but is “better than one without a label.” This is sometimes seen as misleading packaging, though this actually applies to many certification labels.

The label is also only awarded upon application. Consequently, there are products on the market that meet the criteria but do not carry the label. This means that there may be “better” products than those with the Blue Angel label that are simply not recognizable as such. Even environmental and consumer protection organizations sometimes express criticism. For example, Swedish environmental authorities found that solvent-free and reduced-solvent paints, which had received the Blue Angel certification in Germany, posed a serious problem in wastewater treatment plants. If preservatives contained in the paint residues entered the wastewater, they killed the microorganisms in the treatment tanks. Finally, the consumer magazine Öko-Test tested 33 paint products for DIY use, including 26 with the Blue Angel label, and rated only four as fully recommendable.

RotorMotor schrieb:

Are there still any objective arguments against design flooring with the Blue Angel ecolabel?

Vinyl floors are essentially just PVC—they were only renamed because the term "PVC" has rightly gained a bad reputation.

The production of the PVC polymer, which is based on petroleum and rock salt, releases hazardous pollutants, including dioxins. These compounds can enter the air, groundwater, and soil. They degrade very slowly in the environment, accumulate mainly in the fat tissue of animals and humans through the food chain, and vary in toxicity. The most toxic dioxin, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), has been classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1997 and is extremely toxic even in tiny amounts.

To make raw PVC, which is brittle and hard, moldable, manufacturers add plasticizers. During further processing, phthalates are still frequently used, despite being legally restricted in children's products. These are not chemically bound to the material and can enter the human body primarily through household dust. They continuously off-gas from the flooring—only when the material becomes porous is it assumed that the plasticizing substances have been fully or mostly released. According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, phthalates are now "detected everywhere in the environment." In Western Europe alone, the annual production volume is about one million tons. More than 90 percent is used to produce flexible PVC products such as flooring.

Often, additional substitute plasticizers are used. These compounds have not yet been sufficiently studied for possible health risks! Furthermore, dibutyltin compounds are frequently included as UV stabilizers; these can affect the immune and hormonal systems of animals and likely humans, even at low doses.

Another issue involves the substances used as flame retardants, such as tributoxyethyl phosphate (TBEP), which is known to irritate skin and eyes. Other organophosphorus compounds used as flame retardants are considered highly hazardous to water.

Hello everyone,
thank you very much for your numerous replies. Unfortunately, I was a bit busy yesterday and am only responding now. Basically, I didn’t want to start a big discussion about environmental compatibility, etc. I think everyone should decide that for themselves... 😉.

RotorMotor schrieb:

I don’t really understand floating vinyl. It usually comes on a fiber backing. In that case, you might as well install laminate, since most of the advantages mentioned above are lost!

I think that was misunderstood. I meant glued-down vinyl directly on the screed, if I recall the context correctly.

Tolentino schrieb:

If it’s just about scratches and dents, then there isn’t much against it. The problem with parquet is that the wear layer is often so thin (2-3mm (0.08-0.12 inches)) that even a dropped pair of scissors can go right through. Then it’s not just a character scratch anymore—you end up seeing the particle board underneath.

Correct, parquet manufacturers cut costs everywhere. Please understand that I’m not willing to pay over 100 €/m2 (about $9.30 per square foot) for a plank even remotely the size of those you can get with luxury vinyl flooring.

Tolentino schrieb:

Parquet with a thicker wear layer or solid wood planks are correspondingly much more expensive, not counting special offers and B-stock, which have to be available first in the desired decor and quantity. Not everyone pays for their house and land mostly with equity.

And it gets really expensive... I won’t be able to afford wide planks or solid wood.

ypg schrieb:

No underfloor heating in the house? Carpet in the play area?

Yes, there is underfloor heating, and yes, there is carpet in the play area 😉.

Scout schrieb:

The Blue Angel eco-label does not guarantee that a product is completely harmless. It only indicates that labeled products are more environmentally friendly than comparable products within that product group. The Blue Angel does not provide information on which of two certified products is better. Consumers can therefore choose a product that is not ideal but “better than one without a label.” This is sometimes viewed as misleading packaging, but it actually applies to many eco-labels.

I still think it’s worth paying attention to that...

Basically, we have now heard about two brands/products: Classen and PureLine. Do you have any further tips or suggestions?

We are currently installing Parador Basic 4.3 (click vinyl) throughout the entire house and are very satisfied.
The floor is definitely quieter than laminate, which is probably due to its approximately 40-50% higher specific weight.

We paid 26€/m² (about 2.42 USD/ft²) plus impact sound insulation.

We also considered the ModularOne, but decided against it because it needs to be cut with a saw.
The Basic 4.3 can be scored with a utility knife and then snapped apart.
Since we are covering the whole house with it (except for storage rooms and bathrooms),
this is a considerable advantage.

I am now considering whether to additionally seal the floor for durability.