Not true.

   Carpet is one of the lowest emitting sources of VOC’s used in the construction of a space. A study was conducted in two classrooms in a Dalton middle school. The rooms were across the hall from one another. One room had carpet the other hard surface. When the spaces were tested for VOC’s they were the same. To further test, the existing carpet was replaced with new carpet. The VOC’s went up by a miniscule amount and within 48 hours had dissipated completely back to background of the measurements and they are gone forever.                   

 Definition: VOC - Volatile organic compound. A highly evaporative, carbon-based chemical substance, which produces noxious fumes; found in many paints, caulks, adhesives as well as carpet and pad.

   So how is carpet the source of VOC’s? To take this further, the school decide to strip and refinish the gymnasium floor when school was out. This area was about 100 yards from the classrooms. The VOC’s in the classrooms after the gym floor was refinished went up 30 fold from background. Other VOC’s go in and out of an air space but it is not from carpet.

   All of the science, conducted by independent studies, proves carpet is not the culprit many like to say it is. The fact is, carpet traps dust, soil and other airborne contaminants and holds it in place. Further, the work the carpet industry has done with the vacuum cleaner industry through the Seal of Approval program, has greatly improved the performance of vacuum cleaners. No other segment of the floor covering industry has done more to insure its products are as safe as carpet.