Lumber Liquidators is popular for a reason, they’re an affordable choice for homebuilders, contractors and homeowners shopping for flooring. Unfortunately, that good deal on laminate flooring could come at the cost of your family’s health.
Lumber Liquidators, the popular flooring retailer with locations nationwide, is under heat for selling flooring with potentially unsafe levels of the cancer-causing chemical formaldehyde. A recent investigative report by 60 Minutes revealed the disturbing news that much of the company’s Chinese-made laminate flooring could contain unsafe levels of the dangerous chemical formaldehyde. Initial estimates indicate that the tainted laminate flooring could be in hundreds of thousands of homes nationwide.
Results of Independent Lab Testing
Concern over the flooring has California homeowners ripping out their floors. They believe the Chinese-made laminate flooring is making them sick. With Denny Larson, executive director of Global Community Monitory, and Richard Drury, an environmental attorney, on the case, they had over 150 boxes of laminate flooring from a variety of different home improvement stores and flooring retailers tested.
The results were startling. Samples from Home Depot and Lowes had acceptable levels of formaldehyde, but every single sample of Chinese-made flooring from Lumber Liquidators failed to meet California Emission standards. Some samples were close to 20 times over the legal level.
Dangers Associated with Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a carcinogen, or cancer-causing chemical. At certain levels, it can also lead to chronic respiratory irritation, change in lung function, increased risk of asthma. Children and pregnant women are at an especially high risk when exposed to carcinogens. Initial symptoms of exposure can include a sore throat, burning and itching of the nasal passages and nasal congestion. At high levels, formaldehyde can cause myeloid leukemia and nasopharyngeal cancer.
Chinese Mills Implicated in Scam
During the investigative report, 60 Minutes found that three mills manufacturing Lumber Liquidators’ laminate flooring admitted to falsely labeling the flooring as meeting US emissions standards. This practice saves Lumber Liquidators 10 to 15 percent on manufacturing costs, and they pass the savings on to you. Meanwhile, they’re profit margin is doubling at an unprecedented rate, alerting those in the financial sector of possible foul play.
Chinese Formaldehyde Tainted Flooring is Cheaper
Lumber Liquidators needs to be held accountable for selling Chinese-made formaldehyde tainted flooring to consumers all over the country. Saving a buck at the expense of American health and lives is an unacceptable business practice.