Forbes Advisor recently published a story on vinyl flooring that contains several misleading claims. We reached out to the editors but they disregarded our attempts to correct the record. We’re posted our correction request below so that readers will have all the facts.
Samantha Allen
Home Improvement Editor
Forbes Advisor
Dear Ms. Allen,
Your recent article in Forbes Advisor [“The Major Pros And Cons Of Vinyl Flooring,” 09/20/21] contains some inaccurate claims regarding vinyl flooring. As a representative of the Vinyl Institute, I wanted to reach out and provide you with a few important facts.
First, your piece asserts that vinyl flooring is made with “toxic chemicals.” This characterization seriously misleads readers, as it provides no context regarding the proven safety of vinyl flooring products. The statement deceives readers by irresponsibly suggesting vinyl flooring poses a health risk, when the facts indisputably show consumers are not exposed to any of the chemicals used to make these products. In the case of vinyl, the polymerization process results in an entirely inert material, exposure to which carries no human health risks.
Additionally, the piece suggests that “off-gassed” VOCs from vinyl flooring “can adversely affect health and an indoor environment.” But the author fails to provide any reliable scientific evidence supporting the claim that vinyl flooring poses any health risks to humans. The Vinyl Institute is not aware of any peer-reviewed studies performed in accordance with widely accepted scientific standards that have been published in scientific journals.
Moreover, hundreds of vinyl flooring products are manufactured to meet the rigorous FloorScore® Standard SCS-FS-05260 for VOC emissions. And, as you may know, FloorScore is the gold standard emissions testing program for building materials.
Any implication that exposure to vinyl flooring poses a health risk is grossly misleading to readers.
Readers turn to outlets like yours for accurate, factual reporting. Unfortunately, this piece makes several irresponsible references regarding vinyl flooring. We kindly request swift action to correct these statements to ensure the public is not misled about the safety of these products.