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Original poster

To cancel a flooring order and lose big deposit over potential future health worries?

41 replies

ninesky · 22/06/2022 12:00

I recently ordered some LTV (similar to Karndean) and paid a deposit. Since then, I've spent many hours reading about the potential health concerns around LVT, and I'm worried that exposure to VOCs, PVC and plasticisers now could have an impact on my kids' health in the future, as so much is still unknown about the long-term affect of plastics and the newer phthalate-free plasticers on human health. I'm considering cancelling the order (and probably losing the deposit) to buy Marmoleum (a type of linoleum) instead, as it's made of natural materials and there are no health worries. But I don't like the look of it as much, my husband will not be happy with me for wasting the deposit money. Throwing away thousands of pounds is a big decision.

My husband thinks that there are lots of 'unhealthy' things all around us, so it's pointless worrying about a plastic floor. He also thinks that if a product is widely available, then it's safe, but I know it's really not as simple as that (for example, formaldehyde being found in laminate in America), and it can take years for dangers to come to light - especially with chemicals in plastics. It's hard to know how much of a risk there really is. There is a lot of advice online to avoid PVC where possible.

(Side note: because my doors are installed to be flush with the floor for LVT, I can't have tiles or wood/laminate, as they would be too thick, and I also have underfloor heating to consider, so linoleum seems to be the only alternative as it's a few mm thick like LVT.)

So my choice is waste a lot of money, seriously piss-off my husband and the flooring shop, and have a floor I probably won't like the look of as much but feel is healthier - or go with a floor I like the look of more and won't waste money, but will potentially cause worry about my kids' health. I need to make a decision asap and I'm driving myself nuts going round in circles unable to figure out what to do. I am a big worrier, and I don't know how justified my health worries are in this instance. A friend has just been diagnosed with cancer, which means I'm feeling extra sensitive about risk and prevention. Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
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CrazyCrumpet · 14/12/2025 20:58

Hi @ninesky thank you x

Original poster
ninesky · 14/12/2025 20:26

Hi @CrazyCrumpet
Glad my reply helped. It's great you have found flooring that doesn't need glue as that must definitely be a source of VOCs. Testing in a small room sounds like a good plan - I hope it works out for you x

OP posts:
CrazyCrumpet · 14/12/2025 20:13

Hi @ninesky
Thanks for your reply. It's good to know there weren't any major smells and you're happy with it. I looked up the company you used and it seems they are eurofins Gold certified with A+ indoor air quality so there's been some thought and effort to make it less toxic/smelly, so looks like a good choice you made.
The one we've found is LVT too that doesn't require glue, so if you ever need more flooring and don't want the initial glue smell that could be an option (also just mentioning this in case others search for low VOC non toxic hard flooring, polyflor camaro rigid core).
I think I'm going to give it a go in small room and test it out and carry on elsewhere if it works out. But your positive experience gives me hope that it'll be ok, so thanks for getting back to me😊

Original poster
ninesky · 14/12/2025 18:41

Hi @CrazyCrumpet
We went with the vinyl (from Project Flooring, a German company). I felt like I didn't really have much choice in the end - we needed a floor asap, and had limited options for various reasons. After the floor went down I was pretty anxious on and off for a while about the potential health issues - perhaps the first 6 months - and wondered if I'd made the wrong decision, but now it's been down a few years I've pretty much stopped thinking about it. The floor doesn't really smell (except a tiny bit in the room we have underfloor heating in, when it's on) and there wasn't much at all in the way of offgassing smells, although we did have the doors open a lot as it was installed in summer. I think the glue has more smell than the floor but it goes away fairly quickly. I did end up buying an air purifier, just in case.
I would have been more concerned about toxicity if the kids were playing on the floor lots and putting things in their mouths, but they're of an age where they don't.

We are replacing a bathroom soon and I did consider using LVT flooring again, so I must definitely be feeling better about it.

I'm sorry to hear about your chemical sensitivity, that must be difficult. My experience with the vinyl having very little smell (and I have found the same in friends' houses) suggests it may be a good choice for you.

Feel free to ask any questions.

OP posts:
CrazyCrumpet · 12/12/2025 11:14

Hello ninesky,
What did you decide in the end about flooring? We need new flooring in our bedrooms and can't have carpet as even just sitting with the samples gives me a headache because of the styrene butadiene synthetic latex they use in all tufted carpets and the woven carpets are too expensive. So we're looking at hard flooring seems there are some very very low VOC ones from polyflor (various certificates to prove low vocs). The samples seem fine and don't give me a headache (I have multiple chemical sensitivity due to issues with mast cells and collagen formation). So hoping to go with one of those options. Just wondering how you go on. I totally get where you're coming from with not adding to your toxic load when you don't have to, if there's an option not to, but not worriy when there isn't an alternative otherwise we would have to live in a cave somewhere. 😜

tendence · 22/06/2022 17:25

I have a Marmoleum floor, and they are lovely. I chose it because of the natural materials - can highly recommend it. (Not sure what you mean by you don't like the look of it - there must be 50 different colours/styles, do you not like any of them?)

As an aside, don't call it "lino" - the English understanding of what lino is has nothing to do with Marmoleum really. It's an unusual choice in Britain - the company that laid ours had never seen it before - and most people commenting on 'lino' are unlikely to understand what Marmoleum is.

I chose it because it is a natural material. I didn't want more plastic and prefer to use natural materials. Yes there is a lot of plastic around, but why have more than you need? There's a reason why people are not recommended to let small children play with plastic toys from the 70s-80s - too much crap in them.

Retrievemysanity · 22/06/2022 16:57

Hi OP I totally get how you feel as I had similar about a house we bought that had artex ceilings that we were having skimmed and I fell down the rabbit hole of asbestos and convinced myself we were all going to die! I managed to calm down, read up a bit more and not panic. I’m sure the floor will be fine.

ClaudiusTheGod · 22/06/2022 16:56

You drive on roads don’t you? That’s where all the pollution is. Forget the flooring.

Twizbe · 22/06/2022 16:42

@ninesky if the worry is impacting on your life, then yes it's time to seek some help. You can self refer to talking therapies on the NHS.

Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:36

Chaoslatte · 22/06/2022 16:32

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be concerned about VOCs and to try to limit exposure to them, but I think in this case I would just keep the floor you’ve ordered and get air purifiers. They are beneficial anyway and most of them seem to advertise that they get rid of VOCs.

Thanks. Seems like a sensible suggestion if I keep the LVT.

OP posts:
Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:35

Etinoxaurus · 22/06/2022 16:18

As pp have said, the standards as different in this country.
I randomly subscribe to a couple of US consumer sites and the number of recalls and issues over foods and health and safety concerns in staggering. They have very poor trading standards in comparison to us.

Interesting to know - thank you.

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Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:34

JolieJ · 22/06/2022 14:09

This was also my train of thought OP but I was aware of this before choosing flooring so I have gone with engineered wood instead, and even though we're getting underfloor heating too our builders will just have to make sure it all fits.
But I do suffer from extreme anxiety which I'm in treatment for so I don't know what to suggest to you now, apart from getting help for yourself and listening to the good advice above Flowers

Thank you. If I could go back in time I would go for engineered wood also. Good luck with your building work.

OP posts:
Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:33

Redbushteaforme · 22/06/2022 14:02

I think that if you are going to be constantly worried about it, you should bite the bullet and cancel the order. Suggestions not to lick it or to keep the windows open for a few weeks don't address your concerns. I've changed my mind about purchases for similar reasons in the past. It's about your peace of mind at the end of the day.

Thank you for understanding. I agree that comments about kids not licking the floor are not very relevant. The plasticisers leaches into dust and the air, so people don't need to lick the floor to be exposed (saying that, my eldest plays on the floor at lot and almost constantly sucks his fingers, so almost as good as licking it!). And while I will definitely ventilate for a while after installation if I have LVT fitted, it doesn't make me feel better about the long-term plasticiser leaching issue, as you say.

OP posts:
Chaoslatte · 22/06/2022 16:32

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be concerned about VOCs and to try to limit exposure to them, but I think in this case I would just keep the floor you’ve ordered and get air purifiers. They are beneficial anyway and most of them seem to advertise that they get rid of VOCs.

Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:29

HavfrueDenizKisi · 22/06/2022 14:00

Think about every space your kids will be in going forward - school, play spaces, shops, friends houses and cars etc etc. you cannot police this going forward. You'd be better off addressing your anxiety long term I think. It doesn't sound healthy worrying this much.

Also Google has a lot to answer for. You can pretty much find any 'research' to back your point of view from f you go looking for it. Worth remembering.

Good point about google, and I try to be aware of that. I have mainly tried to stick to reading scientific papers and research from reputable organisations.

Regarding policing floors where my kids are, they have linoleum, solid wood and tiles at school, so no health concerns there. They only go for playdates roughly once a month and spend a lot of time at home. So I'm not worried about other environments, just want to make the house as healthy as possible, especially while they are young and play on the floor a lot.

OP posts:
Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:26

VanCleefArpels · 22/06/2022 13:53

Once they are school age they will spend far more hours a day at school, activities and other peoples houses. Are you going to police the nature of the flooring in every place your children might be? Of course you won’t. That answers your question.

I see your point, but they are at school already and the school has linoleum, solid wood and tiled floors, so no concerns there regarding PVC flooring. They only go for playdates about once a month. They spend a lot of time at home and I would like it to be a healthy environment for them.

OP posts:
Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:22

denbigh · 22/06/2022 13:38

LVT , installed in practically every building I've worked in as flooring contractors as well as other leisure/social places..
Speak to Karndean they have a lovely sales team who can possibly help by sending over literature or maybe go for an engineered timber? Once the lvt is prepped thr floor levels cant be that different? Speak to your installers, they would rather you be happy as well..

Thanks, but unfortunately I can't have engineered wood as there's only 8mm between the concrete screed level and the top of my sliding door track - just not enough depth.
The Karndean website is quite helpful, has more information than most. The brand I ordered was Project Floors.

OP posts:
Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:20

Twizbe · 22/06/2022 13:21

I say this with kindness, this amount of worry is a lot and not normal. Do you often get this worried over things?

Tell your kids to not lick the floor (which I hope is a rule regardless) and you'll be fine.

We have LVT all over our downstairs, never given it a thought to be totally honest.

Yes, I do worry a lot about a lot of things. My husband is very laid back, almost my opposite, and my friends too, so it's hard for me to gauge how much worry is unhealthy and how much is just personality difference. Perhaps I should look at getting some help as it does affect my quality of life.

OP posts:
Etinoxaurus · 22/06/2022 16:18

As pp have said, the standards as different in this country.
I randomly subscribe to a couple of US consumer sites and the number of recalls and issues over foods and health and safety concerns in staggering. They have very poor trading standards in comparison to us.

Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:17

EnterFunnyNameHere · 22/06/2022 12:33

I totally get "the fear" over something like this, but I think that actually this can be managed. VOC are by nature volatile (!) so per PP, can be managed through ventilation for the first couple of weeks when possible. Also, in agreement eith PP and your DH pretty much everything these days has VOCS and similar - sofa, carpet, car, paints, all sorts. In general, good ventilation is always a good idea (not just for VOC), and you can also get air purifiers with carbon filters which would possibly be a better use of money than a lost deposit, as it would also help with other sources of VOC in the home.

It's also worth noting the safety thresholds for use in domestic settings are very different in the States, so articles you've seen from America are potentially for products you can't even buy here!!

Thanks for the air filter suggestion, that's a good idea.

OP posts:
Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:15

Snowflakes1122 · 22/06/2022 12:30

You will find similar findings regarding many, many everyday items though from nail polish, right down the fabric conditioner etc.

I do think you are being unreasonable. It is not as if you’ll be eating dinner off the new flooring.

Sorry about your friend.

I'm sure you're right. Thing is, I try to avoid stuff like that, so PVC flooring was a silly, uncharacteristic choice for me 😩given how careful I normally am.

OP posts:
Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:14

I'm sure you're right. Thing is, I try to avoid stuff like that, so PVC flooring was a silly, uncharacteristic choice for me 😩given how careful I normally am.

OP posts:
Original poster
ninesky · 22/06/2022 16:11

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 22/06/2022 13:13

I wouldn’t lay Lino. I’ve had it two houses, and it discoloured badly over heating pipes in the floor. It also shrinks in direct sunlight, especially if you have tiles. The first lot was better, more hard wearing and lasting than the second,,later, lot.

I liked the look of it, more ‘natural’ than vinyl or ceramic ( in those days, now they can be fab). It is very warm underfoot in a bathroom or anywhere else where you go barefoot. Cleaning was okay. On the whole, though, I wouldn’t have it again, and in other houses we have not.

frankly I think you are being a bit OTT about the likelihood of the flooring you have chosen killing you, you are more likely to slip out it and break your neck than die as a result of your floor fuming you to death. Bon courage!

Thank you, that's interesting to know about lino. Doesn't sound to promising as the main room it's for has underfloor heating and a lot of direct sunlight 😩

I'm specifically worried about my kids' health being affected at some point in their lives by being exposed to the plasticiser leaching into dust and the air, which apparently happens as it's not chemically bonded to the PVC.

OP posts:
JolieJ · 22/06/2022 14:09

This was also my train of thought OP but I was aware of this before choosing flooring so I have gone with engineered wood instead, and even though we're getting underfloor heating too our builders will just have to make sure it all fits.
But I do suffer from extreme anxiety which I'm in treatment for so I don't know what to suggest to you now, apart from getting help for yourself and listening to the good advice above Flowers

worriedaboutmoney2022 · 22/06/2022 14:02

I'm sorry this is the most bonkers thing ever you have it done and vent the room ffs