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by oooyay 735 days ago
You can have VOC testing done to determine if yours are off-gassing. That's the real test, not the FDA. Generally speaking Luxury Vinyl Planks are the way to go if you don't want to risk off-gassing.
2 comments

A simple TVOC & HCHO meter at home should imho be a low-cost first step, indicating a need for improved ventilation, or for eliminating questionable sources of the gassing. The alcohol hand sanitizer sets off the TVOC reading though.
I’m not convinced that the TVOC sensor included on consumer air quality monitors does much beyond give people anxiety. Maybe it’s useful if it prompts people to open their windows more often, but mine is so impacted by daily activity and subject to calibration drift to the point I wish it wasn’t part of my sensor unit. Opening a single bottle of beer will spike the levels for hours. It’s a super effective fart detector. I’ve had one for four years but I don’t know how I’d use it to determine whether some new product was harming the air in my home, the readings are just too noisy.
With regard to a new product, I would try seeing the reading first thing in the morning before any human activity.
Why would LVP be any different?
They aren't made of PVC so they don't contain phthalates
This is what i found when looking it up....

Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring is made up of multiple layers of materials, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), wood composites, and limestone stabilizers:

Backing: A layer of foam, cork, or PVC

Core: A WPC (wood polymer core) or SPC (stone polymer core) core

Vinyl layer: A layer of PVC

Glass fiber: A layer of glass fiber

Print layer: A layer that displays the product's colors and design

Wear layer: A protective layer made of polyurethane that resists scratches and stains

Urethane coating: A protective coating

Hm, I wonder how that composition varies, but at least off-hand the quantity probably matters. It's the off-gassing and the top coat that get you with flooring.
From my understanding the "luxury" part is from the design and texture, but the composition is more or less the same