Is Laminate Flooring Safe For The Elderly
The us department of housing and urban development maintains housing for the elderly and disabled who are low income and need living assistance.
Is laminate flooring safe for the elderly. From the pattern of your floor to the material you choose your bathroom floors should be chosen with your safety in mind. Only certain types of laminate flooring made in china and that were sold in the u s. For senior safety ceramic floors are not the best choice for most situations. Also if laminate flooring did produce higher levels of formaldehyde over a couple of years the levels would decrease.
Avoid any cold porous material for flooring in an elderly person s home. Centers for disease control and prevention not all laminate flooring releases high levels of formaldehyde and there is non toxic linoleum flooring. Listed below are five safety issues for the elderly with tips on how to decrease the risks of each accident. During 2012 2014 by lumber liquidators were evaluated by cdc and atsdr.
The bathroom is the most important room to remodel for safety when it comes to aging in place. I have laminate flooring made in china in my home. Other laminate flooring made in china were not evaluated. Wood bamboo and laminate flooring is a hard surface with a soft natural look.
Laminate flooring is toxic because the wood bonding adhesive and top layer contain and emit chemicals which are harmful to our health. Lightweight snap together laminate flooring is installed over a thin foam cushion underlayment. According to the u s. Formaldehyde melamine cyanuric acid isocyanates and aluminium oxide.
Although consumers force the industry toward more safe options still the following toxins are used to manufacture laminate flooring. Hud safety guidelines for senior citizen housing. Slips and falls. Also not sure what florida senior home means.
Choosing a flooring that will help prevent slips and falls is a critical part of this process. And i don t think tile is a very good option for seniors as it s more slippery but more important many older adults fall no matter what and tile leads to way more broken bones which is way worse than sand on the floors. It s generally easy to clean and maintain and doesn t get as dirty as carpet. That makes it a good candidate for installations over most existing flooring with the exception of carpet eliminating the need for tear out.
Snap together laminate flooring eliminates the need for voc releasing glues. Laminate looks pretty good too and at a fraction of the cost of real hardwood or bamboo. Slips and falls are the main cause of injury in a home and the complications that can result are usually much worse than a scrape or a bruise.