Allergies and Flooring

If you or your family members suffer from allergies or asthma, the air quality in your home is very important. The flooring that you choose can help to control allergy triggers, such as dust mites, mold, pollen, and pet dander. Let’s take a look at your flooring options:

Carpet

For a long time, carpet has been considered the worst flooring to have if you suffer from allergies or asthma. Carpet, however, has a distinct advantage because it will trap particles in the carpet fibers. As long as the carpet is vacuumed with a CRI-approved vacuum consistently on a regular basis, this property can help keep particles out of the air and improve the air quality in your home. Another advantage is that carpet also does not release VOC’s (volatile organic compounds, such as formaldehyde) the way other flooring does. This also improves air quality.

The big disadvantage to carpet is the maintenance required. Most residential vacuums are not CRI-approved and do not have the suction power to remove any dust mites or particles that are deep within the carpet fibers.

Hard Flooring Options

Hard floors are the natural choice when looking for an allergy-friendly flooring. The main advantage to hard floors is that they do not trap particles or attract dust mites. Any particles that do settle on the floor can easily be removed with a quick sweep and mop.

Hard floors do not require special vacuums to make sure that you have removed all particles from the floor. You do have to be careful about VOCs that some hard flooring gives off, though. You’ll want to look at natural floors, such as prefinished hardwood, tile, linoleum, and concrete. Vinyl and laminate are both high in VOCs. Unfinished hardwood can also have a large amount of VOC’s when it is first installed, but will dissipate over time.

Allergy sufferers know how uncomfortable it is to be in an indoor area with poor air quality, and choosing an allergy-friendly flooring can greatly help to remedy the air quality in your home. Regardless of the type of flooring you choose, proper maintenance is required to help keep dust, pollen, dust mites, and other allergy triggers at bay.