Question from Echo
II have vinyl peel and stick flooring in three rooms in my house. They are about 3-4 years old. I want to remove or cover them all as I have small children. Do I need to remove it completely and then cover it? If I cover it with ceramic tile or organic wool carpeting will the toxic voc’s or contaminates still seep through? One of the floors is in my son’s room so I want it to be completely safe.
Lisa’s Answer
I would remove it because vinyl is one of the most toxic plastics and is likely to have formaldehyde. Ceramic tile will create more of a barrier that carpet. It will probably block some of the fumes but I am not aware of any concrete data that will tell you how much it would block. As you very aptly point out, it is for your young child’s bedroom so all the more reason to take the safest route.
