Flooring and upgrade questions

W

whome

New member
I have been lurking for a few weeks now and learning so much about Irvine new homes and the procedure for buying new homes - Thank you all so much!
We are in the process of buying a new home. It was a quick move in so we only have a few limited upgrade options remaining (flooring, garage epoxy., window covering).

I was thinking of doing the master bathroom floors and perhaps the flooring in the other bathroom/powder room as well. The standard is ceramic which isn't too bad so I was wondering whether to upgrade at all?

The other question I had was: Does anybody have recommendations for engineered hardwood floors that use no added urea formaldehyde and which use water-based urethane or other finishes which have low or zero VOCs? The design center carries a brand called Palladio plank which seems to meet these criteria but Venetian flooring doesn't carry it so I was wondering if there were other brands you would recommend.

Has anyone used Ecotimber? Du Chateau? Kahrs? Mirage?

Thanks so much!!
 
If you do upgrade the bathroom flooring, do it through the builder. Otherwise you end up voiding some warranty.
 
I've used Du Chateau before. It is one of the top line and shows beautiful look. Based on my research, it is a pretty green-product as well.
 
snowball said:
I've used Du Chateau before. It is one of the top line and shows beautiful look. Based on my research, it is a pretty green-product as well.
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Thanks snowball!! Yes it does seem green. Is it easy to maintain? I have a toddler and an infant..:)
 
LP said:
If you do upgrade the bathroom flooring, do it through the builder. Otherwise you end up voiding some warranty.
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Thanks LP..Yes - based on all the TI info I was planning on upgrading with IP or not at all..I don't want to void the warranty..  :eek:
 
As far as i heard, most of major brands of europian oaks(Siberian oaks) that builders carry like Provenza, du chateau, california classics, etc are CARB2 certified, which means very low or zero vocs. You might wanna check out their own websites for more details, but i really dont think these builders use cheap stuffs. For example, some of the model homes of toll brothers' Hidden Canyon used Provenza floors.
 
Laniakea said:
As far as i heard, most of major brands of europian oaks(Siberian oaks) that builders carry like Provenza, du chateau, california classics, etc are CARB2 certified, which means very low or zero vocs. You might wanna check out their own websites for more details, but i really dont think these builders use cheap stuffs. For example, some of the model homes of toll brothers' Hidden Canyon used Provenza floors.
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oh- good to know that Provenza is Carb2 certified. I couldn't find that info on their website.  The designer who was helping us said they discontinued Provenza because of some issues. Not sure why though. Thanks so much for your input!
 
Speaking of CARB2...just heard that most of the builders' cabinet subcontractors do not have CARB2 certification.  Yay for $1M+ homes with high VOC cabinets.
 
whome said:
Laniakea said:
As far as i heard, most of major brands of europian oaks(Siberian oaks) that builders carry like Provenza, du chateau, california classics, etc are CARB2 certified, which means very low or zero vocs. You might wanna check out their own websites for more details, but i really dont think these builders use cheap stuffs. For example, some of the model homes of toll brothers' Hidden Canyon used Provenza floors.
Click to expand...

oh- good to know that Provenza is Carb2 certified. I couldn't find that info on their website.  The designer who was helping us said they discontinued Provenza because of some issues. Not sure why though. Thanks so much for your input!
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Yeah I know.. IP discontinued Provenza because some incentive & margin issues. This is a reliable source from a friend working for IP  ::)
 
Laniakea said:
whome said:
Laniakea said:
As far as i heard, most of major brands of europian oaks(Siberian oaks) that builders carry like Provenza, du chateau, california classics, etc are CARB2 certified, which means very low or zero vocs. You might wanna check out their own websites for more details, but i really dont think these builders use cheap stuffs. For example, some of the model homes of toll brothers' Hidden Canyon used Provenza floors.
Click to expand...

oh- good to know that Provenza is Carb2 certified. I couldn't find that info on their website.  The designer who was helping us said they discontinued Provenza because of some issues. Not sure why though. Thanks so much for your input!
Click to expand...

Yeah I know.. IP discontinued Provenza because some incentive & margin issues. This is a reliable source from a friend working for IP  ::)
Click to expand...

oh really?! so it was not a quality issue but a margin issue..:) good to know!
 
Im surprised that even this many people are discussing dangers of VOCs and other toxins in homes.  Most people are oblivious to this.  Since we are speaking of cabinets, thought people might want to know the levels of formaldehyde found in new homes is actually quite alarming.  This is in part due to how most cabinets are made, among other things carpetting, flooring, glues, etc, etc.  A quick google search will show many articles one could read on this topic if interested.  I wont even start about lead found in piping and fixtures in homes... 

this is a deep deep deep rabbit hole.  proceed with caution.
 
meccos12 said:
Im surprised that even this many people are discussing dangers of VOCs and other toxins in homes.  Most people are oblivious to this.  Since we are speaking of cabinets, thought people might want to know the levels of formaldehyde found in new homes is actually quite alarming.  This is in part due to how most cabinets are made, among other things carpetting, flooring, glues, etc, etc.  A quick google search will show many articles one could read on this topic if interested.  I wont even start about lead found in piping and fixtures in homes... 

this is a deep deep deep rabbit hole.  proceed with caution.
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oh nooo!! *peeks into rabbit hole*..I usually try to use 'green' skincare and products for me and the kids so I know enough about those. But it took me years to figure out what would work and perform and yet be non-toxic (relatively). The thought of doing the same kind of research for homes where I have so much less control is definitely daunting!!
Thanks for chiming in.
 
Whome,

Im glad people like you are interested in this topic.  If you are truly interested in less toxic flooring options, I may have some other suggestions for you.  However, if you want engineered hard wood, I am not aware of any engineered wood that is "non-toxic".  Aside from the actual flooring, you should also look into the underlayment that is used and also look into any types of glues that may be used.  These things are just as important as the actual flooring. 

one other thing is that if you are concerned about the toxicity of the flooring, then you should almost by default be concerned about other things such as the paint, cabinets, insulation, carpets, and even the furniture.  If you feel I am ranting, I apologize.  I am just trying to help.  Many people get offended when I start discussing this topic. 
 
meccos12 said:
Whome,

Im glad people like you are interested in this topic.  If you are truly interested in less toxic flooring options, I may have some other suggestions for you.  However, if you want engineered hard wood, I am not aware of any engineered wood that is "non-toxic".  Aside from the actual flooring, you should also look into the underlayment that is used and also look into any types of glues that may be used.  These things are just as important as the actual flooring. 

one other thing is that if you are concerned about the toxicity of the flooring, then you should almost by default be concerned about other things such as the paint, cabinets, insulation, carpets, and even the furniture.  If you feel I am ranting, I apologize.  I am just trying to help.  Many people get offended when I start discussing this topic.
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Oh Please don't apologize. I would love to hear your suggestions! Yes-to begin with I have been looking at the kind of glues used (whether they are formaldehyde free) etc. If there are more things I should be looking out for for please let me know. Your help is appreciated!
Paint and cabinets are right now outside my control (as we are moving into a house which has just been painted and we didn't get any say in the cabinets), however I will look into redoing/changing those if necessary in the future.

I just got standard carpet (nylon) for the time being which hasn't been chemically treated to be stain resistant [I would prefer natural fibers for the carpeting but I haven't yet looked at my options]. We haven't yet decided if we want to do wood or upgrade carpets for the second floor. Once we decide I will start to research non toxic carpet options as well.

Thanks much!

Hmm- I need to look into insulation as well, though I don't have control over that either?:(

So yes, please feel free to post your input. I will definitely not be offended..:)

 
gasman said:
When looking for building products (flooring, cabinets, etc.), ask for a CARB II certificate.  When researching manufacturers, look for something like this:
http://www.johnsonhardwood.com/customer-care/carb-compliance.html

Most CARB II compliant manufacturers will make this easily visible on their website.  The design center can also track this down for you.
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Thanks gasman. I should begin by checking if the standard cabinets are CARB 2 compliant, though somebody mentioned that they weren't?
 
whome said:
Thanks gasman. I should begin by checking if the standard cabinets are CARB 2 compliant, though somebody mentioned that they weren't?
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I would definitely ask the builder and/or design center.  You will most likely get one of two answers:

1 - Absolutely, yes everything is CARB II certified and here are the supporting documents.

OR

2 - Uh...........you don't need it/everything is built to the "highest standards"/certification impacts cost/etc etc etc.  I know of some buyers banding together in other areas to remedy the situation, and legal action is one of the options.

Crazy, right?
 
gasman said:
whome said:
Thanks gasman. I should begin by checking if the standard cabinets are CARB 2 compliant, though somebody mentioned that they weren't?
Click to expand...

I would definitely ask the builder and/or design center.  You will most likely get one of two answers:

1 - Absolutely, yes everything is CARB II certified and here are the supporting documents.

OR

2 - Uh...........you don't need it/everything is built to the "highest standards"/certification impacts cost/etc etc etc.  I know of some buyers banding together in other areas to remedy the situation, and legal action is one of the options.

Crazy, right?
Click to expand...

Really?!!
 
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