Export, Pa.—The Korlok Select and Korlok Reserve rigid core ranges by Karndean Designflooring are among the first rigid core products to meet the standards of the new Assure Certified standard by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) after participating in the pilot program, the company said.
Developed by the RFCI, Assure Certified products are tested and certified by SCS Global Services to ensure rigid core products are manufactured to the highest standards and meet the requirements for indoor air quality, rigorous performance and are free of heavy metals content and ortho-phthalates.
“As a pioneer in luxury vinyl, it is of extreme importance that we collaborate with our colleagues in the industry to help craft the standards put in place for the rapidly expanding rigid core category,” said Steve Huth, technical supervisor – claims & environmental, Karndean Designflooring. “At Karndean Designflooring, providing durable, hygienic and sustainable products has always been top of mind; and as more consumers and specifiers are educating themselves about how the materials brought into their homes and projects affect overall health and well-being, it is vital that continued industry-wide standards be put into place.”
To become Assure Certified, manufacturers must have a quality control procedure to control material suppliers, product traceability, chain of custody, internal QC testing and segregation of non-conforming products/materials; and an on-site audit of the manufacturing facility is conducted and confirmed compliant with QC procedures, material inputs and scope of product intended for certification.
“Congratulations to Karndean for being one of the first flooring manufacturers to put their LVT products to the test and successfully demonstrating conformance to the rigorous Assure Certified standard,” said Nicole Muñoz, vice president of environmental certification services at SCS. “Their leadership as a pilot participant helped create and refine the standard, and their team continues to be a trailblazer in sustainable flooring.”