

2,820,193
I would exercise caution on this until if/when the cases are solved. I think there is a lot of reason to be cautious...not only from their report but from previous issues that this company has had since 2013. Their products are indeed inferior...there is no questions about that. But, the real question is whether they are dangerous.
If 60 Minutes report is true, then YES I would say their laminate is dangerous (and this needs to be tested on larger sample size and independently). It is also very possible that they have similar issues in their engineered flooring for same reason and highly likely that there are issues w/ their bamboo which prob has the most adhesive of all and closest to surface.
To me, this is much more dangerous than asbestos tile on the floor...which if left in place and no cracking is fine...and even less of an issue if encapsulated with carpet. This however, if true, is a different story as it continues to emit into the air as the laminate expands and contracts throughout the year.
We are getting many q's on this. I think on some items (like carpet as an example), many overreact to emissions, vs. this is a case where I feel it may be warranted. Regardless, right now public perception is the driving force until this issue is resolved.
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Roy Kelley
Gaithersburg, MD
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
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Hi David -- not sure if home buyers and/or regulators will have reaction but I've seen two excellent posts on the subject. The first was from Flooring Girl Extraordinairre Debbie Gartner and the other by Anna Banana Kruchten - Phoenix Real Estate Broker.
While each addressed the issue from a different angle, they both provided a good read with interesting thoughts.
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Debbie Gartner
White Plains, NY
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There's plenty of evidence that manufacturing processes in China are not held to the same standards as much of the rest of the world. Lead paint used on toys, poor quality control, etc. The old adage that "you get what you pay for" seems to be right much of the time.
That being said, I agree that we need testing that shows one way or the other. There have been plenty of USA manufactured items that didn't stand the test of time, too. I can think of a type of home siding and roof shingles that had serious problems after a few years in use, too.
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David - The reputable manufactures have reissued statements saying that they are CARB compliant and I'm not concerned about those made in US/Canada, esp if made by reputable manufacturers.
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I expect the public to react just that way. A lot more investigation needs to be done. Just because something is on TV or in the newspaper or on the internet, it doesn't make it fact. When will people reserve judgement until more facts are in?
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I know that many reporters start on a story already having an agenda in mind, so I think it's important for further testing to be performed on flooring from LL. However, if additional testing shows the same or similar results (as 60 Minutes found), then I do think it's very possible it will result in much concern from prospective home buyers.
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I think lumber liquidators is going to have a slow selling system. I think the emissions are a major problem for some people and pets
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I think that we should all be looking at this type of flooring and be aware of the possibility. I think more testing is important by independent sources. If I were to buy a home with a laminate flooring, I would have it tested. A
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The jury will be out for a while until comprehensive testing is complete. It is more an issue of self regulating for the common good of the consumer that I see Lumber Liquidators making their misstep. Lost trust is a difficult commodity to regain!
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As Debbie Gartner says, we don't know the facts yet. The 60 Minutes report is not a reliable source on which to base legal cases. I'll wait to see what lab tests show but meanwhile advise clients to exercise caution about any products from China.
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One must always exercise EXTREME, EXTREME caution when getting information from a source whose purpose is SENSATIONALISM!
60 Minutes and 20/20 are the poster child exhibits for such irresponsible reporting.
Unfortunately, they offer their product to a gullible and paranoid society ready to declare they have been victimized, but failed to realize they were victimized by the media in which they placed their trust.
Imagine, for just a minute all the other hazards you have in your house. Perhaps you have fuel in the garage, insecticides in the locker, peroxide and isopropyl alcohol in the cabinet, bleach and ammonia in the laundry, florescent lighting, and maybe even some asbestos tiles or siding or lead paint on an old house.
As long as these products remain contained, they are SAFE.
De-construction testing done by 60 Minutes removed the encapsulating properties of the laminate, created an environment incompatible with life (heat) then saw the resulting measurement would up their viewership.
Yes, there will be folks crying foul, getting rid of the flooring, replacing their mattress every eight years, purchasing weight loose pills, treating their restless leg syndrome, banning books they have not read, boycotting business based on rumors, buying empty promises and running from fabrications of the boogie-man.
Fortunately, none of those people exist on AR.
Lumber Liquidators may indeed be practicing deception, but don't make that conclusion based on what 60 Minutes or 20/20 offer. They offer food for the foolish.
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Any type of chemicals, vinyle based paint used in homes will result in outgass. That goes with car fabrics, carpeting. The pergo, laminated gleaming flooring may result in Americans wanting a different flooring. Personally I prefer tiles which are durable and last longer. This may be a wake up call....