Smith & Fong Earns Indoor Air Quality Certifications for Its Bamboo Flooring, Plywood Lines

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January 26, 2010 - San Francisco - Smith & Fong Co.today announced it has obtained two important indoor air quality certifications: FloorScore®, for its PlybooPure® bamboo flooring; and Indoor Advantage Gold™, for its PlybooPure bamboo plywood products.

"These certifications are important to architects and designers working in the education and healthcare segments, because they confirm that Smith & Fong products meet the stringent California Section 01350 requirements,” said company president Dan Smith.

Smith explained that the certification process involved on-site inspections of their overseas manufacturing facilities, confirming quality control procedures are in place. The certification also ensures that a company has a customer service protocol to address client concerns and issues in an efficient and effective manner.

FloorScore, developed by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) in conjunction with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), tests and certifies hard surface flooring and flooring adhesive products for compliance with rigorous indoor air quality emissions requirements. Emissions of more than thirty individual volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are measured and must meet rigorous health-based specifications.

Under the FloorScore program, manufacturers must submit a written quality control plan which includes strict requirements for supply chain management. This process strongly encourages the identification of chemical sources, helping manufacturers to develop materials specifications. By purchasing input materials with low concentrations of the target VOCs, manufacturers gain increasing confidence that their products will meet criteria for certification. Products bearing the FloorScore label meet the indoor air emissions criteria of: Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS); LEED® Green Building Rating Systems; Green Guide for Health Care.

Indoor Advantage Gold is based on a program established by the California Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) that uses procedures developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that have been subjected to extensive peer review and public comment.

In order for a product to qualify for SCS Indoor Advantage Gold certification, modeled concentrations for individual VOCs in classrooms and offices must not exceed one-half of the defined CREL threshold. Given that other (uncertified) products and materials in the building may be sources for the same chemicals, the conservative standard set for Indoor Advantage Gold certification is intended to ensure that individual occupants’ overall exposure to any one of these chemicals does not exceed the CREL. The Indoor Advantage Gold certification conforms to the criteria of the following standards:

  • USGBC LEED criteria for EQ4.4 (composite wood and agri-fiber products)
  • ANSI/BIFMA X7.1-2006 Low-emitting office furniture systems and seating
  • Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)
  • California 01350 Special Environmental Requirements
  • California Department of General Service (DGS) Indoor Air Quality Specifications for Open Panel Office Furniture

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Francisco, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. company to manufacture bamboo flooring in China for sale in North America, offering its initial product under the brand name Plyboo in 1993. In 1996 the firm began producing bamboo plywood, followed by coconut palm flooring and plywood products in 2000. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability through innovation. For information call 866-835-9859 or visit http://plyboo.com.