What is E1 in European Emissions Standards?

Dear Bob and Betsy,

I read somewhere that certain laminate flooring has E1 core board standards. What is E1? Is this the laminate flooring that’s produced in China with formaldehyde?
– Staci N.

Dear Staci,

Much attention has fallen on where and how laminate flooring is made, and rightfully so. With Lumber Liquidators pulling several laminate floors from their stock due to uncovered safety risks, many consumers worry about how this popular flooring is made. We have compiled more information for you to help to decide what’s best for you. Cheers! Bob & Betsy

Flooring made in China, in particular, seems to be the culprit, with manufacturing standards not being completely followed. To show consumers which floors are safe, the European manufacturers (such as Inhaus) label their floors with an E1 label on the products.

E1 is a standard of safety recognized in Europe. This standard signals the maximum levels of formaldehyde that each piece of flooring can contain. In the United States, we use CARB (California Air Resource Board) ratings. Although these two standards use separate testing methods, the standards are similar.

E1 standards say that acceptable formaldehyde emissions are an emission level of .10 parts per million. That’s similar to CARB phase 2 standards, which say .11 parts per million is acceptable.

Those numbers might not tell you a whole lot, so you should know that both standards only accept formaldehyde emissions at an extremely low rate.

Look for either of these ratings while shopping for your laminate floors. It’ll help you know which floors are safe, and which ones might be a danger to your health. At Bestlaminate, we carefully inspect the flooring safety regulations for you. No products sold at Best Laminate pose a formaldehyde emissions risk for your family.

If you would like to read more information, visit our previous blog post on CARB2 compliance and formaldehyde emissions.

If you have any questions or concerns about the products you’re interested in, please reach out to us. We want you to love your new flooring and enjoy it in your home for years to come. Contact any of our flooring experts for details about specific products or standards so you can make your purchase with confidence. We’re always happy to help.