What Is GREENGUARD Gold Certified Flooring?

GREENGUARD Gold certified flooring has been independently tested and certified to meet stringent limits for chemical emissions into indoor air. GREENGUARD Gold uses stricter emissions criteria than the standard GREENGUARD certification and includes requirements intended to account for more sensitive populations, including children.

If you see GREENGUARD Gold while shopping for flooring, think of it as an indoor air quality certification.

It does not tell you how thick the flooring is, how durable the wear layer is, whether the floor is waterproof, or how strong the locking system is.

It tells you something different and useful: the certified product meets the chemical emissions requirements established for the GREENGUARD Gold program.

What Does GREENGUARD Gold Certified Mean?

GREENGUARD Gold is a product certification administered by UL Solutions.

Products carrying the certification are evaluated for chemical emissions using established testing and certification requirements.

GREENGUARD Gold sets more stringent emissions limits than the standard GREENGUARD certification.

The Gold certification also includes criteria intended to account for sensitive individuals and environments such as schools, healthcare facilities, and spaces used by children.

Who Is UL Solutions?

UL Solutions operates and issues the GREENGUARD certification program.

You may already recognize the UL name from other types of product testing and certification.

For GREENGUARD, the focus is chemical emissions and how products can contribute to indoor air quality.

Flooring is one of the product categories that can be evaluated under the program.

What Are VOCs?

VOC stands for volatile organic compound.

VOCs are chemicals that can be released into the air as gases from materials and products used inside buildings.

Flooring, furniture, paint, adhesives, cleaning products, and many other materials can be sources of chemical emissions.

GREENGUARD certification programs evaluate products against specified chemical emissions limits.

What Does GREENGUARD Gold Test?

GREENGUARD Gold evaluates chemical emissions from products using controlled testing methods and established emissions limits.

According to UL Solutions, GREENGUARD Gold limits emissions of more than 360 individual VOCs as well as total chemical emissions.

Gold-certified products must also comply with requirements of the California Department of Public Health Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions from Indoor Sources Using Environmental Chambers, commonly associated with California Section 01350.

This is why GREENGUARD Gold should be described as an emissions certification rather than simply calling a product "chemical free."

Is GREENGUARD Gold Better Than Standard GREENGUARD?

GREENGUARD Gold has more stringent chemical emissions criteria than standard GREENGUARD certification.

That does not mean the standard GREENGUARD certification has no value. Both programs address low chemical emissions.

Gold adds tighter emissions limits and requirements intended to account for more sensitive populations.

When comparing certifications, pay attention to whether a product is specifically listed as GREENGUARD or GREENGUARD Gold. They should not be treated as interchangeable labels.

Why Is GREENGUARD Gold Used for Schools and Healthcare Environments?

GREENGUARD Gold includes criteria designed with sensitive populations in mind.

That makes the certification relevant to environments such as schools and healthcare facilities, as well as homes where indoor air quality is an important consideration.

It does not mean a GREENGUARD Gold product is intended only for schools or healthcare facilities.

Gold-certified building materials can also be used in residential and other interior environments.

Is GREENGUARD Gold Flooring VOC-Free?

No.

I would not describe GREENGUARD Gold certified flooring as "VOC-free."

The certification establishes limits on chemical emissions. Meeting those limits is different from claiming that a product contains or emits absolutely zero VOCs.

The more accurate description is that the product has been independently tested and certified to meet GREENGUARD Gold's stringent chemical emissions criteria.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Mean Non-Toxic?

I would avoid using GREENGUARD Gold as proof that a flooring product is universally "non-toxic."

That phrase is much broader than the scope of the certification.

GREENGUARD Gold evaluates chemical emissions according to defined criteria.

It should be described based on what the certification actually measures rather than expanded into claims about every material, ingredient, or possible exposure associated with a product.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Mean Chemical-Free?

No.

Building materials are made from chemicals. The meaningful question for GREENGUARD Gold is how much of specified chemicals the finished product emits into indoor air under the certification's testing conditions.

"Low chemical emissions" is very different from "chemical-free."

Does GREENGUARD Gold Test Finished Products?

The GREENGUARD program evaluates emissions from products using controlled environmental chamber testing.

This is important because chemical content and chemical emissions are not necessarily the same thing.

A material being present in a product does not by itself tell you the rate at which compounds may be emitted into indoor air.

That is one reason emissions testing provides a different type of information than simply reviewing an ingredient list.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Include Formaldehyde?

GREENGUARD Gold's chemical emissions requirements include stringent limits related to formaldehyde emissions.

However, do not confuse GREENGUARD Gold with separate programs or regulations specifically addressing formaldehyde content or emissions in particular materials.

GREENGUARD Gold is a broader chemical emissions certification.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Mean Flooring Is Safe for Babies?

GREENGUARD Gold was developed with more sensitive populations in mind, including children, and uses stricter emissions limits than standard GREENGUARD certification.

That makes it a useful certification to consider when selecting materials for nurseries, children's rooms, schools, and other indoor environments where low chemical emissions are a priority.

I would still avoid turning the certification into an absolute safety guarantee. A room contains many materials besides the floor, and indoor air quality depends on the entire environment.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Mean Flooring Is Hypoallergenic?

No.

GREENGUARD Gold is a chemical emissions certification. It is not a certification that a flooring product is hypoallergenic.

People can have different sensitivities, and indoor environmental conditions involve many potential sources beyond the flooring itself.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Mean Flooring Is Waterproof?

No.

GREENGUARD Gold certification does not evaluate whether a floor is waterproof.

Water performance depends on the flooring construction, installation system, approved applications, and product specifications.

Indoor air quality certification and water resistance are separate characteristics.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Mean Flooring Is Scratch Resistant?

No.

GREENGUARD Gold does not tell you how well a floor resists scratches, scuffs, or abrasion.

For those characteristics, look at the wear layer and surface-protection specifications.

Our guide to aluminum oxide finishes on vinyl flooring explains one type of surface protection you may encounter when comparing LVP.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Tell You Anything About the Wear Layer?

No.

A GREENGUARD Gold certification and a wear-layer specification answer completely different questions.

The certification addresses chemical emissions.

The wear layer protects the decorative surface of the flooring and is commonly measured in MIL.

If you are comparing flooring with a substantial wear layer, see our 22 MIL wear layer guide.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Mean a Floor Is SPC?

No.

SPC describes the flooring's rigid core construction.

GREENGUARD Gold describes chemical emissions certification.

A floor can therefore use an SPC core and also carry GREENGUARD Gold certification, provided that specific product has earned the certification.

Our SPC flooring guide explains what this core construction means.

GREENGUARD Gold vs FloorScore: What Is the Difference?

GREENGUARD Gold and FloorScore are separate third-party certification programs that can both provide information related to chemical emissions and indoor air quality.

FloorScore is specifically designed for hard surface flooring materials, adhesives, underlayments, and certain related flooring products.

GREENGUARD Gold applies across a broader range of product categories and uses stringent chemical emissions limits designed to account for sensitive populations.

Both certifications can provide useful information, but one should not be described as simply another name for the other.

For the other side of this comparison, read our guide to FloorScore certified flooring.

Is GREENGUARD Gold Better Than FloorScore?

I would not reduce these certifications to a simple better-or-worse comparison.

They are different certification programs with different structures, scopes, and criteria.

For a flooring shopper, the useful question is whether the specific flooring has independently verified emissions certifications and exactly what those certifications cover.

If a product carries multiple applicable certifications, that can give you additional independently verified information about its emissions performance.

Can a Floor Be Both FloorScore and GREENGUARD Certified?

Yes.

These are separate certification programs, so a flooring product can carry certifications from both programs when it has satisfied the requirements of each.

Do not assume one certification automatically gives a product the other.

Each certification should be verified separately.

How Can You Verify GREENGUARD Certification?

Look for the exact certification associated with the specific product.

UL Solutions maintains its SPOT database for certified and validated products.

This can be particularly useful when you need to distinguish between standard GREENGUARD certification and GREENGUARD Gold certification.

I recommend verifying the actual certification rather than assuming that a general "low VOC" statement means a product is GREENGUARD Gold certified.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Certification Require Ongoing Compliance?

GREENGUARD certification is not simply a marketing statement a manufacturer creates for itself.

UL Solutions states that certified products are subject to manufacturing-process review and routine testing to demonstrate continued compliance with the program requirements.

That independent oversight is an important distinction between a certification and a general manufacturer claim.

Can GREENGUARD Gold Flooring Still Have a New-Floor Smell?

Certification for low chemical emissions should not be interpreted as a guarantee that a person will detect absolutely no odor.

Odor and measured chemical emissions are not the same thing.

A flooring project can also involve other materials such as paint, cabinetry, adhesives, underlayments, sealants, and construction products that can contribute their own odors or emissions.

Does GREENGUARD Gold Cover the Entire Room?

No.

A certification applies to the certified product.

It does not automatically extend to every other material used in the room or flooring installation.

If indoor air quality is an important part of your project, consider the flooring alongside adhesives, underlayments, paint, cabinetry, furniture, and other materials being introduced into the space.

What Should You Look for Besides GREENGUARD Gold?

Indoor air quality certification is one part of a flooring comparison.

For LVP, I would also look at:

• Core construction
• Wear-layer thickness
• Surface protection
• Total plank thickness
• Attached pad
• Locking system
• Plank dimensions
• Edge treatment
• Installation method
• Acclimation requirements
• FloorScore certification, when applicable
• Warranty
• Available coordinating trim

Our complete luxury vinyl plank buying guide explains how these specifications work together.

GREENGUARD Certification and Arvora LVT

The Arvora LVT Collection at BELK Tile includes GREENGUARD certification as part of its overall flooring specification package.

Arvora also combines:

• FloorScore certification
• 22 MIL wear layer
• Aluminum oxide finish
• 5mm SPC rigid core
• 1mm attached IPXE pad
• 6mm total thickness
• Micro-beveled edges
• Unilin Angle/Drop locking system
• No-adhesive click installation
• 24-hour acclimation requirement

Each nominal 7 x 48-inch plank is part of a flooring system designed for interior applications, with 12 planks and 29 square feet per carton.

Coordinated 94.5-inch T-molding, reducers, and stair nosing are also available to complete transitions and steps.

One distinction is important: GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold are not interchangeable certification levels. Unless a specific Arvora product is documented as GREENGUARD Gold certified, I would describe Arvora as GREENGUARD certified rather than GREENGUARD Gold certified.

You can explore all 10 Arvora LVT colors at BELK Tile.

Is GREENGUARD Gold Worth Looking for in Flooring?

If chemical emissions and indoor air quality are important parts of your flooring decision, GREENGUARD Gold provides useful independently verified information.

Its stricter emissions requirements and consideration of sensitive populations make it particularly relevant when selecting materials for homes, children's spaces, schools, healthcare environments, and other occupied interiors.

But I would still evaluate the entire flooring system.

A certification cannot tell you whether you like the color, whether the floor is right for your subfloor, how its locking system works, how thick the wear layer is, or whether its construction is appropriate for your project.

Use certification information for what it actually tells you, then combine it with the rest of the flooring specifications before making your decision.