A Simple Guide to Flooring Certifications

When selecting home floors, focusing only on colors overlooks a critical detail impacting your daily breathing: indoor air quality certifications. Because family members and pets spend hours close to the ground, choosing low-emission, non-toxic materials is vital. Our key takeaways show that verifying reputable environmental stamps guarantees a healthier home, free from harmful chemical off-gassing. Shop with confidence by recognizing top safety labels.

FloorScore

FloorScore® stands as the most recognized baseline safety standard for hard-surface flooring products today. Earning this stamp proves a material has undergone strict independent laboratory testing to verify exceptionally low chemical and formaldehyde emissions. For most standard residential renovations, selecting a FloorScore-certified product offers a solid, reliable foundation for clean indoor air and long-term peace of mind.

GREENGUARD Gold

GREENGUARD Gold enforces some of the world's most stringent chemical emission limits, originally designed to protect vulnerable individuals in schools and healthcare facilities. It screens products for thousands of volatile organic compounds. If your household includes newborns, pregnant family members, or anyone suffering from severe respiratory allergies, this standard provides an extra layer of clinical-grade protection for indoor breathing safety.

Indoor Air Comfort

Indoor Air Comfort Gold (IAC Gold) represents the absolute peak of European air quality compliance. It automatically combines the most rigorous legal limits from multiple European nations into a single premium framework. Furthermore, independent auditors perform unannounced, regular factory inspections to ensure continuous manufacturing compliance, preventing companies from lowering quality after initial testing.

French A Plus VOC Rating

The mandatory French A+ rating indicates the highest possible class for indoor volatile organic compound emissions. Flooring products undergo a continuous 28-day chamber test to evaluate real-world chemical release profiles over time. Achieving an A+ rating ensures that the concentration of airborne toxins in your home remains at a safe, near-zero baseline for everyday living.

EPD

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) functions as an independently audited, transparent data label tracking a floor’s complete environmental footprint. It measures total carbon emissions and resource consumption across the product's entire lifecycle—from raw material extraction to manufacturing and eventual recycling. This data gives architects and eco-conscious homeowners verifiable proof of sustainability.

Side by Side Certification Comparison

Certification	Core Testing Focus	Target Audience
FloorScore®	Hard-surface VOC baseline emissions	Standard residential spaces
GREENGUARD Gold	10,000+ chemical emission limits	Nurseries, schools, and sensitive individuals
IAC Gold	Combined European regulations and factory audits	Premium European projects and strict clean-air homes
French A+	28-day indoor VOC concentration limits	Strict residential air safety markets
EPD	Lifecycle environmental and carbon footprint	Eco-conscious projects and green architecture

Braag：Certified Safe Flooring

Beautiful flooring transforms a room, but real peace of mind comes from knowing the surface beneath your family is genuinely safe. Every Braag floor is built to that standard — not because certifications are nice to display, but because the people living closest to the floor deserve air that stays clean. Your home should be a place you breathe easily in, from the moment you walk in to the end of every day.

Click HERE to contact us and request a free Braag sample box today to experience our Swiss-inspired, certified low-emission flooring firsthand.