Recent news reports about the health-impact of building materials are not a concern when you select ceramic tile. To summarize the science of tile’s environmental positives, the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) released a bulletin yesterday highlighting tile’s attributes.
Ceramic Tile is: 
- made from clay and naturally occurring minerals, so it’s free from formaldehyde, VOCs, and PVC.
- fired at extremely high temperatures producing an inorganic material, so its Zero VOCs don’t contribute in any way to “sick building syndrome.”
- formaldehyde-free, unlike other floor coverings which have been in the news recently for their possible adverse health effects.
- free from PVC resin which is used in other floor coverings and is a subject of concern among health experts
- available in thousands of choices that are slip-resistant when wet, and it’s not flammable.
- the most cost-effective and best use of resources, with a 60-year service life — when installed properly.
Environmentally, “North American-made ceramic tile has the lowest environmental impact across all impact categories when compared to other flooring,” according to the TCNA bulletin which references the UL-certified Environmental Product Declaration.
The bulletin was released yesterday at Coverings, the largest tile and stone expo in the United States with exhibitors from more than 40 countries. “More and more research is being done as people realize the long-term impact of various common chemicals in the built environment,” said TCNA scientist Dr. Jyothi Rangineni.
Neuse Tile Service 