Lumber Liquidators Flooring From China: What You Need to Know About the CDC's New Report

[flowers]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/lumber-liquidators-flooring-china-cdcs-report/story?id=37134949

A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put the spotlight again on some flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators due to potential health risks. The company came under fire last year after some of its products sourced from China were found to have elevated formaldehyde levels.

But the CDC's new report on Monday suggests the risk may be higher than previously estimated.

What Did the CDC Find?

At the request of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the CDC launched an investigation last year into whether certain laminate flooring products sourced from China and sold by Lumber Liquidators could pose a risk to human health due to elevated levels of formaldehyde, which is often found in resin or finishes used in laminated flooring.

The CPSC asked the CDC to start the investigation after a report on 60 Minutes about the flooring.

A initial report released Feb. 10 found that there was a low risk of cancer due to formaldehyde -- approximately two to nine cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC. However, the CDC changed its figures after the CPSC pointed out a modeling error -- in essence, an error in the way the risk was calculated.

The CDC on Monday revised its figures, now estimating that the cancer risk is six to 30 cases per 100,000 people.

In a statement sent to ABC News, Lumber Liquidators said it supports the CDC findings but that the company thinks the new calculation "overestimates any potential health risks from these products, and we are encouraged that CDC is seeking a broader review of their conclusions."

The company also noted it has offered air testing to concerned consumers to determine the risk from formaldehyde and that it

I wonder how many people in China die from cancer each year? It has to be  a huge amount?

[HAPPY2BME]

Toxic Chinese Drywall: Is It in Your Home?



When Imported

According to estimates, approximately 20 million square feet of Chinese drywall has been imported into the U.S. since 2004. It’s thought to have been installed in somewhere between 50,000 to 100,000 homes. Problems have been reported so far in over a dozen states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. Homeowners in Florida have been the hardest hit, with over 140 complaints received and several class action lawsuits filed.

[17 Oaks]

Wife and I stopped off at LL to get a quote on a 15x15 bedroom to put in a cork floor.  We hung around for about an hr or longer waiting on the guy to come up with it.  It was to be cork over our wooden floor.  Finally he shows up with the quote in hand and I take my calculator and come up with a per sq ft price, I can't believe my eyes, so after doing it a couple of times and getting same answer I ask for a per sq ft cost.  He beats around the bush tries to say will its not the same yadah yadah.  HUH?  Take you price and divide it by the sq ft in the room and tell me what it is.  He finally does it and writes it down.  I look and yes its the same thing I came up with.


I multiply it by the number of sq ft in my home:  2366.  Cost to do the whole house?  Little over $32,000 bucks.  I tell that to the guy and he has deer in the headlights look.  Then says well we can find some discounts if you want to do the whole house.  IIRC the cork was $1.86 per sq ft, so I asked the guy how he came up with the price.  After much leaning on him I got some but not all answers:  Glue, rags, gloves, knives, travel cost, it went on and on.


What they do is they make it sound cheap, like right now they have Lisbon cork on sale for $1.29 per sq ft so the initial quote you get is $1.29 x # of sq feet...so a 10x10 room would be #129.00.  This is called the "hook", now to reel you in.  This is were they get you as the math becomes real fuzzy past that point as it all labor and materials and they pad this beyond your wildest imagination.  IIRC the guy quoted 25 gals of glue for my 15x15 room.  When I questioned it, then it was it had to be put on thick and it only comes in 5 gal buckets and it went on and on from there...


Avoid them at all costs.