LEED v4 is here – and it’s changing how healthcare architects and designers consider and specify products. Specifically, environmental product declarations (EPDs) need a more critical eye than ever before. Gerflor USA, known for its high quality, high performing resilient commercial flooring, is making it easier – while strengthening its legacy of industry leadership – with product-specific EPDs.

Committed to helping meet the most challenging healthcare facilities’ requirements in design, durability, installation, acoustics and comfort, Gerflor is one of the first in commercial flooring to release product-specific EPDs for all of its product ranges, including three of its most popular healthcare solutions: Mipolam, the original homogeneous sheet flooring, Taralay, a leading multilayered sheet flooring and Creation LVT. While most manufacturers continue to use industry EPDs, product-specific EPDs will allow architects and designers to more quickly and efficiently earn a LEED v4 credit in the Materials & Resources category.

“We recognize architects and specifiers need more than beautiful, functional healthcare flooring,” said Jim Bistolas, national healthcare segment director at Gerflor USA. “Designers are pushing to understand more about a product’s lifecycle. Gerflor took quick and decisive action to develop and publish product-specific EPDs, as they provide the additional specific and detailed sustainability information that is needed.” 

Industry EPD vs. Product-Specific EPD 

Both industry EPDs and product-specific EPDs offer third-party verification. However, product-specific EPDs provide increased transparency and credibility by examining specific products rather than the average product by companies. As the new LEED v4 sustainability standard continues to take hold, product-specific EPDs will be increasingly important; specifiers must use 20 different permanently installed products from five different manufacturers. Industry EPD products are valued as half a product, while product-specific EPD products are valued as one whole product.

As the U.S. Green Building Council shifts to LEED v4, designers, architects and specifiers must shift too – to lifecycle thinking. EPDs summarize the data collected in the Life Cycle Analysis and serve as “cliff notes” for industry professionals.

All of Gerflor USA’s products are 100 percent recyclable, REACH compliant, and FloorScore certified, meaning they have been independently third party certified to comply with strict volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions criteria.

Setting an industry example is nothing new for Gerflor, as the company has been an industry pioneer and innovator for more than 80 years. Gerflor is the original manufacturer of homogeneous resilient sheet flooring (Mipolam, 1937) and resilient sports flooring (Taraflex, 1947).

For more information, visit www.gerflorusa.com.