Construction products detail

Resilient, textile and laminate floor coverings are covered by EN 14041:2004/AC:2006 and include, amongst others:

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and rubber floor coverings: This type of floor covering usually consists of a wear layer, optional intermediate layers and a substrate. The floor coverings can be homogeneous or heterogeneous.

Textile floor coverings: This type of floor covering consists of a wear layer, a substrate and a backing layer or heavy coating. It is laid over the entire area.

Laminate floor coverings: This type of floor covering usually consists of a wear layer (surface layer) made of melamine resins or lacquer systems, with differently printed decorative layers, a substrate made of high-density fibreboard and a backing layer. Laminate floor coverings can additionally be laminated with an insulating layer at the back.

Composite floor coverings: This type of floor covering can be made of various materials. A wear layer is laminated on a substrate. Under this is the backing layer. An additional insulating layer can also be present.

Regulatory framework

Resilient, textile and laminate floor coverings are relevant from a regulatory point of view if they are used in accommodation areas (indoor spaces regularly occupied by people) or adjoining rooms that are not partitioned from them because emissions from these products have an influence on indoor air quality.

For these products, national technical approvals were granted until October 2016 for verification of health protection. As a result of the implementation of the judgement of the European Court of Justice of 16 October 2014 in case C-100/13, national technical approvals are no longer granted for these products if they bear the CE marking on the basis of the Construction Products Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 305/2011). The products may not be marked with the national conformity mark. Approvals for which the period of validity has not yet expired are listed below. They can be used on a voluntary basis to prove fulfilment of the regulatory requirements.

In accordance with the Administrative Provisions – Technical Building Rules (VV TB) of the federal states, requirements pertaining to the release of volatile organic compounds apply, cf. the common model MVV TB, Part A 3.2.1 and Annex 8.

No performance regarding release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be declared for floor coverings in accordance with EN 14041:2004/AC:2006 based on said standard. To declare such performance related to the release of VOCs, European Technical Assessment (ETA) can be requested.

Also, evaluations verifying the fitness for use of resilient, textile or laminate floor coverings in terms of health protection can be issued in accordance with MVV TB, Section D 3 'Technical documentation pursuant to Section 85a(2) point (6) MBO'.

For textile floor coverings, fulfilment of the regulatory requirements can be verified based on the Technical Rule for textile floor coverings, cf. Annex 9 of the MVV TB. It may be pertinent to involve a body qualified under Article 43 of the EU Construction Products Regulation for this.

In this work area, DIBt prepares European Technical Assessments (ETAs) and evaluations for verifying the fitness for use of the products in terms of health protection.