Dive Brief:

• Don’t be surprised by a deluge of requests from homeowners and remodeling clients who want to rid their homes of laminate flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators.

• Although the company said in a statement that it “stands by every plank,” Florida Sen. Bill Nelson on Wednesday called for a federal investigation of the company in response to a “60 Minutes” piece that alleged the flooring contains unsafe amounts of formaldehyde.

• Nelson estimated that millions of homeowners have the product in their homes. Lumber Liquidators, whose stock tanked on Monday, has said it will accept returns of the allegedly tainted flooring.

Dive Insight:

It’s unclear what the impact of the “60 Minutes” revelation will be on builders, remodelers, and installers beyond the onslaught of calls from health-conscious homeowners.

In the meantime, homebuilders can pass along the advice from Global Community Monitor, the company that tested the planks for CBS:

• To reduce exposure to the chemicals, stay out of the room where the laminate floor was installed.
• Check GCM’s list of affected products to learn if the product in a home is suspected of unlawfully high formaldehyde levels.
• Order a test of the product from an indoor air quality professional to learn if the planks contain unsafe levels of the chemicals.
• If the floor’s surface is not sealed, coat it with a non-formaldehyde sealer.
• Open the room’s windows and run exhaust fans.
• Keep the temperature and humidity levels in the room low by running a dehumidifier or air conditioner.
• Tear out the affected product.

Pros who remove the flooring should, of course, follow OSHA guidelines for protecting themselves against inhaling the chemicals.