Allure floors or flooring materials

3 reports to CPSC, the latest made Mar 25, 2015. A report isn’t a recall.

Watch it to hear when CPSC publishes new reports about it. CPSC’s own search

Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.

At a glance

From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.

3reports to CPSC
Mar 25, 2015the latest report was made
Jan 3, 2012the earliest
1with the company’s comments

Brand: Allure
Maker: HALSTEAD INTERNATIONALMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
Product: Floors or flooring materialsCPSC’s product type: Floors or Flooring Materials (code 1807), in Home Maintenance and Structures: Flooring

By month

1 report from April 2014 to March 2015; the most in March 2015, 1. 2 earlier reports, since January 2012, are in the table.

The numbers, as a table

Reports to CPSC by the month each was made, newest first
Month	Reports
March 2015	1
September 2013	1
January 2012	1

How badly anyone was hurt

Emergency room 1 CPSC: Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received
Seen by a doctor or nurse 1 CPSC: Injury, Seen by Medical Professional
Hurt, care not known 1 CPSC: Injury, Level of care not known

As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.

The reports, as CPSC published them

Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.

Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.

CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.

Emergency room
Made Mar 25, 2015, sent to the company Apr 2, 2015, published by CPSC Apr 23, 2015

The product, in the report: Allure “Traffic Master” laminate flooring sold by Home Depot. Mfg by Halstead.

Allure Laminate flooring was installed December 29- Dec.31. After 5 days I developed a disease called erythema multiforme, an autoimmune disease. A biopsy suggested a medication or chemical caused the problem. As I had been on the same meds for a great length of time it was determined that an environmental cause was probable. It was then that I realized that five days separated my symptoms from the installation of laminate flooring manufactured by Halstead. I performed off-gassing measurements by certified lab analysts who concluded that off gassing was very high. Examination of the laminate components indicated that laminate material contained 7.8% di-sonyl phthalate. This chemical is banned in California under proposition 65. I believe others have developed erythema multiforme but didn’t connect the dots, i.e. symptoms with time of installation. The laminate is made in China and it would be difficult getting honest answers as to the material as noted by the documentary on laminate flooring by ‘60 minutes”. The issue on this documentary was formaldehyde, however, I believe that the real issue is di-sonyl phthalate. Please investigate this flooring as I believe it is unsafe.

Bought from
Home Depot, New Mexico
Bought
Dec 29, 2014
Where
Albuquerque, New Mexico: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 68, Male
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand Allure, made or sold by HALSTEAD INTERNATIONAL
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received

The company’s comments, in its own words

(5/26/2015) HALSTEAD INTERNATIONAL: Halstead New England Corporation markets Allure TrafficMaster Flooring presently sold at Home Depot stores nationwide as noted in report 20150325-SF6ES-2147434247 to the CPSC. Allure is vinyl flooring, however, and NOT laminate as stated in the report. Halstead believes that the consumer’s report to the CPSC contains materially inaccurate information as explained further below.
Our Company and Manufacturing Facilities
Halstead is a USA/Connecticut based company with Sales & Support offices in Norwalk, CT, Calhoun, GA and Rincon, GA. Halstead is part of a larger group of companies that has a sales office in the Netherlands and manufacturing facilities throughout Asia in countries such as Taiwan, South Korea and China. Unlike many companies that utilize foreign production facilities, all of our Allure brand products are manufactured at facilities in which our group of companies has a joint-venture ownership position. This has been our model for over forty years and enables our company to drive product safety, sustainability efforts and quality throughout our brand portfolio. All of our factories follow strict protocols for both environmental and quality control procedures as outlined in their ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certifications. ISO is an abbreviation for the International Standards Organization which sets Quality and Environmental manufacturing standards for all manufacturing facilities throughout the world, including the United States. ISO 9001 pertains to Quality Management and encompasses such areas as Customer Service, Staff Motivation & Well Being, Continuous Quality Improvement and Tracking Methodologies to guarantee product quality. ISO 14001 pertains to environmental initiatives and covers areas such as Waste Reduction and Reductions in the Consumption of Energy and natural resources such as water. The consumer’s claim that he would not be able to get honest answers about our product’s safety because it is manufactured at our facilities in Asia is completely false. Indoor Air Quality
Halstead’s Allure flooring products as manufactured do not emit anything harmful into the air. Quite the contrary, our products are certified with respect to indoor air quality as having low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by FloorScore®. FloorScore® is a universally recognized low VOC certification program which uses an independent certifier, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), to determine whether hard surface flooring products meet the California health-based low VOC requirements for indoor air quality. This testing is based on small environmental chamber VOC testing and recognized indoor air quality modeling under the California Section 01350 specification. This specification includes health-based Chronic Exposure Levels (CREL) concentrations established by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and building modeling parameters developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). FloorScore® certifies that hard surface flooring products do not exceed one-half of the allowable CREL concentration limits. Thus, FloorScore® builds a substantial VOC safety margin into the program. Allure flooring’s FloorScore® certification means that the product’s indoor air quality is excellent and below all acceptable VOC emission levels. Thus, the consumer attributing any illness based on air quality to Halstead’s products defies common sense and recognized scientific principles and information. Plasticizers and Recyclable Vinyl Content
Plasticizers are used in vinyl flooring to provide flexibility, resilience, durability, longevity, strength, and that “sturdy cushion” feeling which makes our vinyl flooring easy on the feet. Halstead New England adds only Dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) as a plasticizer in our Allure flooring products. DOTP is classified as a non-phthalate plasticizer by its suppliers because it is not an ortho-phthalate. Based on reviews by U.S. and European authorities, DOTP does not exhibit the reproductive and developmental toxicity and carcinogenic effects of certain ortho phthalates high dose animal studies. Indeed, a 2009 risk assessment of DOTP concluded that it can safely be used in toys. We subscribe to the “Precautionary Principle,” which embodies the concept to avoid exposure to materials that may have negative impact on human health. DOTP is a well-studied plasticizer that has a “clean bill of health.”
The consumer has complained that his illness was caused by another plasticizer entirely called DINP. Halstead does not add DINP as a plasticizer in its Allure flooring products.
Halstead has established itself as an industry leader in developing sustainable flooring products using recycled material. These post-consumer recycled products have the significant environmental benefit of reducing disposal impacts on scarce landfills. The recycled source materials which are ground up and processed into the bottom base layer of our Allure products often contain small amounts of DINP, but never contain an amount of DINP close to 7.8% as claimed by the consumer.
Moreover, DINP is not used in the top wear layer of Allure products or in the middle print design layer of the product which the wear layer is designed to protect. Significantly, the small amounts of DINP in the bottom base layer do not migrate through the product, and would certainly never be released into the air through the top surface of the product. Therefore, the consumer’s claim that DINP content in Allure products caused his illness again defies all scientific principles and common sense. As a company, Halstead takes great pride in providing superior customer service and satisfaction to those who purchase and use our high quality and safe flooring products.

CPSC report 20150325-5F6E5-2147434247. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
Hurt, care not known
Made Sep 17, 2013, sent to the company Sep 24, 2013, published by CPSC Oct 31, 2013

The product, in the report: vinyl plank flooring

we had allure trafficmaster vinyl plank flooring installed in our bedroom, hallway, living room, and dining room. within the month that it has been in our home, we have developed headaches, watery, itchy eyes, runny noses, a persistent cough (producing phlegm), and i am tired constantly. i also want to add that our cat is sneezing 50 to 60 times a day and is sleeping almost 24/7. my husband doesn’t seem to be suffering as bad as me and the cat, but we attribute that to the fact that he is at work 10 to 12 hours a day. i got on the computer and typed in “allure flooring” and something interesting caught my eye. it said “allure flooring stinks”, so i clicked on it and was appalled at the comments i was reading from consumers. alot of people are having the same problems we are, pets included. even more disturbing is the fact that these comments are dated from 2009 thru the present. it seems there are alot of people getting sick from this flooring and it is still being sold 4 yrs later?

Bought from
home depot, Michigan
Bought
Jul 14, 2013
Where
swartz creek, Michigan: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Female
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand allure, made or sold by HALSTEAD INTERNATIONAL
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Level of care not known

CPSC report 20130917-BE37E-2147451856. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
Seen by a doctor or nurse
Made Jan 3, 2012, sent to the company Feb 2, 2012, published by CPSC Feb 23, 2012

The product, in the report: vinyl flooring

After laying the vinyl flooring down for approximately unusual chemical odor to it and her right arm began to ache and her fingers on both hands began to peel. She washed her hands immediately but they continued to peel (to date they still currently peeling).
The flooring has a sticky portion underneath it and her hands came in contact with that part. She looked at the packaging and noticed that there were no warnings on the product or the ingredients listed on it.
She went to see her doctor when her arm continued to hurt and her hands began to peel the week of 12/18/2011 and was given a steroid shot. Other test were ran to determine if the consumer had a pinch nerve.
She has to follow up with the doctor later this week for the results. She contacted the retailer the week of 12/18/2011 and they continued the firm on her behalf. The representative from the firm advised the consumer that she had 20 days to return the product but declined because she is afraid to attempt to remove it.
The claims department of the firm contacted the consumer (date is unknown) and they didn’t offer any assistance to the consumer. The consumer inquired about the chemicals in the product. The claims department informed the consumer that they would get back with her in reference to the information (time frame was not afraid).
The flooring is still currently in the home but is currently incomplete(still missing pieces) she is not sure what her next step will be.
The consumer would like for there to be a disclaier ont he product and slo indicate the chemicals that are used in it.

Bought from
Home Depot, Texas
Bought
Nov 18, 2011
Where
Mexia, Texas: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 47, Female
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand Allure, made or sold by HALSTEAD INTERNATIONAL
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

CPSC report 20120103-7C0D4-1222745. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC’s disclaimer

Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.

Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.

Sources

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.

Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.

Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.

Allure floors or flooring materials

At a glance

By month

How badly anyone was hurt

The reports, as CPSC published them

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources

How to read a record

Every fact names its source.

A number never stands alone.

What needs attention is marked.

The public record comes first.