Simpson Door
Four Star Rating
Simpson® Receives Japan's Best Rating for Low Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds
Certification verifies low formaldehyde emissions
MCCLEARY, Wash. - Simpson Door Company is pleased to announce that its doors have successfully completed testing for emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and received the coveted Four Star rating from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation. The rating certifies that Simpson doors have the lowest possible emissions of formaldehyde, the most common source of VOCs in wood-based products.
"We are very pleased to receive this important certification from the Japanese government," said Simpson's Marketing Manager Jim Brandt. "We have always built our products with the best interests of our customers and employees in mind."
As of July 1, 2003, Japan's amended Building Standard Law on Sick House Issues (indoor air quality) requires that all building materials used for residential construction in Japan must be tested for VOCs. Certification of a product's emissions are then used to determine an overall volume in residential environments and mitigation, such as restrictions on products with high emissions and enhanced ventilation, may be required to stay below a maximum allowable level defined by the law. All domestic and imported products not already covered by standards that limit VOCs during construction are required to undergo testing and certification.
Testing must be completed by an organization approved by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MLIT). Only two such organizations, known as Overseas Recognized Performance Evaluation Organization (ORPEO) exist outside Japan, including The Eugene Engineered Wood Products office of Professional Service Industries, Inc. (PSI) which performed the testing on behalf of Simpson Door Company. This is believed to be the first certification granted by MLIT through an ORPEO.
Sufferers of sick house syndrome tend to be hypersensitive to chemical substances, including VOCs found in adhesives, paints and coatings. Formaldehyde, the most common source of VOCs in wood-based products, is a common component of glues and adhesives, and a preservative in some paints and coating products.
Simpson has been handcrafting some of America's finest wood doors since Henry McCleary first started his small wood door company in 1912. Today, the company offers a comprehensive line of exterior and interior stile and rail doors in a variety of wood species and produces one-of-a-kind doors at its new Custom Door Manufacturing Facility. It's strong tradition and current capabilities allow Simpson to create doors that are truly doors of a lifetime. To find out more about Simpson's new product developments visit www.simpsondoor.com or call 1-800-952-4057.