What does a low-emission label tell you?
A low-emission label can substantiate that a particular product met a defined emissions assessment, for the product group and substances covered by that scheme. It does not establish that every material in a prefab home was assessed, predict the concentration in a finished room, or certify the home’s overall indoor air quality. To judge what the label supports, match it to the installed product, then check the test conditions, measured substances, limits and exclusions. [1] [2] [3]
- The European Commission describes EU-LCI values as health-based reference concentrations for assessing emissions from a single product after 28 days in a laboratory test chamber. They are product-assessment references, not a measurement of a home's air. [3]
- EMICODE limit values differ by product group and class; for flooring installation products, the table includes TVOC, TSVOC, formaldehyde and other criteria at specified test times. [2]
- The German Environment Agency says furnishings and household activities also affect indoor air quality, so a product label cannot establish the conditions in a completed home. [1]
- To connect a certificate to a prefab specification, match it to the exact installed product and request its current test report, including test method, product scope and assessed substances. [1] [2] [3]
What product was assessed?
A certificate applies within the scope named by its scheme. EMICODE publishes separate limit values for flooring installation and other construction products, and for surface treatment products. Its criteria also differ by class. A label on an adhesive, for example, is evidence about that assessed product under its scheme; it does not automatically cover the floor covering, the substrate or another adhesive used elsewhere in the home. (The examples here describe the scheme, not a certificate for a specific product.) [2]
Which emissions and test conditions count?
A test report should identify the emissions assessment, substances or substance groups measured, sampling times and applicable limits. Those details determine what a result can support. EMICODE’s current table, checked 26.09.2026, sets different thresholds by product group and class. For flooring installation products, its listed measures include TVOC after 3 and 28 days, TSVOC after 28 days, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and criteria for certain VOC groups. A label alone may not show this full detail, so request the certificate and matching report. [2]
How does a chamber test relate to a home?
A laboratory chamber test measures emissions from a single product under defined conditions. The European Commission says EU-LCI values assess emissions after 28 days from one product in a test chamber, using a model room as a reference. Such an assessment provides product evidence; it is not a measurement of the air in the buyer’s completed home. Actual indoor conditions also depend on other products and sources. The German Environment Agency specifically lists furnishings and activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking and candle burning among other influences on indoor air quality. [1] [3]
What should a prefab buyer request?
Ask the supplier for the current certificate and full test report, then compare the product name, manufacturer, formulation or product version, and intended use against the specification for the home. Check whether the tested item is the material actually installed, whether its certificate is still valid, which emissions and test times are covered, and whether the report lists substances that were unidentified or not assessed. The European Commission defines EU-LCI values as reference concentrations for volatile organic compounds and inhalation exposure, so an assessment against them does not cover other pollutants or exposure routes. [2] [3]
What can you conclude about the whole home?
A matching label is one useful piece of product evidence. It supports a bounded statement about that product’s emissions under that scheme’s test and assessment criteria. It cannot, by itself, substantiate a claim that a prefab home is low-emission as a whole or establish its indoor air quality after occupation. For a whole-home claim, ask for the list of installed products and the evidence behind each one; if the claim concerns indoor conditions, ask whether measurements were made in the completed home and under what conditions. [1] [3]