Richard Nunn, Technical Sales Director, Ureka Global Ltd speaks on the manifold benefits of Indoor Air Comfort Gold (IACG) certification.
A changing conversation in woodworking
When I first started in the adhesives industry, the main conversations with customers were about bond strength, open times, and cost. Whilst the questions are still very relevant, an entirely different question is front and centre, today: What will this do to indoor air quality and finished quality?
We now know that indoor air quality (IAQ) isn’t just a health concern, it’s a design and manufacturing challenge. With people spending the majority of their time indoors, the quality of that air is shaping the way we specify and manufacture everything from school furniture to office fit-outs. For those of us in the timber industry, that means looking more closely at what our materials release into the air, not just when they’re made, but for years after installation.
Why indoor air comfort gold matters
One certification has become a benchmark in this area: Indoor Air Comfort Gold (IACG), awarded by Eurofins. This is not a marketing badge; it’s one of the strictest low-emission standards in Europe. To earn it, a product must pass rigorous chamber tests and meet the toughest requirements for VOC emissions — all combined into a single gold standard.
For designers, builders and end clients alike, Indoor Air Comfort Gold certification sends a powerful signal: this product has been independently verified as one of the best choices for healthy indoor environments. Beyond simply proving low emissions, it aligns with leading green building standards, making it easier to demonstrate compliance and achieve sustainability goals. For manufacturers, the certification becomes more than a label — it’s a competitive advantage that opens doors to projects where wellbeing, trust, and environmental performance are non-negotiable.
The hidden role of adhesives in indoor air quality
When people think about VOC emissions in furniture or joinery, they tend to picture paints, varnishes, and finishes. But adhesives often play a silent role — and not always a positive one. Traditional solvent-based and formaldehyde adhesives can emit VOCs for months, even years after application.
This matters in two ways. First, those emissions affect the health and comfort of people using the space. Second, they can prevent a building from meeting the indoor air quality criteria set out in sustainability schemes. A low-emission coating on a table means little if the adhesive holding it together fails the test.
Going beyond the standard
The good news is that adhesive technology has caught up with the demands of modern, healthier interiors. At Ureka Global, we’ve worked hard to ensure we have a comprehensive offering of adhesives for joinery and panel bonding that meet indoor air comfort gold.
The bigger picture for specifiers and manufacturers
For manufacturers, using IACG-certified adhesives makes it easier to win work in health-conscious and sustainability-driven markets. For specifiers, it’s one less risk to manage when aiming for green building credits or client IAQ targets. And for architects, it means confidence that the materials chosen will contribute to — rather than undermine — a healthy indoor environment.
The woodworking industry is rightly proud of its craftsmanship. But in the years ahead, I believe we’ll also be judged by the invisible qualities of our work — the air quality it leaves behind.
A call to lead the way
Indoor Air Comfort Gold isn’t just a technical achievement; it’s a commitment to safer, healthier, and more sustainable interiors. As adhesives manufacturers, joinery firms, and furniture makers, we all have a role in raising that standard.
I encourage my peers to see this not as a compliance burden, but as an opportunity to lead. When we deliver products that are as safe to breathe as they are beautiful to look at, we create lasting value — for our customers, for the people who use these spaces, and for the industry’s reputation.
