Indoor Air Comfort Gold – raising the standard in furniture manufacturing

Richard Nunn, Technical Sales Director at Ureka Global Ltd, explores how Indoor Air Comfort Gold certification is reshaping standards in furniture manufacturing, adhesives and indoor air quality

Richard Nunn, Technical Sales Director at Ureka Global Ltd 

When I first started in the adhesives industry, most conversations with customers were about bond strength, open times and cost. While those questions remain relevant, an entirely different one is now front and centre: What impact will this have on indoor air quality and the finished product?

We now understand that indoor air quality (IAQ) isn’t just a health concern, it’s also a design and manufacturing challenge. With people spending the majority of their time indoors, the quality of that air is influencing how we specify and manufacture everything from school furniture to office fit outs. For those of us in the timber industry, that means looking closely at what our materials release into the air — not just during production, 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 isn't a marketing badge; it's one of the strictest low-emission standards in Europe. To achieve it, a product must pass rigorous chamber tests and meet the toughest requirements for VOC emissions — all combined into one gold standard.

For designers, builders and end clients, Indoor Air Comfort Gold sends a powerful signal: this product has been independently verified as one of the best choices for healthy indoor environments. Beyond proving low emissions, it aligns with leading green building standards, making it easier to demonstrate compliance and achieve sustainability goals. For manufacturers, certification offers more than credibility — it provides a competitive advantage, opening doors to projects where well-being, 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 usually picture paints, varnishes or 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. Firstly, those emissions affect the health and comfort of people using the space; secondly, they can prevent a building from meeting the indoor air quality criteria set by 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 develop a comprehensive range of adhesives for joinery and panel bonding that meet Indoor Air Comfort Gold.

The bigger picture for specifiers & manufacturers

For manufacturers, using IACG-certified adhesives makes it easier to win work in health-conscious and sustainability-driven markets. For specifiers, it removes a key risk when aiming for green building credits or client IAQ targets,  and for architects, it provides confidence that chosen materials will contribute to — rather than compromise — 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 reputation of our industry.

For further information on Ureka Global Ltd, visit www.thenamethatsticks.com.