Q: I'd like to put in hardwood floors and I'm considering bamboo. What do I need to consider? I don't want faux wood, and I read that some bamboo is treated with formaldehyde.
— asked by Murkey, Alexandria, VA

A: Although Google provides comparative pricing, product descriptions and basic specifications, most websites don’t tell us what is best for our specific needs. We always have to sort out one product from another and make the best choice we can with the information we’ve found. That assumes we know the right questions to ask. This article is all about the right questions to ask.

Q: We bought this desk for a home office. How can we deal with the smell it creates?  — asked by Julie Reimers, Mechanicsburg, PA

A: Good questions and a very common problem. Particleboard furniture is often imported from overseas where restrictions on urea formaldehyde are not in place or not enforced well.

Generally speaking, furniture made with Melamine (the white panels) often contains an abundance of formaldehyde which off-gasses into the environment. That's changing, however, and there are some rare suppliers using formaldehyde-free Melamine, especially in California. If you know the furniture came from overseas, it's most likely not subject to the same standards as in the US.