Green Flooring Options For Your Home

Conventional flooring products are often not eco-friendly and bad for your health as well. For instance, most carpet in the US is made of nylon. This material doesn’t wear well and tends to off gas volatile organic compounds, which are hazardous to our health. To make matters worse, nylon carpet is not easily recyclable and will end up in the landfill, since it’s not biodeadable.

Another conventional option, vinyl flooring, which is common in bathrooms and kitchens, has similar problems. Pthalates found in this material have been blamed for problems in child development. Synthetic laminate woods aren’t much better. While they use recycled lumber waste, this mostly goes into them in the form of fiber board, a short lived product that contains a lot of formaldehyde.

Hardwood floors are healthier and fully natural, but may not have been produced sustainably. You should also pay attention to the finish that’s used on any hardwood floors - most are petroleum based and bad for air quality.

Since so many people love the look of hardwoods, consider reclaimed hardwoods. Reclaimed hardwood come from old structures, such as dilapidated libraries, barns, schools, etc. Many companies nowadays specialize in reclaiming the wood that would otherwise end up in a junkyard. It is possible to have a new hardwood floor without any new trees being cut down.

You’re probably familiar with the cork used as a stopper for wine bottles, but have you ever walked on cork flooring? Cork is becoming a more attractive flooring option of late because it’s sustainable. It’s the same material in your wine bottle cork, just formed into planks or tiles and applied to the sub-floor. Since it is lightweight, installation is fairly painless.

Cork has a lot of great qualities as a flooring choice — sustainable, hypoallergenic, and naturally antimicrobial — making it a good choice for damp basements. Cork also solves many insulating problems for both for heat and sound. It’s gentle to walk on, sparing your back, knees, and feet. Remember that cork can be scratched and needs to be replaced after about ten years. High traffic areas will wear faster, and lower traffic ones may last longer. Resealing your cork floor may also be necessary, but a well sealed floor can be mopped or cleaned with gentle, non abrasive cleansers.

Another green option is bamboo flooring. Bamboo is considered green because it’s fast growing. Also, it’s a grass rather than a tree. Bamboo farms can grow a shoot to maturity in just a few years. It is a sturdy material that will last just as long as wood. Though there aren’t as many varieties of bamboo as there are species of wood, different finishes can create a myriad of looks for you to choose from.

Since the average person spends 12-15 hours in their home everyday, flooring is an important consideration. For health reasons, you’ll want to take a look at how it will affect the air quality in your home. A green floor will look good as well as reduce allergies and headaches.