Sustainable Flooring
Now that many designers and manufacturers have gone green, there are more environmentally friendly products for the home than ever before. When it comes to floors, consumers now have many sustainable options for their homes and businesses that are affordable, durable, and attractive. You can achieve a designer look for your floor and still maintain your commitment to work with eco-friendly materials.
Traditional Bamboo
Moso bamboo is most typically used in bamboo flooring materials. Bamboo is a highly sustainable and durable material that has become the darling of the green flooring trend. Because bamboo is easily renewable on bamboo farms, it is one of the most eco-friendly solutions you can choose for your home. Moreover, its similarity to hardwood makes it a favorite choice among designers. Bamboo is also water and insect resistant and, despite being a grass, can be just as durable as many tough woods.
Strandwoven Bamboo
Shredded and compressed, tough strandwoven bamboo is a solid choice of flooring for commercial areas or floors that see a lot of foot traffic. The intense pressure and green adhesives used to manufacture strandwoven bamboo create a material that is twice as hard as oak and more durable than traditional bamboo. Its high performance rating has made it a popular choice for schools, malls, stores, and other commercial locations as well as for residential situations.
Strandwoven Wood
Using strandwoven timber scraps for flooring is a great sustainable option. Made from recycled wood scraps, strandwoven wood flooring is a compelling choice for an authentic wood floor. Strandwoven wood floors are made from discarded wood materials from the furniture-making and pulp industries. Recycling this material to make flooring is a brilliant way to produce a quality product with a unique look.
Eucalyptus
As a fast-growing hard wood, eucalyptus is an environmentally responsible flooring option. Eucalyptus can be harvested at fourteen years; although it isn’t as quickly replaced as bamboo at four years, it is still much quicker than traditional hard woods. Often compared in appearance to tropical mahogany, eucalyptus is extremely durable and affordable.
Tile
Many tiles are now created with recycled materials like glass, stone, and even plastic. Because a tile floor can last for decades—even fifty years—it is regarded as an eco-friendly flooring option. Tile floors are strong and easy to maintain; cleaning with green products will enhance your tile floor and keep it looking attractive for years to come. Modern tiles come in a plethora of styles and designs; from elegant to rustic, you can achieve a top-notch design look and still achieve a green floor that is easy on the environment.
Concrete
Because it can last a lifetime and eliminate the need for other flooring, concrete floors can be a wonderfully durable and earth-friendly choice. Since concrete is made with limestone—one of the most abundant minerals on the planet—it is regarded as a greener option than traditional wood floors. Today’s concrete is often made with waste by-products that are typically available locally. Concrete can also be enhanced with colors and patterns to achieve a great design look for any home.
Cork
Cork flooring is made from the cork oak’s bark; safely removing the bark does not harm the tree. Because it absorbs moisture, cork is not a recommended option for bathrooms, but it is a favorite flooring material for high traffic area because of its ability to “spring” back into shape. Sustainable and comfortable to walk on, cork is a solid choice for an earth-friendly material.
Carpets
When composed entirely of renewable materials like wool or seagrass, carpeting can be a very green choice of flooring for your home. There are also highly innovative carpets made from such items as recycled bicycle inner tubes and even old carpets. Carpeting and rugs made from recycled materials can be just as decorative and comfortable as traditional carpets.
By choosing a green option to fulfill your flooring needs, you can positively impact the earth and set a responsible example for all who come into contact with it. By selecting any of these flooring materials, you can create the look you want at an affordable price. By choosing a green floor, you sacrifice nothing in the looks or durability departments and you gain your own healthy corner of the planet.
Author Bio: Guest post contributed by Kris Rayner, for Empire Today.
Tags: bamboo, concrete, eucalyptus, Sustainability, sustainable housing
July 16th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
I know that choosing the right flooring makes your home or office unique but never knew more until your post. Sustainable flooring or eco-friendly flooring gives you the same uniqueness that you want plus benefits. Do you have a personal favorite for these floorings?
August 21st, 2012 at 2:51 am
I didn’t know bamboo had such an application. Thank you for the article - I learned great new stuff here.