What is the Most Eco Friendly Flooring Option?
You know that feeling of warmth you get when you open a door to a room you have never been in before, not knowing at all what to expect, and you find yourself stepping onto beautiful hardwood floors?
I know I am not alone in having an affinity for hardwood. According to the United States Department of Agricultural Forest Services, annually, tthe average net growth of hardwood floor installations is much greater than the average yearly removals.
This is why I got into the business of hardwood floor installations. Over the years of running my business I began to come across more and more bamboo flooring information that pleasantly surprised me. I always recommend bamboo to my customers.
Buying new carpet can be so expensive. The cost of new carpet can often shadow the cost of hardwood flooring. Carpet is also not nearly as environmentally friendly as hardwood floor installations. So many materials are wasted in the producing and removal of carpet.
I do not discriminate, though. I do plenty of carpet installations as well. My heart is just truly with hardwood, that is all.
Using bamboo for hardwood floor installations, however, is responsible. It is a rapidly renewable resource. Because it is a grass, it grows so much faster than wood. It can grow up to 47 inches in 24 hours. This is exactly why the LEED program of the United States Green Building Counsel advises people use bamboo for their hardwood floor installations.
If bamboo hardwood floor installations are not really your style, there are plenty of other options. Chilewich brand flooring tiles, for example, are completely PVC free, contain 82 percent pre and post consumer content, and can be easily installed with Velcro, making it as simple to install as it is to remove and recycle.
Linoleum is the perfect material for kitchen and bathroom floors. It provides a classic look and it is so smooth that sweeping and mopping it is far from a difficult task. The word linoleum comes from two Latin root words for its primary ingredients. Linum means flax and oleum translates into oil.
Whichever route you choose to take for your floors, please try to be environmentally conscious in your decision. If you have anything to add, feel free to do so in the comments section below!
