Eco-friendly materials are rapidly gaining popularity in today’s homes. Personal health and environmental concerns are turning more builders, designers, and homeowners to sustainable flooring.
Eco-friendly flooring is cost-effective, durable, and devoid of harmful pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, and volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). Sustainable flooring is also designer-friendly. You can choose from a wide variety of sustainable materials in beautiful colors and patterns.
Try one of these 7 eco-friendly and beautiful flooring options to enhance your home:
1) Cork:
- Produced from the bark of cork oak trees.
- Trees are not cut down to harvest the bark, which grows back every three years.
- Provides thermal and acoustic insulation.
- Hypoallergenic, fire-retardant, and natural insect repellant.
- Can be finished in a variety of paints and stains.
- Lasts 10-30 years.
2) Bamboo:
- Grows quickly reaching maturity in 3-5 years.
- Naturally resistant to water, mildew, and insects.
- Varied grains and colors offer many design options.
- Edges out conventional hardwood flooring in durability.
3) Linoleum:
- Made from renewable materials such as linseed oil, cork dust, pine resins, wood flour, ground limestone, and pigments placed on a burlap or canvas backing.
- Durable, fire-retardant, and water-resistant.
- Available in a large variety of colors.
4) Hardwood Floors:
- Choose Forest Stewardship Council, FSC-certified lumber.
- The FSC promotes the conservation of biodiversity, air, and water quality of the world's forests.
- FSC-certified wood is available in hundreds of colors and styles.
5) Glass Tiles:
- Made from recycled glass bottles.
- Mildew and mold-resistant.
- Easy maintenance.
- Available in a wide array of colors, patterns, and finishes.
6) Rubber:
- Flooring is made from recycled tires.
- Water-resistant.
- Comfortable to walk on.
- Versatile and durable.
- Available in many pattern and color options.
7) Green Rugs and Carpets:
- Choose natural fibers with little to no chemical treatment.
- Use water-based low VOC glues for carpet installation.
- Try tacking instead of gluing carpet.
- Consider P.E.T. Berber carpeting made from recycled plastic bottles.
- Berber carpeting is durable, economical, spill-resistant, and available in many color and pattern options.
Sustainable flooring is a stylish, durable, and economical choice to enhance your home. Create a naturally beautiful and healthy home with eco-friendly flooring.
Do you have sustainable flooring in your home?
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