Grave Matters
Grave Matters follows families who found in “green” burial a more natural, more economic, and ultimately more meaningful alternative to the tired and toxic send-off offered at the local funeral parlor.
Eschewing chemical embalming and fancy caskets, elaborate and costly funerals, they have embraced a range of natural options, new and old, that are redefining a [...]
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 biodegradable.
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 comes 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.
Does this help or do you have a problem with this?
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If your readers select our cork oak floors with WRT (wear resistant technology) the maintenance you speak of is a thing of the past. You can even take the edge of a penny and as hard as you can try to scratch the surface of the floor, but you can’t. We talk about the Penny Test here:
http://wicanderscorkoakblog.com/2008/06/30/penny
We hope you visit.
Cheers!
Team Wicanders
Team Wicanderss last blog post..New Hope for the Montado Cork Oak Forests
ReplyIn addition to being eco-friendly, reclaimed wood flooring is also full of character sure to bring warmth to any home. Be careful with bamboo flooring if you really want to be “green.” Yes, it grows quickly, but consider the fossil fuels used to transport it across the sea to America.
Reply@Antique Reclaimed Wood Flooring:
ReplyReclaimed flooring is my personal favorite. Can’t been old wood floors for ‘character’.
Bamboo is such a versatile material, and doesn’t necessarily have to be grown in Asia etc. It can actually grow in most climates across the world.
Replyhi admin,
nice post..
i found out that there are some flooring company that can overcome the drawbacks of natural limestone. Natural limestone consists mainly of calcium carbonate (chalk) and forms on the bed of the sea from the remains of sea shells and other marine organisms. Heat and pressure over aeons of time cause these animal remains to form natural limestone.
cheers,
Replyorganic mattresses
Twitter: sleepmasterbeds
said-
Some great eco-friendly flooring materials there.
I especially like the idea of bamboo flooring, has anyone had firsthand experience with this?
ReplyI think I may research further into this and see what useful data I can harvest.
Contrary to popular belief, pandas are not endangered as a result of us using bamboo flooring as they live higher up and eat a different type of bamboo. So it is definately a green option to flooring!
ReplyYes I have done some research into Bamboo flooring and it seems to be latest revolution of wood flooring. It is highly environmentally friendly and it is priced really competitively.
ReplyCork is a resilient surface that is comfortable under your feet and is resistant to molds, mildew, pests, and even fire. Cork products offer a combination of benefits that no other flooring type can match.
Replyradiant heat can go under cement, tiles, carpet and other underfloor surfaces
ReplyI recently installed cork flooring in my home and love it. Wish I had done this so much earlier instead of doing regular carpet.
ReplyTwitter: http://www.cork-flooring.info
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I use to think cork flooring was ugly, but after seeing it laid down, I had a change of heart. Cork flooring is a great alternative to hardwood floors and they look just as stylish. I think they will become a leading trend in the home and garden sector.
ReplyMichelle Black´s last blog ..My Contractor Says A Cork Floor Would Show Wear Patterns Easily. Is It True?
Twitter: http://www.cork-flooring.info
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Cork flooring is really exotic looking in my opinion. I think it is one of the best surfaces a home owner can opt for. It is new to me, but after seeing it laid down I am sold on the idea of cork flooring.
ReplyM.L. Green´s last blog ..Gluing Down Engineered Wood Floor Over Cork Underlayment That Is Glued Down To Wood Subfloor?
[...] carpet, mattresses and furniture can help create a healthy, green sanctuary you can call home. Mind Mart also offers an article specifically discussing green flooring options. If you don’t know cork [...]
[...] carpet, mattresses and furniture can help create a healthy, green sanctuary you can call home. Mind Mart also offers an article specifically discussing green flooring options. If you don’t know cork [...]