Congratulations on considering the five best materials for eco-friendly flooring! It wasn’t long ago when “eco-friendly” meant “boring,” “drab” and “expensive.” Not anymore. Today’s eco-friendly flooring materials are designed to be stylish and trendy. Not only that, but many options are very affordable. That’s good news for the environment. And good for your pocketbook, too. Of course, you’ll want to find eco-friendly flooring materials that match your style and budget. With that in mind, here’s our picks for the five best materials for eco-friendly flooring.
Put some cork in it
Once the stuff of bulletin boards and wine bottles, cork has evolved into a very attractive flooring option. Best of all, it’s highly renewable and very eco-friendly. Cork is harvested from the bark of cork trees, which are native to the Mediterranean. Additionally the trees are allowed to keep growing in between harvests, which happen every three years. Cork helps reduce allergens in the home. It acts as a fire retardant and even helps repel insects. But best of all it’s both versatile. Cork comes in a wide variety of colors and hues. Also, it’s durable, lasting up to 30 years.
Wop bop a loo bop a lop… bamboo?
Even though we’re pretty sure Little Richard was singing about something besides bamboo flooring, we share his “Tutti Fruitti” enthusiasm for it. With a color palate as wide as hardwood flooring, bamboo is actually quite similar to natural wood. Except that rather than come from trees, bamboo is actually a type of grass. Like most grass, it grows fast. That makes bamboo eco-friendly and renewable. There are three types of bamboo flooring. “Stranded” bamboo flooring combines shreds of bamboo with a resin to form a board that is then cut into planks. “Horizontal” bamboo flooring is made of thin strips glued close together into planks. Engineered bamboo flooring is similar to engineered hardwood flooring, except it uses bamboo.
Not your grandmother’s linoleum
You weren’t expecting to see linoleum on our list of the five best materials for eco-friendly flooring, were you? That’s probably because you didn’t realize that linoleum is actually made of renewable materials. Those include linseed oil (or linoxyn), tree resin, wood flour, cork dust and mineral pigments. Many people mistake linoleum and luxury vinyl plank flooring for being the same, but they’re actually quite different. Linoleum is available in tiles and planks, not just the huge rolls you see at the big box hardware store. So, get that image of grandma’s kitchen out of your head.
Where the rubber meets the… kitchen floor?
You’d expect to find rubber on the floor at the gym, or on a playground. Or in your bath-time duckie. But did you know it also makes a fashionable, affordable and eco-friendly flooring option for your home? Mostly made of recycled tires, rubber tile floors are resilient (think of all the abuse tires go through) and will literally add a little extra spring to your step. There’s a reason why gyms and playgrounds use rubber — it’s easy on your feet!
Hard to believe it, but hardwood, too!
If you thought our list of the five best materials for eco-friendly flooring wasn’t going to have any familiar materials on it, think again. Believe it or not, hardwood floors make the list because, depending on the manufacturer and their suppliers, some hardwood floors are
that avoid clear-cutting forests, protect wildlife, minimize chemicals like pesticides and other earth-centric practices. Check with one of our consultants to discuss which eco-friendly hardwood options we have available.
Still need help deciding on which eco-friendly flooring material is right for you? Call or email Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers today for a free consultation. We know you only want the best in flooring and remodeling. That’s why it’s important to hire the best in the business, and at Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers, we can guarantee you that’s us.
Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers have been flooring and remodeling Kentuckiana for over 30 years. Our certified installers have the ingenuity and know-how to assist you in choosing the perfect floors for your home. Don’t take matters into your own hands—let us guide your next project.
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