There are a number of eco-friendly flooring products available to homeowners in the Plano area, and these materials have been growing in popularity in recent years. Eco-friendly can refer to anything from natural fiber carpets, to tiles made from recycled materials, as long as it is sustainably produced from renewable resources.
Installing trendy eco-friendly floorings, such as bamboo, cork or eucalyptus, is a great way to use building materials you feel good about. The list of benefits is long, but most importantly eco-friendly floors are better for the planet and better for you.
Better For the Environment
There are some really fun examples of how eco-friendly flooring is better for the environment. Did you know that cork flooring (as pictured in the kitchen above) is made from the bark of the cork tree, which regrows every eight to ten years? The trees can live up to 200 years, meaning the bark can be harvested again and again without damage to the tree itself. All the byproduct from cork floor production is also saved and reused in the manufacturing process.
There are many ways to find eco-friendly flooring that has limited impact on the environment, from focusing on natural and renewable resources, like cork, to relying on products with certifications such as the Forest Stewardship Council label for hardwood materials, or the Green Label Plus for carpet. Remember to consider contributing factors to the sustainability of your floors. For example, the padding and glue used in the carpet installation, and the shipping impact of eco-friendly materials grown outside of the U.S.
Better For Your Home
In addition to the environmental benefits, eco-friendly flooring is better for the health of you and your family. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are commonly found in carpeting and vinyl, and these gases that are released as the material ages can cause respiratory issues, headaches, and a host of other health issues.
One of the greatest benefits of eco-friendly flooring is the limited to no use of toxic chemicals in production. If you have any allergy sufferers in your home, or small children or pets that spend a lot of time on the floor, a green flooring option may be one to strongly consider.
Cost Effective
While the cost of flooring is directly related to the cost of materials and installation, eco-friendly flooring can be easier on the budget. For example, bamboo flooring has grown in popularity in recent years for it warmth and character, as well as its sustainability. Bamboo also has the added benefit of costing considerably less than many traditional hardwoods, and delivering a lot of the same benefits. When you also consider the potential health benefits of eco-friendly options, the overall cost of this flooring becomes much more attractive.
Many people hear eco-friendly flooring and assume a high price tag. It’s worth exploring the options, however, for all the benefits eco-friendly floors deliver.
Photo by MR.INTERIOR
