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5 Eco-Friendly Floors

July 23, 2010

New trends in home renovation seem to gather momentum like a tidal wave, and eco-friendly flooring options are no exception. Floor coverings that were once obscure and untested in the market place are now in great demand, as environmentally conscious homeowners look for "green" products that are sustainably manufactured and non-detrimental to the health of their families and the planet.

Eco-friendly Goes Mainstream

Here are five eco-friendly flooring products that have gone mainstream:

• Cork Flooring. Sustainably harvested, cork is a renewable resource that is visually unique and very comfortable underfoot. Available in glue down panels and interlocking planks, cork flooring requires only occasional vacuuming and a damp mopping for normal maintenance.
• Reclaimed Wood Flooring. Cut from large salvaged timbers and then milled into flooring, reclaimed wood is beautiful and luxurious. Another benefit of reclaimed wood is that each board has a living history, as the lumber may have originated from a dismantled train tressel or a pre-war industrial building that no longer stands.
• Recycled Carpet. Industry leaders like Shaw Carpet and Mohawk Flooring offer carpeting that is made from 100% recycled content. The carpet's synthetic fibers are spun from recycled plastic bottles and old carpet that would otherwise be thrown in the garbage.
• Bamboo Flooring. Bamboo is a type of grass that can grow forty feet in a single year and can reach full maturity after only four years, making it a very sustainable product to manufacture into flooring. Some types of bamboo flooring are as durable as finished hardwood flooring.
• Recycled Glass Tile. Made from recycled glass bottles, these glass tiles help keep thousands of tons of waste out of landfills each year. Available in brilliant colors and different textures, these floor tiles can add the perfect artistic touch to your home's interior.

Using any of these eco-friendly flooring options can add a distinct look to your home and make a statement that beautiful building products don't necessarily need to come with unwanted environmental consequences.

About the author: Marshall McCauley is a builder and freelance writer.