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.
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