Choosing The Right Green Flooring

Over the coming weeks, we’re going to be taking a look at how you can greenhab your home or investment property using green materials. In our first post, we’re going to start from the ground up—literally—with flooring. In coming posts, we’ll be taking a look at insulation, appliances, lighting and more. Stay tuned!

For years, choosing the flooring for our homes was a no brainer—we just went down to the carpet store, checked out a few samples, and picked a color and a pile.

But no longer. Carpet’s reign as the flooring of choice is nearing its end. And with good reason: conventional carpets are toxic and completely unsustainable. Period.

In the EPA’s words, “carpet emits volatile organic compounds, as do products that accompany carpet installation such as adhesives and padding”.

Carpet can also act as a “sink” for biological and chemical pollutants including fungi, pesticides, dust mites, pet dander and urine, molds and mildews, and lead residues. Yuck.

Moreover, carpets (and many furnishings) carry a number of allergens—more than are typically carried in the air.

Then there’s the environmental impact. Most carpets are manufactured using non-renewable resources, and are not biodegradable.

The good news is that there are a number of great sustainable flooring options now available. So what are they?

Natural Linoleum

Natural linoleum flooring is durable, stain resistant and made of rapidly renewable materials: linseed oil, limestone, pine rosins, wood powder and jute. Like traditional lino, natural linoleum can be used on bench tops and other surfaces as well as on the floor.

Cork

Also rapidly renewable (7–10 years), cork is naturally fire- and moisture-resistant, and is great for absorbing sound. It’s also hypoallergenic, and, with cork, you can rest easy knowing that no trees were cut down to make your floor!

Bamboo

As you’d know if you’ve ever wrestled with it in your own garden, bamboo is extremely fast growing, meaning it’s a lot more sustainable than wood. Bamboo is relatively cheap, easy to use and versatile—many people are using it not just for their floors, but to build entire homes. Bamboo can be readily re-sanded and sealed, and there are lots of products now on the market to choose from.

Carpets

For those of you who still love carpet, there are a number of more sustainable and non-toxic options now available. Look for untreated natural fiber carpets like seagrass, sisal and wool (if you do go with a wool carpet, make sure it hasn’t been treated with toxic moth-proofing chemicals), or the recycled PET fiber carpets which have recently become available.

Low pile, high density carpets tend to be the best for most family homes: they’re usually more durable and hold less dirt than other carpets.

Whatever carpet alternative you choose, ensure that it’s installed with low or non-toxic backing. Avoid styrene-butadiene latex backing, and go with a woven backing instead.

To make extra sure the carpet you’re buying is safe, look for the Carpet and Rug Institute’s “Green Label” and “Green Label Plus” logos.

So, as you can see, there are a multitude of natural flooring options available to homeowners and investors these days. Take some time to look through the options and find which one works best for your property. And be sure to tell us how it goes!