Environmentally Friendly Flooring Options

Don’t forget the option of no floor at all! Most homes probably don’t have this option, but if you’re place is built with slab on grade construction (concrete floor throughout) you can leave additional flooring out of the equation all together and just polish the concrete. This can be a pretty interesting look whether the slab is brand new or 50 years old.

Not to sure about the polished concrete option, perhaps in a warehouse or work environment, but it’s not very homely.

I really like the reclaimed wood and bamboo (of course) options for their positive effects. Reclaimed wood has a lot of character and is a great way to recycle instead of buy new – however it isn’t easy to come by. Bamboo is a fast growing grass – a sustainable and beautiful material.

As you state, the natural characteristics of cork make it an ideal choice for flooring. I just want to clarify one point –

Your description of cork flooring states cork is “not desirable to put heavy objects on such as furniture”. Furniture can be placed on cork flooring. Because of the natural elasticity of cork, it is recommended that heavy furniture have pads placed under the feet. This helps distribute the weight which helps reduce denting of the floor. Dents in cork floors caused by heavy furniture will usually recover up to 90% over time once furniture has been removed.

This is actually a wonderful idea. And to tell you the truth I didn’t think of it myself. I love Bamboo, and think it would work great as flooring. It is also nice to know it is a renewable resource. I didn’t know it was so popular.

From what I can understand wood floors can be the hardest to keep up, especially when aged for years, but dark wood is better to maintain. Nice selection you have.

Excellent idea. Environmentally friendly building materials are our future!

I was thinking about vinyl/resilient flooring, but it doesn’t appear to be safe for the environment which is a turnoff. I need something that can survive dogs and occasional fish tank overflows. Would linoleum (not to be confused with vinyl) hold up to that? I’d also prefer something that doesn’t need professional installation (I’ve heard that ceramic tile is a nightmare to install yourself).

Great article! Thanks.

I have bamboo flooring in parts of my house, and here are my thoughts about it:

Pros:

Botanically classified as a grass, bamboo is easily processed into flooring that looks like hardwood and can be stronger and more durable than oak.

It grows faster than harvest demand, which makes it perfectly sustainable, and it can be stained to provide many colors to meet most decorating needs.
Bamboo can be grown inexpensively and can be installed by most moderately skilled homeowners using the same techniques as installing traditional hardwood floors, either glued, floated or stapled.

Cons:

The bamboo plant takes six years to fully mature and harden to the condition where it is stronger than oak, and many manufacturers don’t have the patience to let it age. Discount bamboo flooring can be easily dented and wear rough in a short period of time. The immature product can warp in humid conditions, and faded stains can leave an uneven appearance.

A majority of bamboo flooring is imported from China, where warranty claims are difficult to settle and replacement can be troublesome and costly.

Me and my husband decided to recently get this new flooring in our new home. It is a beautiful alternative to regular flooring, worth checking out.

Has anyone had any experience with Staybull Flooring? Reclaimed looks so old-fashioned to me, and I’m curious about this company’s exotic species.

I have to say, out of all the options my favourite are reclaimed wood and bamboo (clearly).

But great article, lovely ideas for greener choices for greener homes.

Obviously, we are biased but bamboo is a fantastic option… it’s tough, great looking, environmentally friendly and great to walk on… I accidentally dropped a table on my bamboo floor and it barely left a scratch.