Last Updated on 23 February 2022 by Lily
What Flooring is the Best Eco-Friendly Flooring?
In the last article, I shared tips on how to choose non-toxic environmentally-friendly flooring. Today I am going to share 7 most environmentally-friendly flooring for your green home. Luckily we have many options to choose from these days and you will see in a minute that you do not have to sacrifice the style you want to have in order to make a sustainable home by using eco flooring. Shall we see one by one?
Environmentally-friendly flooring options
#1 Reclaimed Wood Flooring
What makes reclaimed wood environmentally friendly flooring?
Reclaimed wood flooring is the most sustainable flooring you can have in your home. Reclaimed wood is wood that has been reused or repurposed from old buildings, households, and stores. Using reclaimed wood flooring means you use the floors that already exist, so you can prevent the need for further trees to be cut down and that helps the environment massively.
What are the benefits of using reclaimed wood flooring in your home?
The benefits of using recycled wood flooring are that they are very strong compared to newly produced wood flooring. It is because the older wood has been through all kinds of weather for such a long time. So it is already dried out and it cannot be any more expanding or contracting. Therefore reclaimed wood floors are durable and have a very long life.
What interior styles would it go well with?
These eco flooring made from reclaimed wood has natural aged colours and shapes which will bring unique character into your home. This imperfection uniqueness makes wabi-sabi vibes which would be a great fit with Japandi style interior design. It would also work very well with farmhouse style and boho style. Reclaimed wood flooring is a perfect choice for people who want to have eco-friendly wood floors in the house.
What finishes should you use to be fully eco-friendly?
Like any wood flooring, it can be used in all types of finishes on reclaimed floors, from hard wax oils to tung oil to oil-based polyurethane and water-based finishes. You may already know which ones to choose as eco-conscious consumers. Water-based finishes or tung oil are our options. Water-based finishes will give the reclaimed wood floors a natural look and keep your home healthy. Tung oil finish can provide a lot of character to any wood floors you choose.
Reclaimed wood flooring ideas
#2 Bamboo Flooring
What makes bamboo environmentally friendly flooring?
Bamboo is one of the most eco-friendly renewable materials you can use for flooring, furniture, or home accessories. As I explained in “11 sustainable materials for interior design in your home”, bamboo is the fastest-growing grass-type plant that can mature after approximately three to five years. And also unlike most plants, when bamboo is harvested, it doesn’t need to be replanted. Because bamboo can grow from the same root and grow again and again and again.
What are the benefits of using bamboo flooring in your home?
The benefits of installing a bamboo floor into your house aren’t just a beautiful appearance, but also are long-lasting durability, easy to maintain and install, and versatility in grain, texture, and stain colours.
However, as much as bamboo is an environmentally friendly material, there is one thing that you should consider when you choose a bamboo floor. Which is the location you live. What I mean by that is bamboo mainly grows in tropical regions of Asia, Latin America and Africa. So depends on where you live but it can lead to high emission levels and pollution throughout the distribution process.
If you’d be careful of that when you get renewable flooring made from bamboo, this is one of the best environmentally-friendly floorings for your home.
What interior styles would it go well with?
As I mentioned above, bamboo flooring is versatile in grain, texture, and stain colours. This means it could work with any type of styles or decor you want to have, from contemporary to boho style interior design. The bamboo floor is unlimited!
What finishes should you use to be fully eco-friendly?
It depends on the manufacturer, but some finishes or adhesive on bamboo flooring may contain high levels of urea-formaldehyde which can outgas in the air and create a toxic home environment. So make sure to get one that uses water-based finishes. Or choose floating floors as it doesn’t need adhesives to be installed, which means fewer VOCs in your home.
Bamboo flooring ideas
#3 Cork Flooring
What makes cork environmentally friendly flooring?
Cork is very similar to bamboo. Cork is also a naturally renewable eco-friendly material. It is harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree usually in the forests of the Mediterranean. Like bamboo, the trees are not cut down to harvest the bark, which will grow back within three years. Cork can be used for furniture, floors, walls, or accessories. To be even more eco-friendly, you can find cork floors that consist of recycled corks from wine bottles!
What are the benefits of using cork flooring in your home?
There are many advantages of using cork flooring in your home besides being environmentally friendly. Firstly, it is naturally water-resistant, repels mould and mites. Secondly, it has anti-microbial properties that reduce allergens which makes it a great option for people who have allergies. Thirdly, it is very easy to maintain and it can last a maximum of fifty years.
As you can see cork is an incredibly sustainable flooring material. However, there are some disadvantages as well. The disadvantages of using a cork floor in your home are that it can cause carbon emissions when it is shipped as most of the industry is grown in Southern Europe. And also some cork products contain a high level of VOCs. So when you choose to use cork flooring, make sure it hasn’t.
What interior styles would it go well with?
Cork floor can be finished in a variety of paints and stains to suit any colour scheme or design style. For instance, if you go with beige cork flooring, it would go well in contemporary style or minimalist style. If you choose dark brown cork flooring, it would be a great fit with farmhouse style or Japandi style. If you opt for white cork flooring, it would work amazingly with modern style or industrial style!
What finishes should you use to be fully eco-friendly?
Cork flooring is very susceptible to moisture damage. Therefore it must be sealed. Common sealings for cork floors are acrylic finish, polyurethane, or wax. Polyurethane water-based is the most environmentally friendly and healthy finish as a low-VOC sealant for cork floor to prevent off-gassing.
Cork flooring ideas
#4 Linoleum
What makes linoleum environmentally friendly flooring?
Linoleum is made from natural raw materials such as linseed oil, tree resin, and cork dust which makes it the most environmentally friendly flooring choice. As they are made of natural materials, it is biodegradable. So even if it comes to the end of life one day, it won’t have to go to a landfill. This highly renewable flooring is durable and with good care, it will last for twenty to forty years.
The linoleum floor is the healthier and greener alternative to the vinyl floor.
What are the benefits of using linoleum flooring in your home?
Similar to cork flooring, it is flame-retardant and water-resistant. It is also very easy to clean. Although it requires occasional sealing. As it is made of only natural materials, it is very safe and healthy to install it in your home.
What interior styles would it go well with?
There is a wide range of colours and designs to choose from. You can literally find anything to suit your taste or design.
What finishes should you use to be fully eco-friendly?
To make it last longer, occasional maintenance is necessary. According to Scientific American, Livos’ BILO is a paste wax designed for wood, cork, tile and linoleum. It is derived from beeswax and linseed oil and produces a semi-gloss finish after buffing. Like all Livos products, BILO is made from organic ingredients and is 100% biodegradable and safe for humans, animals, air, water and soil.
Linoleum flooring ideas
#5 Hardwood flooring
What makes hardwood environmentally friendly flooring?
It is arguable if hardwood flooring can be included in eco-friendly flooring materials as using it means destroying forests. However, that is certainly not the case if you’d be careful to choose the company. There are many companies that sourced wood sustainably and produce environmentally-friendly wood floors. Not only that, some companies are committed to sustainability and also regeneration.
Wood is a renewable resource if it is harvested and managed responsibly. Trees can be continually reproduced which makes them one of the best green flooring materials.
There is an organization called “Forest Stewardship Council”. They work to ensure the wood is responsibly harvested and does not contribute to deforestation. So if you want to use hardwood flooring in your home, make sure to buy FSC certified wood floors. That way you know you are getting eco-friendly wood floors that won’t harm the planet.
What are the benefits of using hardwood flooring in your home?
Hardwood floors are easy to clean and maintain. And also it is very strong and durable. FSC certified wood floors have a very long life. With proper maintenance, solid wood flooring can last a lifetime or more. So once you get them, you won’t have to change them which means it is cost-effective. Moreover, eco-friendly wood floors are a great option for allergy sufferers as it does not trap dust, animal dander, pollen, or any other common allergens. That means opting for wood floors will lead to improving your home indoor air quality.
What interior styles would it go well with?
Using sustainable timber flooring will bring warmth and timeless appeal to your home. Hardwood floors come in a wide range of colours, patterns, textures, and styles. So it would work with any kind of design.
What finishes should you use to be fully eco-friendly?
Same as reclaimed wood flooring, you can choose water-based finishes to be fully environmentally friendly. As water-based finishes have a lower VOC level, using them can maintain a healthy home environment for your family.
Hardwood flooring ideas
#6 Concrete
What makes concrete environmentally friendly flooring?
Concrete is one of the most sustainable floor materials. Why? Concrete floors are made from sustainable materials. The predominant raw material for the cement in concrete is limestone, the most abundant mineral on earth. Your ready-mix supplier can also make concrete using waste byproducts, which reduces the consumption of raw materials. Fly ash, slag cement and silica fume, all waste byproducts from power plants, steel mills and other manufacturing facilities, are commonly used as partial cement replacements. Decorative concrete floors can also incorporate recycled products, such as crushed glass, bits of recycled plastic, marble chips, metal shavings and even seashells.
What are the benefits of using concrete flooring in your home?
The most sustainable flooring options, concrete has many benefits for your home. It has an endless life and you will never need to replace it unless you want to change it. Obviously with proper care. Although it is low-maintenance. So it is great for people who do not have time for cleaning every day.
And also concrete floors help maintain clean air as it doesn’t naturally retain dust, debris, or small dirt particles. The best benefit of having a concrete floor in your house is that the concrete slab absorbs the heat of the sun during the day and releases the stored heat as needed at night which means you can cut down on your heating bills.
What interior styles would it go well with?
Many people get the impression that concrete is cold. But actually, you can make it surprisingly homey and warm with the right home decor and interiors. It will go well with Minimalist style, Industrial style, Scandi style, Japandi style, Contemporary style, Modern style, or even Beach house style.
What finishes should you use to be fully eco-friendly?
There is one option that is water-based satin, which has dozens of colours to choose from. It contains low-level VOCs. So very safe for your family!
Concrete flooring ideas
#7 Tile Flooring
What makes tiles environmentally friendly flooring?
Tiles are another sustainable floor material that can be made from different materials such as glass, ceramic, stone, and porcelain, etc. The most environmentally friendly flooring is the ones made of ceramic, porcelain and glass. The reason why stone is not as eco-friendly as the others are because stone may not be as renewable. Although compared to synthetic materials, the stone is a much more eco-friendly flooring material.
Ceramic and Porcelain tiles are natural materials that are made of clay which can be recycled and also made from recycled materials. Same for glass tiles as well. Furthermore, they can be sourced from your local area which means you can minimize carbon emissions.
What are the benefits of using tile flooring in your home?
Glass tile floors are non-absorptive and won’t mildew or mould in a damp environment and are easy to clean and maintain. So it is a great option for use in the kitchen or bathroom. Ceramic, porcelain, and glass tiles flooring are durable and not easy to crack, so they can last for ages. Especially ceramic has a long long life, they can last for a hundred years.
What interior styles would it go well with?
Tile floors come in a limitless array of colours, patterns and finishes suitable for any design schemes. Glass tiles reflect the light rather than absorb it, so you can use it where the light is needed.
What finishes should you use to be fully eco-friendly?
Ensure that all adhesives and grouts used to install your tiles are low in VOCs.
Tiles flooring ideas
Final thought on 7 Most Environmentally Friendly Flooring For Your Green Home
As you can see you do not have to give up the style you want to in order to create a green home! So whether you are remodelling your home or building a house from scratch, consider using environmentally friendly flooring and make your home greener for your family and the planet.
Do you wanna make your home more environmentally friendly? Let me help you. I am offering E-Design service. More info from here!
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