What is Green Flooring and What Types of Eco Friendly Wood Flooring Are Available to Me?

These days, there is a real push for consumers to "go green" and make environmentally responsible choices.  This is especially true when it comes to building and remodeling homes, as many of the choices we make can have environmental ramifications for years.  Many types of flooring use adhesives or contain chemicals that are dangerous to the environment and even to our own health.  While these chemicals are strongest during and shortly after install, some flooring types give off chemicals for many years after, making them an environmental and physical threat, albeit on a low level.  When you are considering environmentally friendly wood flooring, be sure to ask what adhesives are used in the flooring and installation and what chemicals will leach from the flooring now and in the future.  When you have found a truly green option, the answer will be none.

When looking for environmentally friendly alternatives, consumers have many choices.  Bamboo is quite sturdy and makes a great flooring option.  Be sure to inquire as to any adhesives used and their ingredients, and to be sure that the root of the bamboo plant was not disturbed during harvest.  A bamboo plant whose root is left intact can grow for hundreds of years, providing lots of material without ever having to be harmed or destroyed for manufacturing needs.  Bamboo also makes for beautiful and reliable flooring, making it an excellent choice.

Another excellent flooring choice that is environmentally friendly is cork.  Cork flooring is made solely from the bark of the cork tree.  Because these trees can survive quite well without their bark, creating this flooring does not require deforestation or the destruction of any trees.  In fact, cork can be harvested up to twenty times from the same tree over its lifespan.  Much cork flooring is also comprised of cork leftover from the wine industry, preventing waste and making it even more environmentally friendly.

In short, even for people who want a wood floor, there are green options.  These cork and bamboo floors are easy to maintain and incredibly durable.  The biggest difference between these and regular wood floors is that green woods are safer, better for the environment, and better for allergy and asthma sufferers.