Sustainable Flooring Options

by Steve Swart

Nothing compares to wood floors. They add warmth, depth, and beauty to any room and value to any home. The problem is that wood isn’t always the most sustainable choice. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. There are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified products that are from sources that are sustainably managed as a choice for new flooring. There are wood flooring options available that are recycled, including reclaimed and salvaged wood products.

Reclaimed flooring is milled from old structures, piers, dismantled homes, and even sunken logs recovered from the bottom of rivers. Salvaged wood comes from many sources such as pallets, shipping crates, and even old flooring reclaimed from another structure. While recycled flooring is often more expensive due to the cost of salvaging the wood, the flooring made from this recovered wood has character and history. It qualifies as recycled content for LEED certification.

Cork—It’s not just for wine

Next time you break open your favorite bottle of wine, take a second to contemplate the cork. Cork is one of the most versatile, useful, and sustainable products and has become a great option in flooring.

Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree. The bark is harvested from those trees for the first time at 25 years, and because it doesn’t harm the tree, the bark can be harvested every nine years afterward. It is both sustainable, because of the harvesting practices, and recyclable, with used wine corks recycled to make new flooring.

The cork for flooring is highly compressed so that it’s harder and more durable than the wine cork you are used to. Still, it retains its natural characteristics, such as noise dampening, insulating, and providing a surface that causes less leg fatigue. Additionally, it’s lightweight, hypoallergenic, fire and insect resistant, moisture resistant, and as easy to maintain as wood flooring. So, maybe ending up on the floor after a bottle of wine isn’t such a bad thing for those with cork.

Recycled Glass Instead of Tile

While you’re considering your cork, you can also consider your bottle as well for a potential new source of flooring. Many homes have used recycled glass for bathroom walls and kitchen backsplashes, but more and more glass tiles are also being used as flooring, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. Additionally, if you have a more modern flare, recycled glass is being used in combination with colored epoxy resins to produce a wide variety of terrazzo flooring options that are both beautiful and durable.

Bamboo—Sustainable and Economic

Bamboo flooring is one of the greenest and economical choices for home flooring. Bamboo isn’t wood but actually a fast-growing grass that is cut and compressed to make flooring. As flooring, it’s dense and hard. The surface may scratch more quickly than traditional hardwoods, but can be refinished just like other wood floors.

Bamboo offers a clean, modern look and has limited tonal shades, so it isn’t fit for every style. When looking to buy, avoid manufacturers that use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the manufacturing process. If you’re unsure, you can refer to the Forestry Stewardship Council to ensure you get the best and most sustainable bamboo flooring for your home.

A Contemporary Look

Marmoleum, you say, what’s that?

Well, Marmoleum is like linoleum with the exception that it’s made from allnatural products and is a USDA biobased, Allergy and Asthma Friendly, and SMART certified product. It also comes in sheets, tiles, and engineered planks that click together to form a seamless floor surface.

Because it’s non-toxic and antimicrobial, it’s a great surface for kitchens and baths, and it’s a completely safe and natural alternative instead of linoleum.

Don’t Forget the Carpet

No conversation about flooring would be complete without discussing carpeting. Most modern carpet is made from man-made fibers and is petroleum-based, but there are natural alternatives.

Wool is likely the best option. Not only is it all-natural and non-toxic, but it improves air quality by capturing contaminants and allergens. It’s also durable, cleanable, and totally biodegradable. The downside to wool is its cost—it’s likely among the more expensive options. Other natural fiber flooring options for carpet and rugs include cotton, jute, sisal, and seagrass.

When natural fibers are impractical or costly, you may wish to consider carpet made from recycled materials. Carpet made from recycled PET is sold under the brand names of Resistron and Permalon and is made from recycled beverage bottles. Also, this carpet can be down recycled into insulation and stuffing for furniture.

If you can’t use natural or recycled carpet, many carpet manufacturers are working to be greener by improving their manufacturing processes to be more sustainable. Companies like Mohawk, Shaw, Milliken, Bentley, Price Street, and C&A have carpet recycling and reuse programs that take your old carpet and recycle, repurpose, and reuse it, keeping these materials from the landfill.