1. Cork Flooring
Cork is harvested from the bark of live cork oak trees, leaving the tree able to regenerate in 9 to 14 years. The flooring is not only made from a rapidly renewable source, but it is also made from recycled cork, from manufacturing waste of other cork products. Cork flooring comes in planks and tiles of varying sizes, and is a snap or glue down installation. Cork is soft and resilient, along with other properties, giving it very few non-sustainable traits. Pricing typically runs between $3.00 and $5.50/square foot for material.
2. Reclaimed Wood Flooring
This is nothing more than wood floors made from wood salvaged from other sites. The wood can come from usual and unusual sources, such as old barns, mills, bridges, and even storm-damaged trees. The wood can be found in varying species, including maple, oak, black walnut, and more. Depending on the source the wood may have an aged look that may appeal to some individuals. Installation is typical of standard wood floors. Pricing ranges from $4.50 to $18.00/square foot for material.
3. Linoleum Flooring
If you grew up in an older home or with parents used to older floors, you may have heard vinyl flooring referred to as linoleum, but this is not accurate. Linoleum flooring is made up of linseed oil, flax, jute, cork powder, wood flour, and natural pigments. Unlike vinyl, it is not made up of toxic chemicals! The material looks like today’s vinyl, but again it is much safer for the environment. It can come is sheets, like vinyl, or in snap tiles. Linoleum sheet goods cost about the same as high-quality vinyl, and the snap tiles are around $5.00/square foot.
4. Laminate Flooring
This is a product that has been on the market for several years; while it had some sustainable properties, it's being improved. Green laminate flooring is made up of a top wood veneer made from FSC-certified lumber, the middle section is made of fiberboard, and the bottom of a low- or no-VOC material. Other than that, the floor is same as the laminate floor we are all used to. Materials cost $5.00 to $7.00/square foot for the green versions.
5. Recycle-Content Tile
Tile is a common flooring material, but what is special about the recycled-content tile is that it is made from either recycled glass or nontoxic mine or factory waste. The tiles come in either ceramic, glass, or metal. Glass and metal tiles are typically used for accents or backsplashes rather than flooring. Cost vary greatly depending on the type of tile; ceramic can range greatly, from $10 to $33/square foot installed, recycled glass from $20 to $150/square foot material only, and metal between $35 and $75/square foot, material only.
6. Recycled-Content Carpet
While carpeting is a challenge to keep clean and wears out faster than most other flooring products, it makes up 70% of all floors in homes. There is a sustainable alternative with recycled-content carpets. These carpets are made from plastic soda bottles. The bottles are melted down and spun into fibers! The cost is around $53/yard installed.
7. All-Natural Wool Carpeting
An alternative to recycled-content carpeting is wool carpeting. The wool is softer than some synthetic fibers, and while it sounds bad, it captures and retains dust better than conventional carpet. This allows for the dirt to stay in the carpet until it is vacuumed instead of being released by everyday activity. The carpet can stain easily, though. Natural wool carpeting costs around $150/square yard installed.
These are just a few of flooring products available. There are several others that are coming to the market that will possibly be seen over the next year. Some of the new products may not be necessarily conventional, but they'll be bringing new looks and features to the home!
1 comment:
Laminated wooden flooring is nothing but wood plies that are laminated together. Solid hardwood flooring has always been a very popular choice among homeowners, but hardwood is expensive, difficult to install and requires frequent maintenance.
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