Today there are more choices available in floor coverings than ever before. If you are looking to replace some older, worn out floor coverings with a newer, greener, alternative here's a few possibilities. Bamboo is a very hard, durable flooring available in glue down, floating, and nail down designs. Different colors and stains are available along with different grain variations. Bamboo is considered "green" because of it's rapid growth/harvest cycle time, about every 5-6 years. It can re-sprout without replanting for less energy consumption.
In our area, locally grown native hardwoods can also be considered green, as there is little transportation costs involved. Check with local telephone listings for nearby mills, and ask about harvesting management practices.
Reclaimed lumber from old barn and factory structural beams and sidings is an increasingly popular product available for both flooring and paneling. This recycles wood from a past life to a new "home" giving you a unique new floor with a past history.
Certain "green" tiles are now available featuring both recycled glass, and also reclaimed materials from the ceramic tile industry manufacturing process. These same materials are also being used to manufacture new counter tops.
Carpets are now available with the filaments manufactured from recycled plastic bottles. It is a strong, stain resistant product that also keeps waste plastic from the local landfills.
Cork is regaining a share of the flooring market that it had many years ago. Cork is harvested from cork trees which regrow a new layer for later harvests. It makes for a durable, beautiful floor covering that is very comfortable to walk on with a built in cushion.
When installing many of these products, don't forget to look for low or zero VOC adhesives if possible. There are many available now on the market. One place to check is www.greendepot.com, but new sites are constantly showing up on the internet. I usually do a new search every few weeks for green products. Many are available locally.
1 comment:
So John, I was serious about my comment tonight. I would really like to look at some serious remodeling with two objectives - to make my entire home more "green", and to add a bedroom and an office (possibly within the existing footprint - TBD). Is this work that you would be interested in, and if not, who might you recommend? I want someone with some real experience! Anyone else out there with suggestions?
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