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I just finished a book about green building and one of the things I found most interesting was the number of green options in interior finishes and especially green flooring. It’s not something that we consider on a daily basis but obviously use daily. Yet there are a number of factors to consider when researching options, such as durability, non-toxicity, renewable sourcing, and transportation.

The ones that I thought were most unique were finished concrete floors, linoleum, bamboo, and cork.

When concrete is mixed with fly-ash, it makes use of an industrial by product and saves the expense of installing another flooring material. Also, unlike carpet, it doesn’t harbor allergens. What’s even better, is the variety of finishing techniques that can be applied. Choose the right installer, and the concrete becomes a two-dimensional sculpture!

People often refer to sheet vinyl flooring as linoleum. But linoleum is actually manufactured from linseed oil, pine resin, and wood flour. Its make quite a comeback after years of living in the shadow of sheet vinyl. It also has the ability to heal itself from minor abrasions. While preferable to vinyl from a chemical standpoint, linoleum most be polished occasionally to resist stains.

Bamboo is kind of a given when your talking about green flooring, but there are a few caveats. Of all the varieties of bamboo, only a few are appropriate for flooring. But it’s a great renewable resource and is durable. Bamboo matures in 3 to 5 years, while oak or cherry takes 40 to 60 which substantially reduces the impact on the environment. Another tidbit I learned as well is that bamboo is actually a grass.

Last on my list and one of my favorites, is cork. It has a beautiful finish and also has natural anti-bacterial qualities, is soft under your feet, and a renewable resource. Cork flooring is typically made from the waste left over after bottle stoppers are manufactured. The only downside is that cork only grows in a limited mediterranean area. Another fun fact, is that the bark of a cork oak is first harvested when the tree is about 25 years old and can be harvested every 10 years throughout it’s 150-250 lifespan.

Have you come across other great green flooring options? Feel free to comment below!

-Danielle-

Ahh!  Don’t look down!