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HarrisWoodFloors

Green Flooring Series: The History of Green Flooring

HarrisWoodFloors

Use sustainable materials to produce a “green” floor for your home.

We are always hearing the term “Go Green” but do you ever think of how you can follow that mantra? It’s quite simple: green flooring. Green flooring, or sustainable flooring, is an easy concept to understand: you use sustainable materials to produce a “green” floor for your home.

There are many advantages of using green flooring. The biggest is probably that it reduces the demands on the ecosystem during its life-cycle. From production to its use to its disposal, green flooring is lessening its effect on our ecosystem and is helping create healthier and safer buildings.

There are many types of green flooring ranging from hardwood substitutes to natural carpet fibers to linoleums. Bamboo flooring and coconut timber are also great alternatives because both materials grow quickly and offer good durability.

One green non-wood flooring option is natural cork, which can be harvested from the bark of a particular type of oak tree. Another great material can be produced from the sap of a rubber tree and it creates a durable and resilient green flooring material.

Linoleum is a material that is made from sustainable plant materials and it is mainly created from ground flax seeds. Linoleum can also be made up of other renewable resources such as pine resin and cork. There are also a few types of green carpet fibers, such as a carpet made from plant fibers like jute and wool.

Green flooring may have popped up overnight or it could have been a long awaited gem, but no matter, green flooring is here to stay.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

green flooring

The Point of Green Flooring

green flooring

Beautiful flooring can be green and energy efficient.

Being green is not just about the big picture, it’s also about the individual pieces which make that picture whole. Pollutants not only exist in the world outside our homes, they thrive indoors just as well—and according to recent findings by the EPA, at even higher concentrations!

As society has become more aware of its impact on the environment, more and more homeowners are seeking out effective alternatives to traditional, less eco-friendly flooring. That’s because smart homeowners understand that greening your home not only helps to reduce your carbon footprint, it can save you a great deal of money in the long term.

But what makes a flooring product green? Put simply, green flooring is energy efficient. That means it fits any or all of the following criteria: it’s produced using minimal energy; it’s locally sold, which shrinks energy costs used for shipping; it has low or no VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions, which can cause health issues; or it is made from renewable resources such as plants or recycled materials.

In addition to being a great investment, green flooring has many benefits. Cork is a great example of eco-friendly flooring because it’s made from a renewable resource, it doesn’t shed microfibers, and it naturally improves the air quality in your home. Green flooring is also highly convenient as it requires little maintenance and has great durability, which means you work less and your floors last longer.

To sum up, having eco-friendly floors will reduce your home’s carbon footprint and improve your overall quality of life by minimizing toxins and keeping your energy costs down. Green flooring isn’t just healthier for your family, it’s a benefit to all of us; because preserving the global environment for future generations begins in our homes.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

wood alternative

Green Flooring Series: Fiberon Outdoor Living Products

wood alternative

iberon is an environmentally friendly alternative to wood

Fiberon is an environmentally friendly alternative to wood when decking your property. As a composite lumbar, Fiberon is made of efficiently reused resources such as recycled plastics and wood. It is manufactured as a finished product so there is no need to sand, stain or paint it. While it costs a little more than lumber, it lasts much longer. It is engineered to be very light, and its grooved board planks have hidden fasteners, providing easy installation and a smooth surface.

Fiberon is less likely to split, scratch or stain than lumbar; without any organic content, it is both highly moisture and mold resistant. This makes it a low maintenance, easy to clean surface. Fiberon is available in many different hardwood and grain colors. Aesthetically, it looks like real lumber. Fiberon products provide stain and fade resistance warranties. It is also resistant to termites, splinters and decay.

To ensure the longevity of your Fiberon flooring upon installation, make sure there is six inches of ventilation beneath its substructure to avoid a buildup of standing water or organic debris. Generally you will just need a broom or hose to clear your deck of any debris. If debris has built up and mold appears, simply use soap and water to remove it. When installing any kind of fire pit, be sure to install properly, as Fiberon can be warped and damaged by excessive heat.

Most notably it is manufactured in such a way that is sustainable and practically waste free. The recycled products used to create its composite make up include everyday recycled goods that come from your everyday home recycling bin, and they are shipped from no more than 500 miles away. Fiberon diverts more than 40,000 tons of this material from landfills every year. They follow LEED and green standards. By using Fiberon products, you’d not only be contributing to a healthier environment, but you will get to enjoy it for a very long time.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

hardwood-charcoal

Green Flooring Series: What is VOC?

hardwood

Living Room with a Red Oak hardwood floor in Charcoal stain.

VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds and they are organic chemicals found in paints, along with other materials. When the paint dries the solvents get released into the air. This is due to VOCs having a high vapor pressure at a normal room temperature, the result of a low boiling point. These factors cause the molecules to evaporate into the surrounding air. VOCs can also be found in cleaning supplies, carpet, and wood.

When looking for a flooring option that is low in VOCs you can easily skip over vinyl and synthetic carpets due to their high VOC levels. Better flooring options are natural fibers like wool, sisal, and cotton.

If you really love hardwood floors, just know that although they are a breeze to clean, hardwoods also contain formaldehydes and all finishes emit VOCs. If you are a die-hard lover of the hardwood finished look but don’t want to VOCs, opt for alternatives like pre-sealed wood or hardwood sealed with water-based polyurethane.

Other tips to help keep your VOC levels low include choosing a low-VOC or water-based product. It sounds simple, and it is! Also, take a peek at some allergy-friendly floors like bamboo, cork, or recycled glass because they are low in VOC as well.

If carpet strikes your fancy, check out the Carpet and Rug Institute tag to make sure that it is a low-level emission. When choosing your carpet, look for ones that are free of low nap chemicals. Some other tips for carpet are to install the carpet with tack strips instead of adhesive, make sure you have a moisture barrier set before you install the carpet, and avoid having carpet in damp-proned areas such as the kitchen or bathroom.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.