5 Of the Best Sustainable Flooring Solutions for Your Home
Thinking about bringing changes to your home this year? One of the first items on your list could well be looking to invest in new flooring, but with concerns about the sustainability of materials and making our homes as eco-friendly as possible, it might feel like a difficult choice to make.
Here are five of the best sustainable flooring solutions for your home.
1. Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring, such as the beautiful offerings at Wood Floors of Farnham, is eminently sustainable. It is one of the best choices for flooring, as it’s durable and easy to care for.
The manufacturing process needs relatively few materials to create it, and its production uses less in the way of natural resources and little energy. Floors like these can last a lifetime, and considered as a most sustainable flooring option.
2. Linoleum
Linoleum is much more eco-aware than you might realize! It is crafted from a mixture of cork dust, linseed oil, tree resins, limestone, and wood shavings. It also happens to be water and fire-resistant.
It isn’t new to the market, but it did take a backseat during the 1940s when vinyl flooring was introduced to the market. In the last few years, linoleum has experienced something of a renaissance with a great many bright and vibrant colors on offer, not to mention eco-friendly ways of sealing it. It’s hard-wearing and long-lasting option for sustainable floors.
3. Cork Flooring
Cork is a great material for floors. It is harvested from the bark of an oak tree, which is more commonly found in the forests of the Mediterranean.
It’s a sustainable material as the trees don’t need to be cut down, and they will always grow back, making it a superb renewable resource.
It’s also naturally antibacterial, is fire resistant, and if you happen to live in a home that is occasionally troubled by infestations of bugs, it’s insect repellent too.
It can be finished in a variety of colors and is very durable, lasting anywhere between ten and thirty years once laid.
4. Wool Carpets
Wool might not be the first type of material that springs to mind when thinking about sustainable flooring, but a wool carpet can offer comfort, softness, and durability, with the added benefit of being made from a natural resource. It can often be spun and dyed into a vast array of colors and designs, and with careful maintenance and regular vacuuming can be kept immaculate for tens, if not a hundred years. How many of us have relatives who have seemingly ancient wool rugs that are now heirlooms? That’s one reason wool carpets are worth careful consideration.
5. Rubber Flooring
Finally, is a surprising one. Rubber flooring is gaining in popularity, and while it’s more commonly found in public spaces such as gyms or on children’s playgrounds, it’s now finding its way into our homes, featuring in kitchen and bathroom design. It’s perfect for these rooms as it’s water-resistant and is very easy to clean and maintain, so well worth looking into if comfortable and colorful flooring is an essential design requirement.
