Some of Our Favorite “Green” Floor Options
Monday, April 20, 2015
Some experts deem the spring and fall as the best seasons to have a new floor installed in a home as the weather will be more moderate, so if windows and doors need to be open for ventilation, your home won’t be too uncomfortable during the installation process. We may have just crossed the threshold into spring last month, but April 22 marks a special date: the 45th anniversary of Earth Day. If composting isn’t the way you’d like to give back to the planet, why not try something that is every bit elegant as it is durable; a “green” floor? Before you start questioning us, we’ll explain.
Currently, in the flooring world, there is no standardized measure as to what makes a floor choice “green.” However, each flooring option has its own benefits that have little impact on our environment, which we’ll cover in this eco-centric blog post.
Solid and Engineered Hardwood
You may be surprised that a floor made from trees winds up on the list as an eco-friendly option. Well, as the cores of these two wooden floors vary, the wooden top layers do not, and it’s that top layer that makes them good eco-friendly options. The primary reason that hardwood makes this list is because of how long it lasts. While some floor choices can only endure a few years’ worth of wear and then need to be replaced, hardwood can last for 100 years or more. If you install hardwood in your home now, you’ll be able to see your children and your children’s children take their first steps on an enchanting floor. It also is good to know that, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the annual net growth for hardwoods is greater than the annual removals. So while you may have been skeptical thinking hardwood is a “green” floor choice, the fact that it is built to last and that the net growth is on the rise means that hardwood can be enjoyed in many homes to come. Plus, in engineered wood, with the added layers of plywood and fiberboard, this particular floor choice doesn’t waste wood during its production, meaning it helps conserve forests.
Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) and Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)
As all of our vinyl options at Timeless Designs™ have been FloorScore certified, when you choose a vinyl floor from us, it will be verified for low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. This encompasses both varieties of vinyl with LVT and LVP. A FloorScore certification on both of these types of vinyl floors ensures that your home’s indoor air quality is safer and healthier without VOC emissions. Plus, another added benefit of LVT or LVP in a home is that, unlike other types of floors, because they are made of vinyl, these varieties won’t trap typical allergens like dust or pet hair that can make it hard to breathe in a home during the springtime or other times when allergies can be especially bad.
Polypropylene Berber Carpet
Carpet comes in a variety of materials, but not every carpet is comprised of eco-friendly materials. Polypropylene, while difficult to pronounce, is more often known as the recyclable plastic fabric used to create reusable tote or shopping bags. In it’s nonwoven form, that is. When it is used to make carpeting, it is sometimes referred to as olefin, and is more often than not made into Berber carpet. So what just makes polypropylene Berber carpets “green” - besides coming in that hue? Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer that is completely recyclable.
No floor is eco-friendly in all of its aspects, nor is there any product on the market that has absolutely zero impact on the environment. But each option has its own benefits. When you peruse the Timeless Designs™ collections and other floor choices, look for third party certifications such as FloorScore, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Forest Stewardship certifications. Since each of these independent organizations certifies flooring products are beneficial to the environment in different aspects, you can rest easier with an exceptional floor choice under your toes because you know your floor looks stunning, but it also because you’ll know that your floor has helped the earth.
|
|
|
|
|
Subscribe To Our Blog
|
Blog Categories
Blog
08/17/2019 - Can the Rigid Core Vinyl Floor
07/10/2019 - Installing Rigid Core over ply
03/15/2019 - Lifestyle Is the Key Factor to
02/15/2019 - Beauflor Rigid Luxury Vinyl In
02/15/2019 - 4 Reasons to Choose Hardwood F
01/23/2019 - Timeless Design Everlasting Ov
01/18/2019 - Why Hardwood Flooring Is Good
12/21/2018 - Reasons to Opt for Laminate Fl
11/23/2018 - Cleaning protocol for your flo
10/19/2018 - New Flooring Trends You Might
09/21/2018 - Luxury Vinyl Loose Lay
08/31/2018 - Pet-Friendly Flooring Options
08/17/2018 - Thinking Of Changing the Floor
07/13/2018 - Advantages of Wood Flooring
06/15/2018 - Does Carpeted Floor Add Style
05/18/2018 - 4 Stylish Flooring Options to
04/17/2018 - Important Things to Consider W
03/21/2018 - Wooden Flooring: Maintenance B
02/16/2018 - All You Need To Know About Til
01/18/2018 - Flooring Can Make or Break You
12/01/2017 - The Benefits of Luxury Vinyl C
11/01/2017 - The Benefits of Laminate Floor
10/02/2017 - The Benefits of Rubber Sports
08/01/2017 - The Benefits of Engineered Har
06/05/2017 - Is Your Rug Destroying Your De
04/19/2017 - Popular Woods used in Solid Ha
03/14/2017 - Residential Flooring Trends
08/16/2016 - Care and Cleaning of Rubber Sp
07/23/2016 - Choosing Tile: Ceramic, Porcel
06/16/2016 - Caring for Hardwood Floors
05/17/2016 - Your Floors Can Affect Your In
03/15/2016 - Spring Showers and Protecting
02/11/2016 - A Brief History of the Red Car
12/17/2015 - A Brief History of the Red Car
11/18/2015 - Carpets and Rugs: What’s the D
10/12/2015 - Exceptional Kitchen Floors
09/18/2015 - Ideas for Decorating with Trad
08/04/2015 - Where to Start for a Neutral C
07/23/2015 - Top Choices of Durable Pet-Fri
06/10/2015 - Don’t Get Stuck on Basement Fl
05/14/2015 - Our Favorite Flooring Trends o
04/20/2015 - Some of Our Favorite “Green” F
New Flooring
07/01/2017 - How to Care for Your Brand New
03/10/2015 - Why You Shouldn’t Dismiss Lami
02/16/2015 - What You Didn’t Know About Eng
01/09/2015 - Colorful Wood Floor Options
12/12/2014 - Our Pick for Top Water-Resista
11/07/2014 - Preparing Your Floors for Wint
10/23/2014 - Why Carpet Can Be Beneficial t
08/13/2014 - Finding the Hardwood Floor Tha
|
|