Eco-Friendly Flooring: Green From the Ground Up

By David Johnston And Scott Gibson
Published on October 21, 2011
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If you're concerned about the environmental footprint of the surfaces you walk on with your own two feet, consider the eco-friendly flooring options covered in Green From the Ground Up. This book covers all facets of sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient home construction, including a run-down of green flooring options for your home's interior.
If you're concerned about the environmental footprint of the surfaces you walk on with your own two feet, consider the eco-friendly flooring options covered in Green From the Ground Up. This book covers all facets of sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient home construction, including a run-down of green flooring options for your home's interior.
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Cork flooring comes from the bark of the cork oak, a tree that lives for up to 250 years and can be stripped of some of its bark every decade without harming the tree. Harvesters remove about 50 percent of the bark in any one harvest and age it for three to six months before turning it into a variety of products, including bottle stoppers. 
Cork flooring comes from the bark of the cork oak, a tree that lives for up to 250 years and can be stripped of some of its bark every decade without harming the tree. Harvesters remove about 50 percent of the bark in any one harvest and age it for three to six months before turning it into a variety of products, including bottle stoppers. 
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Bamboos are from a large family of grasses, not wood. There are 1,000 or so species that grow in a variety of climates and terrains. Some can grow 4 ft. per day and are large enough in only a few years to be turned into a variety of building products. Bamboo is a solid green choice for flooring, but look for a brand from a reputable supplier with a solid track record.
Bamboos are from a large family of grasses, not wood. There are 1,000 or so species that grow in a variety of climates and terrains. Some can grow 4 ft. per day and are large enough in only a few years to be turned into a variety of building products. Bamboo is a solid green choice for flooring, but look for a brand from a reputable supplier with a solid track record.
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 Carpeting made from natural fibers is preferable to carpeting whose binders off-gas indoor air pollutants. There are several varieties of carpet made with recycled content. Most common is recycled “pop bottle,” or PET, carpet. Polyethylene terephthalate is what water bottles and soda bottles are made from. It has been an alternative to nylon for many years and is easily recycled into fabric and carpet fiber. While it is a recycled product, it still uses synthetic latex as a binder so it doesn’t enhance indoor air quality. Inexpensive, low-fiber-count carpets have been known to crush in high traffic areas like stairs and doorways. 
 Carpeting made from natural fibers is preferable to carpeting whose binders off-gas indoor air pollutants. There are several varieties of carpet made with recycled content. Most common is recycled “pop bottle,” or PET, carpet. Polyethylene terephthalate is what water bottles and soda bottles are made from. It has been an alternative to nylon for many years and is easily recycled into fabric and carpet fiber. While it is a recycled product, it still uses synthetic latex as a binder so it doesn’t enhance indoor air quality. Inexpensive, low-fiber-count carpets have been known to crush in high traffic areas like stairs and doorways. 

The following is an excerpt from Green From the Ground Up by David Johnston and Scott Gibson (Taunton Press, 2008). Begin with eco-friendly flooring, and move through this detailed guide for sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient home construction. This excerpt comes from Chapter 15, “Interior Finishes.”

There is a wide variety of eco-friendly flooring in the marketplace today. What makes flooring green? Here, many factors come together: durability, non-toxicity, renewable sourcing and transportation. The challenge is to determine which of these qualities are most important and how they reflect aesthetically. No product has everything, so it often amounts to comparing apples to oranges and making what seems like the best eco-friendly flooring choice.

Two general considerations for green flooring are its thermal mass and its compatibility with radiant-floor heat, if that’s the kind of heating system you have. Some sustainable flooring options, such as ceramic tile or concrete, are also good heat conductors, making them smart choices over radiant floors. Their thermal mass, higher than that of wood, complements passive solar design. Other products, such as certain kinds of wood, may not be appropriate for radiant-floor systems because of the risk of warping or splitting. Ask your supplier for the manufacturer’s recommendation before installing any of the following eco-friendly flooring options. 

Finished Concrete Floors

When used as the finish floor, concrete containing high fly-ash content serves several as a multipurpose green flooring option. For one, it saves the expense of installing another flooring material, like wood or carpet. It also makes use of an industrial by-product, a decided eco-friendly flooring advantage. And concrete, unlike carpet, doesn’t harbor allergens, dust, and mold so it contributes to high indoor air quality.  

A variety of finishing techniques can also produce dazzling visual results. Pigments applied to concrete as it cures, or acid-based pigments applied to concrete once it has set, can produce beautiful surfaces that look at home even in formal living spaces. Choose the right contractor and you’ll get concrete that becomes a two-dimensional sculpture on the floor. The trick is to look for an experienced installer, not necessarily someone who specializes in sidewalks and driveways and is trying to learn something new. 

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