Before installing a new flooring, look carefully at the existing one, it might be worth restoring it and keeping it. Maybe the old tiles, stones, bricks, slates, floorboard only need attention to bring back their glory.
If you don’t want to keep the original flooring, contact an architectural salvage to take the flooring and restore it. This flooring might exactly be what other people are looking for.
Hard flooring include flooring such as brick, concrete, marble, stone, slate, ceramic tiles, glass, wood, plywood.
Resilient flooring are an alternative to hard and soft flooring and can be defined as semi-permanent include metal, cork, linoleum, rubber, leather and other synthetic material such as vinyl.
Tiles
Tiles are made from widely available natural material including clay, sand, stone. They can also contain less desirable materials such as synthetics, recycled post-industrial or post-consumer compounds of questionable origin etc. All the negative characteristic considered, it still make sense to use tiles in a green design as they are healthy for the inhabitants (no off gassing and not a reservoir for unhealthy contaminants).
When choosing tiles, consider carefully the tile content, the manufacturing processes used, the distance shipped and the methods and substances needed for installation.
Bamboo flooring
Bamboo is an attractive choice for a green scheme as it can be cut and regrown in five to ten years. However, when deciding to use bamboo flooring be careful about the way the bamboo was grown as pesticides, fungicides and fireproof chemical might have been used. Many manufacturers employ urea-formaldehyde as the binder, which is know as carcinogen for humans. Formaldehyde free bamboo flooring is the best option, so it is important to check the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for details.
Bamboo with minimal amount of binding adhesive, contaminants in the top coat, or chemical treatment will biodegrade safely and quickly, much like wood. Engineered bamboo with chemical binders, will not do as well. Bamboo can also be reclaimed, refinished and re-used on other applications.
Cork flooring
Cork is one of the best example of cradle to cradle of a resource. Cork is the bark of tree that can be harvested every ten years. The processing is simple and green, slabs of bark from the tree, cleaned and boiled. Binder is added and the cork is baked into a sheet. The composition of the binder depends on the manufacturer and should be formaldehyde free binder specified.
Avoid cork with vinyl or styrene backings.
Always make sure that a low VOC adhesive backing or adhesive is used to apply on the subfloor. Ask for unfinished or factory-finished surface with low VOC polyurethane, resin-oil primer and/or beeswax-based finish.
Always avoid PVC-vinyl blends or backing, VOC and solvent in adhesive and finishes, synthetic rubber blended into cork flooring
Wood flooring
Wood is a natural flooring that obviously come into mind when greening an interior. This said, the origin of the wood has to be checked as we must avoid using any exotic endangered species. Even if wood is a renewable resource, it takes time for a tree to be grown enough and be used in our houses. This is why it certainly is a good idea to try to use reclaim wood that is locally found and won’t need to be cut again. Always investigate the origin of reclaim wood to make sure it can be used inside the house. You don’t want to use wood that was previously exposed to industrial chemicals or agricultural pesticides etc.
When using wood in the house, check that the wood is locally harvested, or at least is FSC-certified and is rapidly renewable.
Make sure that all the finishes and stains are water based, made of natural oils, resins, pigments, and waxes, are low VOC, formaldehyde free, free of metallic or drying agents, solvent free.
Always avoid reclaimed wood of uncertain origin, chemically tainted wood, uncertified wood, rare or threatened species, solvent-based finishes, formaldehyde and other preservatives in the wood or finish, metal based drying agents in the finish, engineered wood unless certified.
Linoleum
Linoleum, (or lino), is made from natural, renewable materials including linseed oil, wood or cork flour and flax, laid onto a natural backing such as canvas or hessian. Do not mistake linoleum with vinyl which is a petroleum based product.
Linoleum is not suitable for a wet environment. A good subfloor is necessary. Follow the manufacturer specification for the adhesives, using a low-VOC, water based type is best.
Linoleum with the exception of the thin acrylic coating and adhesive is fully biodegradable.
When choosing linoleum, specify true linoleum made from natural material (and not vinyl) A smooth and dry subfloor low-VOC, water based, formaldehyde-free adhesives.
Rubber flooring
Rubber flooring is not made from natural product, natural rubber from rubber trees but from recycled tyre chips.
Even if manufacturers claim that recycled rubber is safe, there is style a question about the possibility of off gassing toxic component and polluting the indoor air quality.
Tyres are manufactured from synthetic rubber, a petroleum based product. Rubber flooring may contain traces of heavy metals, chemicals and other elements from its former life on the road. It may be possible to recycle again this rubberlike compound but it will not break down in a landfill for a very long time. Incineration of tyres is highly controversial and may pose a serious health hazard.
Because of its questionable content, recycled tyre rubber is not a healthy choice for a home, even if it prevents land filling.
Concrete flooring
To be short, concrete is made of nonrenewable resources and require a lot of energy and has a high CO2 emission. However, concrete pays off some of its environmental debts by virtue of its amazing durability, longevity and low need for maintenance. It is perfect for people with allergies or chemical sensibility as it won’t become a reservoir for allergens and irritants.
Concrete flooring can be colored, polished etc. In some places, rugs can be added to define a space or make it softer spot.
When deciding to go for a concrete floor you should specify that the concrete (and cement mix) are made without admixtures, the aggregates and cement are from all-natural materials or from verified-safe recycled materials; when adding pigments they should be natural; use of potable water for curing; Low-VOC, water based or water reducible, low solvent, no formaldehyde stains, sealants and finishes; Silicate dispersion paint.
Always avoid aggregates or recycled ingredients that may introduce environmental contaminants or health hazard, admixtures, chemical pigments or paints with chromium, aniline or heavy metals, acid stains, seeding with manufactured, possibly hazardous materials such as computer chips.
I didn’t try to create an exhaustive list, but I have chosen some of the flooring one can choose for his/her house. This short review shows again that we need to ask three important questions before choosing a new product for our house: Where does it come from, what does it contain, where does it go? The answers will help us in our choices.
If you don’t want to keep the original flooring, contact an architectural salvage to take the flooring and restore it. This flooring might exactly be what other people are looking for.
Hard flooring include flooring such as brick, concrete, marble, stone, slate, ceramic tiles, glass, wood, plywood.
Resilient flooring are an alternative to hard and soft flooring and can be defined as semi-permanent include metal, cork, linoleum, rubber, leather and other synthetic material such as vinyl.
Tiles
Tiles are made from widely available natural material including clay, sand, stone. They can also contain less desirable materials such as synthetics, recycled post-industrial or post-consumer compounds of questionable origin etc. All the negative characteristic considered, it still make sense to use tiles in a green design as they are healthy for the inhabitants (no off gassing and not a reservoir for unhealthy contaminants).
When choosing tiles, consider carefully the tile content, the manufacturing processes used, the distance shipped and the methods and substances needed for installation.
Bamboo flooring
Bamboo is an attractive choice for a green scheme as it can be cut and regrown in five to ten years. However, when deciding to use bamboo flooring be careful about the way the bamboo was grown as pesticides, fungicides and fireproof chemical might have been used. Many manufacturers employ urea-formaldehyde as the binder, which is know as carcinogen for humans. Formaldehyde free bamboo flooring is the best option, so it is important to check the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for details.
Bamboo with minimal amount of binding adhesive, contaminants in the top coat, or chemical treatment will biodegrade safely and quickly, much like wood. Engineered bamboo with chemical binders, will not do as well. Bamboo can also be reclaimed, refinished and re-used on other applications.
Cork flooring
Cork is one of the best example of cradle to cradle of a resource. Cork is the bark of tree that can be harvested every ten years. The processing is simple and green, slabs of bark from the tree, cleaned and boiled. Binder is added and the cork is baked into a sheet. The composition of the binder depends on the manufacturer and should be formaldehyde free binder specified.
Avoid cork with vinyl or styrene backings.
Always make sure that a low VOC adhesive backing or adhesive is used to apply on the subfloor. Ask for unfinished or factory-finished surface with low VOC polyurethane, resin-oil primer and/or beeswax-based finish.
Always avoid PVC-vinyl blends or backing, VOC and solvent in adhesive and finishes, synthetic rubber blended into cork flooring
Wood flooring
Wood is a natural flooring that obviously come into mind when greening an interior. This said, the origin of the wood has to be checked as we must avoid using any exotic endangered species. Even if wood is a renewable resource, it takes time for a tree to be grown enough and be used in our houses. This is why it certainly is a good idea to try to use reclaim wood that is locally found and won’t need to be cut again. Always investigate the origin of reclaim wood to make sure it can be used inside the house. You don’t want to use wood that was previously exposed to industrial chemicals or agricultural pesticides etc.
When using wood in the house, check that the wood is locally harvested, or at least is FSC-certified and is rapidly renewable.
Make sure that all the finishes and stains are water based, made of natural oils, resins, pigments, and waxes, are low VOC, formaldehyde free, free of metallic or drying agents, solvent free.
Always avoid reclaimed wood of uncertain origin, chemically tainted wood, uncertified wood, rare or threatened species, solvent-based finishes, formaldehyde and other preservatives in the wood or finish, metal based drying agents in the finish, engineered wood unless certified.
Linoleum
Linoleum, (or lino), is made from natural, renewable materials including linseed oil, wood or cork flour and flax, laid onto a natural backing such as canvas or hessian. Do not mistake linoleum with vinyl which is a petroleum based product.
Linoleum is not suitable for a wet environment. A good subfloor is necessary. Follow the manufacturer specification for the adhesives, using a low-VOC, water based type is best.
Linoleum with the exception of the thin acrylic coating and adhesive is fully biodegradable.
When choosing linoleum, specify true linoleum made from natural material (and not vinyl) A smooth and dry subfloor low-VOC, water based, formaldehyde-free adhesives.
Rubber flooring
Rubber flooring is not made from natural product, natural rubber from rubber trees but from recycled tyre chips.
Even if manufacturers claim that recycled rubber is safe, there is style a question about the possibility of off gassing toxic component and polluting the indoor air quality.
Tyres are manufactured from synthetic rubber, a petroleum based product. Rubber flooring may contain traces of heavy metals, chemicals and other elements from its former life on the road. It may be possible to recycle again this rubberlike compound but it will not break down in a landfill for a very long time. Incineration of tyres is highly controversial and may pose a serious health hazard.
Because of its questionable content, recycled tyre rubber is not a healthy choice for a home, even if it prevents land filling.
Concrete flooring
To be short, concrete is made of nonrenewable resources and require a lot of energy and has a high CO2 emission. However, concrete pays off some of its environmental debts by virtue of its amazing durability, longevity and low need for maintenance. It is perfect for people with allergies or chemical sensibility as it won’t become a reservoir for allergens and irritants.
Concrete flooring can be colored, polished etc. In some places, rugs can be added to define a space or make it softer spot.
When deciding to go for a concrete floor you should specify that the concrete (and cement mix) are made without admixtures, the aggregates and cement are from all-natural materials or from verified-safe recycled materials; when adding pigments they should be natural; use of potable water for curing; Low-VOC, water based or water reducible, low solvent, no formaldehyde stains, sealants and finishes; Silicate dispersion paint.
Always avoid aggregates or recycled ingredients that may introduce environmental contaminants or health hazard, admixtures, chemical pigments or paints with chromium, aniline or heavy metals, acid stains, seeding with manufactured, possibly hazardous materials such as computer chips.
I didn’t try to create an exhaustive list, but I have chosen some of the flooring one can choose for his/her house. This short review shows again that we need to ask three important questions before choosing a new product for our house: Where does it come from, what does it contain, where does it go? The answers will help us in our choices.
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Bibliography:
Sustainable residential interiors - Associates III - Kari Foster, Annette Stelmack, Debbie Hindman
Environmentally responsible design - - Dr Louise Jones
Emmanuelle Lemoine
Sustainable residential interiors - Associates III - Kari Foster, Annette Stelmack, Debbie Hindman
Environmentally responsible design - - Dr Louise Jones
Emmanuelle Lemoine
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