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Eco-Friendly Flooring

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Eco-friendly literally means earth-friendly and not harmful to the environment. This term most commonly points to green living or practices that help conserve resources.

Green flooring products, or any other products from every industry, must be thought of as being on a spectrum when it comes to the level of how green it is. Some conditions of green are found in a large range of flooring products, with some types of flooring being correlated with more of those aspects than others. It depends on the circumstances, or even the location of where the flooring is being installed.

We present you a a two-minute video that outlines this idea, with bamboo used as an example.

 

 

Logging Practices

Wood of any kind is a sustainable resource. Good quality hardwood floor lasts for a hundred years or more, the time it takes to re-provide the same old-growth resource ready for harvest. The problem lies not in using wood for flooring, but in irresponsible management of forests and poor environmental planning. Deforestation threatens some of the most vital ecosystems on the earth. We know that rainforests produce an approximated 40% of the oxygen we breathe and also procure homes for thousands of species.

In the last years, legitimate logging operations started embracing the environmental problems and using responsible practices to maintain healthy forested areas with diverse growth capable of sustaining the ecosystem. Unfortunately, illegal deforestation is still practiced in a lot of countries. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) estimates that 50% of imported U.S. hardwood originates from illegal logging practices. This wood is cut in one country, often the tropics, Africa, Russia, or Southeast Asia and after, exported to another, mostly China, to be processed before import to the U.S.

Lacey Act was recently amended making it illegal to import, sell and purchase illegally sourced timber and wood products.

Carbon Footprint

This phrase generally refers to the volume of carbon dioxide released into the air during harvesting, processing, transport, and utilization of any resource. For measuring the total carbon footprint of wood flooring, you have to calculate everything starting with the process of cutting the trees to the installation on your floor. Since a wide quantity of the flooring in the United States is shipped from China, some of the most environmentally and sustainable types of flooring can provoke a significant carbon footprint due to transportation issues.

Global Warming Gases

Greenhouse gases are the most significant from a global and a personal perspective. Some floor products contain dangerous chemicals to the environment and potentially critical to your family. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemical compounds found in flooring materials, adhesives and finishes. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) informs us that the air inside homes typically contains up to 5 times more VOCs than the air outside.

Some VOCs have been proven to cause allergic reactions or respiratory complications. Part of those chemical compounds are also suspected or confirmed carcinogens. Irritation of eyes, nose and throat, headaches, nausea, allergic skin reaction, fatigue, dizziness, and loss of coordination are symptoms of exposure. Other reactions can include damaged liver, kidneys, and problems to the central nervous system.

Consider asking about the products you want to buy and request those with the least VOCs. Furthermore, make sure your house is ventilated during and for a few days after the installation. Children are most vulnerable, so if your child complains headaches or shows any other kind of reactions, consider staying elsewhere until the installation is complete and the house is aired out.

Green Choices

Sustainability is an relevant factor in green flooring. Decisions such as bamboo and cork are stunning, stable, and easily replenished.

Bamboo is a fast growing member of the grass family that restores itself and is ready to harvest in just five to seven years. It produces good-looking flooring with the natural look and persistence of hardwood, adaptability of installation, and a rich diversification of grains and color choices. Bamboo grows almost anywhere and is unrivaled in oxygen production, generating almost 30% more oxygen than a proportionate hardwood forest area. The production process minimizes waste by taking post-industrial materials, those being the parings of the bamboo cut to make boards, and making them into yet another type of super-durable bamboo floors – strand-woven bamboo flooring.

The bark of cork oaks provides cork, and harvesting does not harm the tree. The replacement of the removed bark begins immediately and continues for nine years until it’s the following harvest. Cork is harvested without using polluting machinery. Furthermore, cork flooring is already recycled from used wine corks. For a sincerely green choice, look for cork flooring assembled without VOC-producing chemicals.

Restored wood is also a applicable green choice. Stunning hardwood floors can be rescued or restored from old buildings or homes. Elbow grease and polish is often all it takes to refinish an old wood floor.

Another green option is laminate flooring. Rather than harvesting slow growing or rain forest species, laminate flooring is created with a photograph of these species. Furthermore, laminate flooring is produced with a core of wood generally harvested from managed forests. You could also check that the core material is harvested from forests managed according to FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Standards.

Porcelain tile is another eco-friendly choice which can be made using a combination of glass, stone, and even plastic. Tile manufacturers grind their own industrial waste and waste from other local manufacturers to refine the powder used to cast the porcelain. Choose VOC-free adhesives to ensure your family better, more breathable air.

Your Impact on the Environment

Consumers have the ability to drive and impact the market in a positive way for the environment by selecting flooring and flooring products made from eco-friendly materials. You can use your hard earned money in a responsible way in order to cast a vote for a better environment for your family and the earth.

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