RECYCLED & HEALTHY: 5 sustainable flooring options for your next remodel

This article was published on Green Home Gnome (http://www.greenhomegnome.com)

When remodelling a home, you want a floor that is durable, livable and will light a room with its beauty. Luckily, there’s more than one option that will fit the bill. Flooring made from materials that otherwise would gone to waste are a great sustainable choice. And using clean, renewable resources results in better air quality because volatile organic compounds (VOC) can pollute the air inside your home. Here are five options to consider for your next remodel:

Reclaimed wood

Salvaged wood comes from a variety of sources. Old barns, industrial buildings and old houses are a popular place to find reclaimed wood for flooring. Recovered wood from forests, creeks and rivers can also be milled for flooring. Reclaimed wood can be sourced in a variety of types like oak, pine, cypress, cherry and chestnut. Although reclaimed wood can be more expensive than traditional hardwood floors, using renewable sources is environmentally responsible and your new reclaimed wood floor will be one of a kind.

Recycled terrazzo tiles

Terrazzo tiles are made up of chips of glass, stone, concrete, tile or masonry. The chips and tiles come in a variety of colors and sizes and when brought together the floor display can be striking. Terrazzo floors are extremely durable and easy to clean. The one negative is that epoxy-based terrazzo poses VOC-exposure issues for homeowners.

Cobblestone

Cobblestone cut from local stone are great for walkways, courtyards, bathrooms and more. The stone material can be reclaimed from old buildings and streets that would have otherwise been thrown away. Cobblestone floors are a beautiful and unique way to add history to a special space.

Bamboo

Bamboo flooring is an affordable way to create a hardwood-floor look while using a sustainable, durable material. Bamboo flooring is termite free, crack resistant and stronger than oak, cherry, teak and walnut hardwood floors. To keep in line with renewability goals, make sure that low-VOC adhesives are used during manufacturing.

Recycled carpet tiles

Recycled carpet tiles reuse old carpets that would normally wind up in a landfill. Carpets are created by grinding up old carpet and creating large squares that can be placed over your entire floor or in a smaller area. Carpet tiles come in variety of colors and sizes and are made out of vinyl and nylon. As with bamboo, make sure the material is made with low-VOC adhesives and backing to keep in line with sustainability goals.

The great thing about all of these materials is their versatility. You can mix it up and use recycled carpet tiles in your living room, terrazzo tiles in your bathroom, bamboo flooring in your bedrooms and stone in your entrance hallway. All of these materials look beautiful together because of their eco-friendly natural aesthetic.

image: Marcelle Guilbeau (photo pin - cc)

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