If you have young children, you know how much time they spend on the floor, picking up items they dropped, finding stray pieces of food, or exploring every crevice they can find. You want to make sure your floors are comfortable for them to explore as well as healthy for them to hang out on. Find out what four smart options are available when shopping for eco-friendly flooring.
1. Bamboo Flooring
When you think of bamboo flooring, you might immediately picture hardwood floors. That’s where you’d be wrong since bamboo is actually part of the grass family. Just like other grasses, bamboo grows quickly since it takes three to five years to reach maturity. Compare that to traditional hardwood floors that can take decades to grow, and bamboo is a true eco-friendly option.
2. Natural Stone Tiles
A completely natural product, natural stone tiles are durable and don’t require a lot of maintenance. Not only will they not emit toxic gases into your home, but they can also help regulate your home’s temperature. You can choose among granite, marble, and slate tiles to give your flooring additional color and texture.
3. Cork Floors
If you or someone in your home suffers from allergies, cork flooring might be the way to go. This durable and versatile flooring option can also relieve your joints. Cork comes from cork trees, which are harvested from the tree’s bark. Because it comes from the bark and not the interior of the tree, the cork can be harvested consistently for more than 250 years.
4. Sustainable Rugs
Environmentally-friendly area rugs are another eco-friendly flooring option, and they are made out of a variety of materials. The best type of cheap rugs is made out of natural fibers, often from renewable resources. Some of the more common types of materials include the following:
- Cotton: A sustainable and renewable material, cotton is a durable and hypoallergenic material that is less expensive than wool. Cotton rugs also hold on to their color well, so you might find them produced in bold and bright colors.
- Hemp: A naturally hypoallergenic and non-irritating material, hemp is derived from hemp grass. When spun into a rug, the material becomes soft and flexible. Just like most natural fibers, hemp has a warm color that results in tan hues.
- Jute: This durable material is perhaps the most eco-friendly rug option because it comes directly from a tropical plant. The plant’s fibers are spun together to create strong threads, which are used to create the rug. Jute rugs are usually found in their natural state, although you might find some dyed.
- Wool: This popular rug material comes from sheep and goats, and it is more durable than those constructed out of synthetic fibers. Wool is also naturally stain-resistant thanks to its organic coating on each fiber.
Up until a few years ago, eco-friendly flooring options conjured up images of bland and boring materials. Thanks to environmentally- savvy businesses and the desire by consumers to install these types of floors in their homes, you have several types of materials available.