Due to eco-friendly flooring, there is a lot of confusion about what is or is not eco-friendly. Different claims and opinions make it difficult to see the wood from evergreen trees, and new products are constantly coming to market. In short, eco-flooring, like most ecological products, is derived from natural materials and is not made of chemicals. They should be durable and renewable – such as wood, cork, sisal, tencel, linoleum – anything grown and cut, but now some vinyl on the market also has environmental certifications.

So, in your quest for eternal life, and before you buy, there are two questions to ask:

1) Is the type of flooring I have chosen environmentally friendly?

2) Does the plant use sustainable methods?

It’s very challenging because we must consider how it is grown or produced, transported, installed, maintained, and disposed of. So, you need to analyze the life cycle to get the answer. For this type of analysis, you need to consider the environmental impact of the product, its ingredients, and how easy it is to process, distribute, use, recycle and dispose of it permanently. But, since this seems like an old process, we have evaluated some of the major types of environmental flooring.

1. Solid wood flooring

Wood is the most apparent type of environmental Flooring because it has been used for centuries – the trees were cut down, chopped, and laid down. So easy. But now, it is not so easy to cut down trees at such a rate. Deforestation is happening on a large scale, so if you buy hardwood flooring, make sure it is from a stable source.

This means that they are responsibly cut from well-maintained forests that are constantly replenished without harming the surrounding environment.

Since they are durable, re-sanded, and can last hundreds of years with proper care, laminate flooring ideas are worth considering for their longevity. Instead of replacing the entire floor, damaged planks can be replaced separately, and at the end of their long life, the wood becomes biodegradable.

We “Absolute Floors” take durability seriously and use 100% forest wood. Drying and processing wood is an energy-intensive process. Wood scraps – sawdust, wood chips, log saw cut, and other debris are sent to a wood-fired power plant, which supplies the electricity. 

Laminate floors look beautiful, but they also have a smooth surface that does not contain dust or mites. As a result, it is ideal for allergy sufferers; the newly laid floor has no gaps to allow drafts to enter and is a wonderfully stable material. Naturally, they contribute to the same room temperature, so they are suitable for many types of heating and help reduce static electricity from electrical appliances.

Another reason why wood floors are good for the environment is that over time, trees trap carbon. As the plants mature, they secrete less carbon, so it is best to cut down and replant the new plants so that the new plants can start the carbon sequestration cycle again.

2. Recycled wood flooring

Reclaimed wood flooring has been a big trend in the last few years, and it is loved for its unique look and history. But is reclaimed flooring eco-friendly?

The reclaimed floors are as eco-friendly as they get, with wood you already use. Instead, you extend its life cycle, carrying on its history and legacy for many years to come. The wood is often retrieved from beautiful sites such as churches, warehouses, schools, and factories.

3. Engineered wood flooring

This is a gray area where the floors were purposely designed and built, so it is no longer a natural wood floor grown from trees. However, the top layer is natural wood of different thicknesses, the second layer of baseboard may be different, but it is usually plywood or MDF and glued together. 

4. Cork flooring

Cork, like wood, has been around for centuries and was very popular in the 1970s for all sorts of things. However, due to its green credentials and many applications, it has been gaining attention lately.

The cork tree is harvested from the cork oak, an evergreen tree in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Cork is harvested every 25 years and then every seven years, and most plants produce cork every three hundred years. As a result, the cork oak has the same carbon footprint as other trees, and a harvested tree holds about five times as much carbon. Also, since the harvest is only done every seven years, the carbon footprint of trucks is much smaller than many other renewable flooring resources.

Cork production is guaranteed every year with new plantings. As a result, the role of cork is essential in preventing global warming.

Cork has excellent thermal and sound insulation properties of all-natural materials and is also a natural fire retardant because it does not spread flames.

It does not absorb dust and therefore does not cause allergic reactions. In addition, cork is a 100% recyclable, renewable, and biodegradable climate-positive flooring option.

5. Marmoleum flooring

Marmoleum came in a little while, and it is different because it does not require any adhesive to install. They are made with mineral fillers like hard linseed oil, pine resin, ground cork dust, sawdust, and calcium carbonate. Dyes are added to create different colors, making this an all-natural product.

Therefore, green consumers are now looking for linoleum and Marmoleum as safer alternatives. However, Marmoleum continued to be used in the commercial market.

6. Vinyl flooring

Although vinyl uses a variety of plastics and PVC in its design, good flooring companies like “absolute flooring” have a policy of bringing renewable energy and using recyclable materials.

What is the most environmentally friendly Flooring?

Cork and solid wood from balanced sources are the most environmentally friendly flooring types. Not only does it absorb and store carbon, but it is also 100% recyclable, renewable, and biodegradable, and recycled wood is essential. We, “absolute flooring,” use many natural materials in our work. We have a particular interest in the creative recycling of materials and fixtures. 

What is the healthiest Flooring for homes?

Floors free of dust and dust particles have low VOC levels, and improved air quality will help build a healthy home. In the case of healthy alternatives – hard, natural surfaces like wood and stone give very beneficial surfaces. Unlike some artificial materials, these natural surfaces are free of harmful toxins that can contribute to indoor air pollution. 

Where to get the Flooring with the best eco flooring materials?

Absolute Floors provides excellent flooring services with the best eco flooring materials. Call us today!