Consumer Trend Alert: Environment-Friendly Home Improvement Flooring Products Gain Mass Appeal!


One of the first things home owners think of when embarking on a homeimprovement project is pulling up that dusty, stained and frayed old carpet. Thenext step is deciding what to put in its place - new carpet or some other typeof flooring.

A trendy new craze sweeping the country is to replace existing carpet withenvironmentally friendly flooring such as reclaimed wood, linoleum, cork orbamboo. Such types of flooring are not only helpful to the environment, but arealso coveted for their exquisite beauty, texture and form.

People are fast realizing the dangers of using products for the home that canbe detrimental to the environment and to the residents who live in the home.Jumping on the bandwagon, architects, builders and decorators are suggestingflooring products that protect the environment and the people who live and workin the buildings.

Advantages of Choosing Environment-Friendly Flooring Over Carpeting

If youve ever pulled up used carpeting in a home or other heavily-traffickedarea, youve probably been aghast at the debris and filth hidden in the carpetand padding. The truth is that no matter how fanatical you are about vacuumingand shampooing your carpet, residue, mold and mildew will accumulate in thefibers beneath. The carpet then becomes an allergen magnet, hording germs thatcan affect humans and pets who come in contact with it.

Besides the advantage of avoiding allergens, the durability and beauty ofwood or other environmentally correct floorings remains undisputed. It is easilycleaned and comes in a wide variety of patterns and colors to fit any d?cor.

Linoleum is resilient and is made from renewable substances of the earth orrecycled remnants, but linoleum itself cannot be recycled because of the glueused to install it. Still, the long life gained from using linoleum has made ita popular choice for homes and offices.

The use of "reclaimed" wood found in old buildings such as barns,hotels or railroad cars is an emerging trend across the country. While theobvious character and patina of these woods are lovely and desirable, the costcan be somewhat prohibitive at around $30 per square foot. Furthermore, shoppersneed to be careful to ensure they buy from a trusted source. There is also thedanger of running out of wood before the project is completed if you arent sureto measure correctly and buy the right amount of materials.

Newer products, such as cork and bamboo are excellent choices to use inbuildings that have energy savers such as radiant heat. Besides saving on energycosts, cork and bamboo can be bought for much less than wood and still have the"green tag" of being friendly to the environment.

Transform Your Home or Office with Cork or Bamboo Flooring

The rapid disappearances of our forests and rainforests have led to theresearch and development of new products in flooring and the reemergence of someold favorites. Cork and bamboo are forerunners in this endeavor.

Cork flooring has been popular inthe United States since the 1950s. The avocado and gold colored carpet of the70s temporarily replaced its prominence in the flooring market, but cork has nowfound new acceptance in environmentally conscious homes.

Anti-microbial and cushiony soft, cork is an ideal choice for parents whowant to keep their homes free of allergens and also enjoy a tranquil existenceby diminishing noise.

Bamboo flooring is both resilientand beautiful. Its colors, ranging from natural to amber, create an excellentbackground for any style of furniture or accessories. The durability of bamboomakes it a superior choice, and because of its rapid growth, bamboo usage helpsto preserve our forests.

While bamboo is lightweight, it is as hard as oak, maple or redwood and hasthe added advantages of expanding and contracting less. It comes in tongue andgroove planks for ease of installation. Whats more, bamboos naturalimperfections lend an air of exclusivity to its look.

Jump On the "Build Green" Bandwagon When You Build or Renovate

Almost every decorating or architectural magazine that you see on the standscontains at least one article about being environmentally conscious when youbuild or renovate.

Indeed, there are many types of flooring that you can select to conserveenergy and preserve our forests and other resources while avoiding excessivecosts or future problems. Choosing the appropriate flooring for your home oroffice is a major decision - one that you will probably live with for a longtime.

Choose wisely and "build green" whenever you can. Its a great wayto show that you care about our earth and its future.


About the Author

William Thomas is the proprietor of Bamboo Flooring Biz and Cork Flooring Biz,independent consumer guides to environmentally friendly floor coverings.



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