6 Green Flooring Options You Should Try

From solar panels to smart technology, there are many different ways to help make a home more environmentally friendly. However, one thing many people overlook their floors and all the different green materials available on the market. While it may seem like a small decision, using a renewable resource for a home’s flooring is a step to making it more green. Here are some of the different environmentally friendly flooring options available today.

Cork

What if it was possible to make flooring from trees without actually killing the trees? Cork does just this. It’s the bark of cork oak trees that can be harvested without causing any harm to trees, and it regrows every three years or so. Cork feels soft to walk on, but it can be damaged if homeowners aren’t careful when doing things like moving furniture. Cork costs $3-8 per square foot.

Bamboo

Hardwood is a staple of classic flooring options, but more often than not, it isn’t the most environmentally friendly option available. For people who love the look of hardwood but wish it was greener, bamboo can be a good substitute. It only takes bamboo three to five years before it reaches maturity and can be cut down, unlike trees that take 20 or more years, which makes it far more sustainable in comparison. Bamboo costs $5-7 per square foot.

Glass Tile

Glass is an excellent candidate for recycling, which makes tiles made from it another green option for new floors. Glass tiles can be a good substitute for stone tiles in rooms like bathrooms and kitchens where there’s a lot of moisture or risk of spills because it’s easy to clean and doesn’t absorb water. Homeowners interested in glass tiles should know that they do reflect light, and they are the most expensive option on this list at $25-40 per square foot.

Wool Carpet

Many people can’t have traditional carpeted floors because they hold in dirt and dander, which can make life miserable for people with allergies. Homeowners who think this sounds familiar may want to look into wool carpeting, which is naturally dirt-repellant. Wool is 100% natural and can come from sheep, alpacas, llamas, and other animals, and sheering them is a harmless procedure that helps keep the animals healthy and safe, so there’s no need to worry about innocent animals being injured. Wool carpeting costs $5-26 per square foot.

Rubber

For Rancho Palos Verdes homeowners who are concerned with all the waste that comes from old tires, rubber floors may be a good fit. These floors are made from recycled rubber from things like car tires, which means they make durable floors that can take a beating before showing signs of wear. Rubber floors can come in nearly any color or pattern, so it’s versatile and can fit just about any room. Rubber flooring costs $1-3 per square foot.

Hardwood

Sometimes, homeowners just can’t resist the allure of hardwood floors. But fortunately, they don’t have to pick between the style of hardwood and the environmental friendliness of other flooring options. Reclaimed hardwood from things like old barns and houses can look just as good as new hardwood without the environmental impact. And for people who have to have new hardwood floors, there are varieties specially certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which monitors deforestation to keep it under control. Reclaimed and FSC certified hardwood floors can cost $8-11 per square foot.

These are just some of the different green flooring options available for homeowners to use in their homes. When choosing one, remember to take into consideration which option would be best for each room in question, because why they’re all environmentally friendly, not all are good for every room.