Your Guide to Most Popular Eco-Friendly Flooring Solutions

Cork material is relatively new in the flooring industry. You would have seen it often on walls or in your favourite bottle of wine. However, it’s a great material for floors too. Cork is basically harvested from the bark of cork oak tree which is mostly found in forests of Mediterranean. The forest trees are not cut down for harvesting the bark, which grows every three years and is an ideal renewable source. Cork has anti-microbial properties that help reduce allergens in your house. It is also fire retardant and works as an insect repellent too. It is very easy to maintain and can be finished in various paints and stains to suit any interior colour scheme or home design. Its high durability allows it to be used in any part of the home. Cork flooring, depending on its quality, can last from 10 to 30 years.

Bamboo floor is another wood-like flooring option which is becoming increasingly popular these days. Bamboo is actually a grass that has similar characteristics as that of hardwood.  It is highly durable, easy to install, and very easy to maintain. This flooring material is sustainable as its made from natural vegetation which grows towards maturity in 3 to 5 years, which is far less than trees that can take 20 years. Bamboo is very light and is available in a variety of hues that can go with any setting or décor. Its wide variety of grains and colours gives it an edge over conventional flooring by allowing for customization that’s often not possible with other materials.

When we think of linoleum floors, it is vinyl material that usually comes to our mind, although the two are not even close to each other. Vinyl is basically a synthetic material made from harmful chlorinated petrochemicals whereas linoleum is made from a mixture of cork dust, linseed oil, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone and pigments. Like cork, linoleum is also water resistant and fire retardant. It’s been a long time since linoleum first came to the market; however, it fell out of favour after introduction of vinyl flooring in 1940’s. As designers and architects began asking for it again, increasing its demand in the market, linoleum re-emerged with a wide array of bright vibrant colours and a new sealer to protect it against stains. Moreover, linoleum has a long shelf life, and can hold up to a lot of wear and tear.

Have you ever wondered why wine bottles are shipped to recycler? Well, they’re actually converted into stunning glass tiles. This amazing renewable source has quickly gained a lot of popularity. It’s not only being considered as a wonderful option for flooring but also for kitchen and bathroom walls. These glass tiles have similar benefits as of other eco-friendly materials. They’re very non-absorptive and do not mold or mildew in damp areas. Moreover, these tiles are highly stain-resistant and very easy to maintain. Glass comes in a huge variety of patterns, colours, and finishes, so you can easily find the tiles which match your home design and colour scheme perfectly.