Sustainable flooring

Choosing an eco flooring is high on the agenda for the modern green homes enthusiast. Discover which choices have the lowest impact on the environment with our handy guide

- H-IUGI- MIETCALS

Once upon a time, insisting on a type of flooring that was eco-friendly would have limited your choices dramatically; thankfully, however, there are now many types of flooring you can choose from - all of which have the right credentials for your eco-house.

From the different characteristics you should look for in an eco-friendly floor covering to which flooring is considered the most sustainable, find out more in our guide.

WHAT IS ECO FLOORING?

There are several ways in which a flooring material can be considered as eco-friendly, though there are not any official requirements for a material to be able to use the term 'eco'.

Sustainability

A sustainable flooring material is one that replaces itself quickly enough and in sufficient volume that it doesn't deplete the resource below a set equilibrium. This may be because the material grows in abundance, or that the material is being carefully managed to ensure that producing flooring from it is a sustainable practice.

Chemical treatments

An eco flooring may also be defined as one that doesn't use chemical treatments in its manufacture that may damage the environment and also potentially release harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into our homes, reducing the indoor air quality and potentially leading to health issues - not something you want when building a healthy home.

In many instances, carpeting is a culprit for VOCs in the home, and you also need to look out for some of the treatments and oils used on hardwood flooring.

Durability

Get a long-lasting floor and you won't need to invest in another one for longer, so fewer materials, energy and chemicals are used to produce replacements, resulting in a lower carbon footprint.

Recyclability