We've already talked briefly about cork floors here at C&H. They're an especially good option for your kitchen because they provide a softer, more shock absorbent surface that's ideal if you find yourself standing for long periods of time.
While at Surfaces 2011, we toured a cork flooring exhibit created by Real Cork Floors. The material for their flooring is harvested from a vast forest of cork oak trees in Portugal. Every eight years, the trees are stripped of their lower bark (the upper bark remains on the tree so as not to disturb animal habitats), which is then used to make wine corks. The remaining cork, which might normally be thrown away, is instead ground into a fine powder that is then transformed into cork flooring.
Other benefits of cork? It absorbs more warmth than other floor types, is naturally anti-static and hypoallergenic and is also incredibly durable.
In my recent issue of Natural Home, I fell in love with a revamped warehouse-turned-home in Chicago. I was most impressed with the home's exterior elements. Outside is a greenhouse and a roof garden surrounding solar panels. An outdoor boardwalk overlooks the courtyard and connects to the homeowner's studio. There's even sculptural wind turbines coming out of the roof.
The homeowner's motives for renovating a decades-old warehouse were simple - to show that, with a little imagination, abandoned city buildings can be reused.
There are details throughout the home that showcased the couple's commitment to green building, like the wood flooring from elm trees that Chicago metropolitan municipalities had to take down.
Before I moved into my current apartment, I took a tour of the building with the developer. During the renovation, he and his crew tried to use as many recycled materials and environmental practices in the building. I noticed the lining of the window sills were an odd material, like a chicer looking linoleum. He told me it was marmoleum.
Marmoleum is a great option for flooring if you have allergy or asthma sufferers in your home. The bones of marmoleum are all-natural, produced from linseed oil, jute and limestone, so no off gasing or VOC's.
If you are building a house, or remodeling, it is a great time to explore green options, including your flooring. Green flooring is never "no impact" or "zero emissions," but choosing a green flooring does reduce impact on the environment.
When it comes to choosing green flooring, you have many different options, which compare to traditional flooring. These include: carpet, carpet tiles, carpet padding, cork floors, bamboo floors, linoleum, leather tiles, wood floors, natural fiber, rubber tiles, limestone composite tiles and more.
How you decide to choose a floor may depend on your design aesthetic, as well as where you plan on having the green flooring. But it is also important to consider the "greenness" of your flooring option as well, as some may be more eco-friendly than others.
