Going Green with Renewable Flooring

They typically deal with Oak, Cherry, Hickory, Maple and Chestnut hardwoods so there are a variety of hardwood recycled renewable flooring choices to choose from.

In many cases you can order re-milled, renewable hardwood flooring products with your preferred finish, be it finely sanded, rough hewn cut or varnished. In addition, you can choose to have the boards milled to your specific requirements, e.g. tongue and grooved, or wide board planks.

Sustainable Softwood Renewable Flooring Choices Common types of softwood renewable flooring products include Cork, Bamboo and Eucalyptus. All are fast growing trees that can be quickly replenished. For example, the average slow growing hardwood tree needs about 60 years before it is ready for harvesting, whereas the Eucalyptus tree can be harvested in as few as 14 years. With Cork flooring, it is actually produced from the bark of living Cork oak trees that is periodically harvested. Cork flooring can also be manufactured from recycled products, including wine corks, making Cork flooring one of the best green renewable flooring products available.

Cork flooring also offers a number of other advantages. It is naturally hypo-allergenic, anti-microbial, and is resistant to mold and mildew. It is also extremely durable and has a slight resilient softness to it that makes it very comfortable to walk on. Cork flooring can also be used in some moist area applications. It is also available in dozens of colors and patterns and is easy to install. It is available in either tile form or floating click-together planks and can be installed over plywood subfloors, concrete slabs or even an existing floor. Cork flooring is also so easy to install that even the moderately skilled DIY homeowner can install it.

Bamboo flooring is another relatively new green renewable flooring product that is very popular with Eco-Friendly homeowners. Bamboo is a highly sustainable wood product that is extremely tough and versatile. Like Cork flooring, Bamboo flooring is available in a wide variety of colors and patterns and can be found available today in most home improvement centers. Due to its toughness, Bamboo flooring also holds up well under heavy traffic conditions. Consequently it is very low maintenance. Bamboo flooring is also easy to install. Like Cork flooring, besides available in solid bamboo planks, it is also available in floating click-together planks that can easily be installed by the Do it yourself homeowner. Bamboo flooring costs run the gambit from quite high to very economical, depending upon the type of grade, the Bamboo material percentage, and the type of finish.

Besides Cork and Bamboo flooring, there are other softwood renewable flooring choices that offer similar advantages including Eucalyptus flooring and natural linoleum. Both offer similar advantages and are excellent green renewable flooring choices.

So, when looking to replace your existing floor, or installing a new floor, make sure to investigate these green renewable flooring choices. Besides their unique beauty, durability, and cost advantages, they are Eco-Friendly. In addition, if you are building a home for Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification these flooring products can provide credits for achieving this goal.