There are a lot of opinions on which flooring is the best for the environment. At the end of the argument, the general idea will apply to all the answers. Naturally grown and harvested products will always be the best options. Once you have used up or worn down this type of flooring, you can safely throw it away. Flooring that is made from organic materials will break down back into their natural parts when in a landfill. Synthetic products don't break down over time and there is more of a push to have those types of products recycled so that they can be used again and not fill the landfills with products that don't break down.
Bamboo is a flooring option that many associate with green flooring. The plant grows quickly and you can harvest it faster than trees. Be aware though, bamboo is a grass type plant. It isn't a tree. When you look at bamboo flooring, you are looking at strands of bamboo that have been compressed together to create a plank floor. It isn't cut into planks and finished like wood from a tree. It will have a different look to it than wood. This isn't a bad thing, but you do need to make that distinction.
Cork flooring is a great product as well. It comes from the bark of the cork tree which is regrown and harvested every 9 years. The tree grows stronger with each harvest, so it is a great sustainable product. It provides a soft and quiet flooring product. It can also be made in different patterns and colors to give it unique characteristics. It is a little bit more expensive than some other products though. Well worth the cost if you like it, but be aware that it isn't a budget friendly as other products.
Wood flooring in the end is the most abundant and has the largest variety of sustainable flooring products. Many companies that harvest wood for flooring also replant trees for future use. The product will break down when disposed of and you can replace and replenish an area with more trees. If you don't want to think about replacing your wood flooring ever, you can also invest in a wood flooring with an oil finish. https://hallmarkfloors.com/ has a beautiful collection of Nu oil finished wood flooring options. Made to stand the test of time and wear. Oil finished floors are made to last forever and designed not to be sanded. If you start to see any traffic wear on the floor or if you get minor scratches, you can clean the wood flooring and apply oil over parts of the floor for repairs or the entire floor to revive the low luster sheen. It is beautiful and sustainable.
Naturally grown materials that are harvested for flooring will always be the most sustainable. There are different options on the market now that allow you to use wood flooring in wet areas and high traffic area that once would not have worked will over time. Come into your local flooring store, and see what new wood flooring options they have. If you like the Hallmark flooring, go to https://www.bpssoutheast.com/hallmark-hardwood and pick out some samples for free on us. Use promo 3free to get three samples of any flooring for free.
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