The concept of a newly constructed or remodeled high-performance home focuses on high efficiency, sustainability, durability, and optimum comfort, health, and safety for the homeowner.
Each element the builder incorporates into the home works cohesively with the other components to establish an eco-conscious result. At one point, when people heard the term “eco-friendly,” it brought images of drab or boring materials.
Nowadays, more people seek “eco-friendly aesthetics,” and designers are coming forward with more vibrant and stunning choices. That’s true for different types of flooring as well. These are high-quality, sturdy materials that can withstand high traffic abuse while maintaining their beauty and integrity.
What Types of Eco-Friendly Flooring Will Give You a High-Performing Home
A high-performing home incorporates sustainable, eco-friendly, durable, and efficient materials for the occupants’ most comfortable, safe, and healthy environment. Each element is carefully chosen to work seamlessly with other components to bring the building standards above the norm.
Designers have discovered many types of eco-friendly flooring that are not only stunning and vibrant but also offer incredible integrity.
Consider different flooring types by visiting https://www.thespruce.com/types-of-flooring-8402223#:~: . Then follow here for some choices many homeowners might be surprised to find as a sturdy, high-quality option for flooring material.
Cork
Cork is a fairly new introduction to eco-friendly flooring materials. Typically, it’s found on the top of a bottle of wine or with a memo board on the wall. It’s also recommended for outstanding sustainable flooring.
The cork oak tree is used to obtain the cork, with the bark harvested instead of the trees being cut down. The bark regrows roughly every three years, making the option perfect as a renewable resource.
The wood has antimicrobial properties to help keep allergens to a minimum. It is also fire retardant and naturally resists insects. The flooring is easy to maintain and can be finished to suit any design aesthetic, whether you stain or paint it.
The durability allows for use in any room throughout the house, and depending on care and maintenance, its lifespan can range as high as 30 years.
Bamboo
Bamboo is gaining favor among eco-conscious homeowners. This material is actually considered grass, with comparable traits to hardwood. It offers an easy installation process and low maintenance. Bamboo is a highly durable, sustainable product.
The natural vegetation grows to maturity within a roughly five-year time frame, much less than a tree would require. Bamboo is exceptionally lightweight and has a variety of tones that fit seamlessly in any home setting.
Because of its wide range of shades and varied grains, bamboo is considered to have an edge in customization over other flooring options.
Linoleum
When homeowners think of linoleum, vinyl flooring usually comes to the forefront of their minds, although these couldn’t be more different. Vinyl is in no way eco-friendly. In fact, the flooring is a “synthetic that consists of chlorinated petrochemicals, which are extremely harmful.”
Linoleum is a blend of “cork dust, linseed oil, tree resins, pigments and ground limestone, wood flour.” Similar to cork, linoleum is fire retardant and it’s also water resistant. The product is not a new one; it’s seeing a reemergence with brilliant colors and new sealers to prevent staining.
Linoleum is a durable material that can withstand much abuse and heavy traffic with an extended longevity.
Concrete
Many would find it difficult to believe that polished concrete is a sustainable material. However, it is gaining favor with designers and eco-conscious homeowners. Usually, concrete is poured as a slab on grade or as subflooring in some house construction.
When the material is polished and tinted to coordinate with the surrounding aesthetic, a top layer of flooring is unnecessary. Concrete can have various design effects implemented, including tiling as well as using other materials as an inlay, like glass. The scope of what you can do with this material is endless.
Concrete is highly durable, simple to maintain and care for, and won’t need to be replaced.
Rubber
Recycled tires have a trendy new purpose as rubber flooring. You’ll usually find these floors in a playground setting or at the gym, where safety is critical. However, more people are beginning to incorporate the option into various rooms throughout their household.
Some are using it, particularly in the bathroom and kitchen, since it’s water resistant. It’s nice to stand and walk on, and it offers incredible longevity. The options for patterns and colors are vast. Visit here for guidance on the flooring materials used in different rooms.
Final Thought
In a high-performing home, you want each element to offer durability, sustainability, and efficiency. That isn’t lost on the flooring. This is something you don’t want to replace after only a few years. With the many materials listed here, you’ll be assured of having your floors for decades.
