Eco-friendly flooring options are becoming increasingly popular in today’s home renovation industry.

Options range from bamboo to oiled hardwood to flooring made of recycled pop bottles or old floors themselves.

North Shore Outlook writes

For hardwood flooring options, cork is popular because it is soft, warm, feels nice on your feet and works well in kitchens, said Kupferschmid.

On average, most trees live 150 years and “since the tree bark is harvested every seven years, the trees remain unharmed and can live their full lives,” he explained.

Cork flooring ranges in price from $4 to $6 per sq. ft.
Bamboo flooring offers an ultra modern, clean and sleek look.

Originally, bamboo was problematic because once it was laid, the small circular shoot reeds would coil back to their original shape. To solve the problem manufactures began shredding the bamboo and compressing it back together, explained Kupferschmid.

While bamboo may seem exotic, in China it is considered a weed and the government pays people to clear it away, he added. Bamboo flooring ranges in price from $3 to $7 per sq. ft. for the preferred fusion type.

Oiled hardwood is the most popular of the eco-friendly options, said Kupferschmid. To produce this flooring manufacturers use local woods and preserve them in vegetable oil instead of the usual urethane finish. The result is flooring which is non-toxic and harmless to the environment. “Larch used to be thrown away but when loggers came back the following season and found it hadn’t decomposed they started to use it for hardwood flooring,” he said. Oiled hardwood ranges from $6 to $9 per sq. ft.

If you are thinking about building or renovating your home, or just updating your floor, check out these environmentally friendly options and others (there’s many more out there!) at your local hardware store! These options are becoming increasingly popular and more and more industry experts are popping up!

via north shore