Questions

Why should I use green flooring?
What is recycled hardwood flooring?
What is sustainability?
What is salvaged wood?
What are the different certifications of green flooring?
What are examples of harmful chemicals emitted by flooring?
How is green flooring installed?
When it comes to adhesives, are there green options too?
What are advantages of eco-friendly green flooring finishes?
What should I do to care and maintain my green flooring?
Is carpet a sustainable green flooring option?

Answers:

Why should I use green flooring?

Besides the obvious fact that it will greatly help the environment, there are many other benefits that you can get from green flooring. These benefits are that it is: highly recyclable, meets the government regulations when it comes to recycling, lasts longer than traditional flooring, safer for persons and the environment, and improves overall air quality.

What is recycled hardwood flooring?

Recycled hardwood flooring is hardwood that was once used for another purpose and is now being re-used as hardwood flooring. This is a very eco-friendly option because you are using hardwood which was harvested a long time ago, and does not deplete our present forests.

What is sustainability?

This word has many meanings, but in its simplest sense, sustainability refers to meeting the needs of present society without compromising the future generations’ needs.

What is salvaged wood?

Salvaged woods are those saved from orchards, rivers, lake bottoms and forests.

What are the different certifications of green flooring?

There are many certifications for green flooring established all over the world. Here are some examples: Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Canadian Standards Association, Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, and International Standards Organization, among others.

What are examples of harmful chemicals emitted by flooring?

Among the chemicals that are being emitted by using ordinary flooring materials, two are very prevalent: VOCs and Formaldehyde. VOCs are volatile organic compounds which turn into gas at room temperature, posing a serious health risk for the people living in the area. Formaldehyde can usually be found in paints, carpeting, and wood finishes.

How is green flooring installed?

Green flooring installations are very much like installation processes used with other floors. Different installation procedures include: nail or staple down method, floating method, and glue down method. The nail or staple down method is a very easy and fairly fast process where the green flooring is stapled or nailed down to the pre-installed sub floor. A  floating installation is characterized by tongue and groove flooring . Lastly, the glue down method involves spreading chemical-free non-toxic green flooring glue all over the sub floor and the laying the green flooring above it.

When it comes to adhesives, are there green options too?

Yes. You should find an adhesive which has negligible or small amounts of VOCs, and is free from xylene and isocynatate.

What are advantages of eco-friendly green flooring finishes?

There are several advantages to green flooring finish: they are resistant to wearing or fading, extra coats can be easily applied anytime, and air quality will be improved

What should I do to care and maintain my green flooring?

Like any other flooring option, green flooring should also be cared for to keep its high level of quality. Some maintenance procedures to use are: applying felt protectors under heavy furniture to minimize scratching, clipping the nails of your pets, placing mats at all entry ways so grit and dirt will be deposited there and not on your green flooring, using proper cleaning products without harmful chemicals, and making sure that you maintain a proper amount of moisture in your floors.

Is carpet a sustainable green flooring option?

Yes, some carpets are made from natural sources such as sisal, jute and coconut husk. The dyeing materials used for carpets are also biodegradable, and less harmful than normal dyes. Wool from sheep is sustainable. Sheering the sheep is good for them, and when the wool remains un-dyed it is the best eco-friendly green flooring option.