An increasing number of eco-friendly clients are placing demand on the market for bio-based flooring that is not only renewable, but is beautiful and modern in design. The following eco-materials have a lot to offer as versatile flooring solutions.
Cork
Cork is having a resurgence in popularity. Grown predominantly in Portugal and Spain, where cork oak trees flourish, this renewable material is harvested from the trees’ bark. The trees produce new harvestable cork every 8 to 10 years.
Prized for its amazing noise reduction properties, cork was a common flooring material for museums and libraries in the USA prior to the age of plastics. Its cushioning affect underfoot is another desirable attribute along with its anti-microbial properties. The latter helps to reduce allergens throughout the home, and cork contains a waxy cell coating called suberin which works as a natural insect repellent.
Cork is naturally fire-resistant and boasts strong thermal insulating properties. See http://www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk/what-is/cork-flooring for further information. Add to this the ability to paint or stain cork flooring to produce any design style or colour, and you’ll find this versatile, quiet and warm flooring solution is a welcome bio-based flooring option for any home.
Bamboo
This is another wood-like option that’s relatively new and rapidly increasing in popularity. It is in fact a grass, but shares many characteristics of hardwood. It is simple to install, easy to maintain and is incredibly durable. Sourced from natural vegetation, almost entirely in China, bamboo grows to maturity in around 5 years, making this a very sustainable flooring option.
Its unique properties are in its varied grains and the array of colours it comes in, allowing for individual customisation rarely found elsewhere. Branded as a less expensive form of hardwood with stunning unique visuals and green qualities, this is an eco-friendly homeowners ideal flooring solution.
Linoleum
This bio-based material is comprised of cork dust, linseed oil, ground limestone, wood flour, tree resins and pigments. Like cork, it has fire and water resistant properties. It is known for its comfort underfoot and its anti-microbial properties, hence its popularity in healthcare settings.
The recent development of vibrant, zingy colours, contemporary patterns and designs, and modular tiles have given this flooring type a much-needed revamp and sales are rapidly rising once again. Created from organic materials, linoleum is a superb bio-based flooring option.