Natural, Non-Toxic Flooring

If you are planning to replace your home's flooring, whether in one specific area or the entire house, consider natural, non-toxic or green flooring as your replacement choice. While all three are environmentally friendly, and are made from renewable resources, they are not all the same, however they are all affordably priced, easy to install and can provide you with an extremely wide array of color and style.

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring can be elegant and versatile, but is also extremely durable. Aside from its beauty, bamboo is processed with no added urea formaldehyde and low VOC finishes. Bamboo is 13 percent harder than maple, and 27 percent harder than northern red oak, giving you a floor that not only lasts longer, but can withstand more hard knocks than conventional hardwood floors. Bamboo floors are also naturally resistant to water, mildew and insects, and the fact that bamboo grows quickly and abundantly makes them wonderfully sustainable. Bamboo flooring comes in nail-down, glue-down or floating floors and, in most cases can actually cost you less than other popular hardwood flooring. Try EcoTimber, Teragren or US Floors when you are searching for your perfect bamboo floor.

Cork Flooring

Softwoods are rarely considered for flooring materials, yet cork can make an excellent choice for your home. Cork floors are naturally elastic, making them supremely comfortable as well as providing high-quality thermal and acoustic insulation. Cork floors can recover well from marks left by furniture and additionally they don't attract dust, are fire-resistant, serve as a natural insect repellant and are even hypo-allergenic. What more could you ask from a floor covering? Cork floors are produces by using the bark of the cork oak tree, which re-grows its bark every three years. Cork is layered with absolutely no VOC finishes, and there is no formaldehyde used in the processing. Cork flooring offers sound and thermal insulation and comes in dozens of rich colors to suit any décor. The leading brands include Natural Cork, Wicanders and NovaCork, although there are lots of other great companies which offer cork flooring.

Tile, Linoleum and Hardwood

If you have your heart set on hardwood flooring, go for sustainably harvested hardwood. The Forest Stewardship Council can make sure your lumber comes from sustainably managed forests in which the trees are regenerated while preserving air and water quality. EcoTimber specializes in eco-friendly hardwood floor, or if you are looking for further sources of FSC-certified wood, visit www.certifiedwood.org. You can add beauty and life to any room in your home with tile-choose recycled glass tile and you have also helped the environment. Many of the newer linoleum floors are now hypo-allergenic and biodegradable, making them beautiful and responsible choices for flooring. With a little effort, you can find the most beautiful flooring available-one that will add years of life and service to your home while allowing you to be more socially responsible at the same time. To help save the planet, beautify your home, and create a healthy environment, consider sustainable, non-toxic, eco-friendly flooring options.