 |
|
BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters choose an alternative, renewable material like bamboo instead of uncertified hardwood to floor our homes, we'll save about 120,000 trees.
COCKTAIL FACT
A pub in Dublin called Charlie P's is floored using gravestones. Owner Paddy Murtagh says, "It's in keeping with the building - it was a morgue."
| SAVE TO MY BITES |  |
FORWARD TO A FRIEND:
RATE THIS TIP:
How useful is this tip to you?
(5 is the highest)
home › tip library › Eco Homes - Sustainable and Recycled Flooring
Want to green your home from the ground up?
The Bite
Then floor it with eco-options like recycled carpeting or bamboo: materials that are good looking and good for the earth. Add to that the fact that they are better for you, and the next time you drop your food, the "5 Second Rule" will be even more acceptable.The Benefits
- "Tread lightly" on materials like recycled modular carpeting, which helps avert some of the 1.8 million tons of rug and carpeting sent to landfills each year.
- A healthier home-sweet-home. Fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted by solvent-free finishes and eco-approved flooring (see Wanna Try, below).
- Call these companies up for samples - you gotta see 'em to believe how great they look. Who knew cork could be so stylish?
- Bamboo and cork are comparably priced to hardwoods. (Recycled modular carpeting is about 3x as expensive as regular carpet, but the fact that you can keep it longer by just replacing sections makes it cost neutral.)
Personally Speaking
Jen's got Marmoleum in her bathrooms - the kind that looks like dark slate stone. It's got natural antibacterial properties thanks to the linseed oil it contains, which is a great justification when she doesn't feel like cleaning.Wanna Try?
- Marmoleum - better-looking than the linoleums of old, it's made using linseed oil, tree rosin, lime and other natural materials ($5/sq ft).
- Flor - spill all the red wine you want (only half-kidding) with recycled modular carpeting. The company will even take it back for recycling ($10/sq ft).
- Teragren - beautiful, durable bamboo flooring ($6/sq ft).
- Habitus - cork flooring made from wine stopper waste ($4/sq ft).
- Tried and True Wood Finishes - Jen's sprucing up her hardwood floors using their linseed oil-based Original Wood Finish ($16/qt).
- Ideal Bite's Recycled Tiles Tip - going for glass? Go with recycled.
- Earth911 - check here to see if there are facilities that'll recycled linoleum and carpet in your area.
- Can't give up your hardwood? Make sure the wood is Forest Stewardship Council-certified, which means it comes from a well-managed forest.
Nov 07,2006
Sponsor
All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Floor Me, Baby
So many meanings of this title! First meaning: I am now 33 and so although I feel pretty much as healthy and energetic as I did in my twenties, I am starting to have more "wise old owl" thoughts. And correspondingly, it is pretty hard to "floor" me with shocking information, behavior, or news. Is that how one gets jaded? Well, there is one area where I am constantly floored... and that is by nature and her beauty and adaptive, regenerative power... but I won't eco-geek out on ya here.
The second meaning would be when one is nicely pushed to the floor to make out. Hmm. Fun.
And the third. Well I just love nice floors and hate nasty carpets that hold dust and mold. A nice floor in a house makes all the difference. There are hardwoods in my new place, and I can't wait to see them shine up with some eco-refinishing. Then they will be nice enough for my date to knock me to the floor, and that will floor me that he did so. Ha.
Off to find the name of that contractor... getting excited for this little renovation project. - Jen
Biter Comments...
I just turned 33 two weeks ago. GRRRR. Hate it. Sure, I've gained immense knowledge about the world - but it's hard to date college boys when lines start appearing around your eyes.
We installed Teragren bamboo floors in our house and we love them. They were comparably priced, even with the installation and I don't cringe when my 2 1/2 year-old lies all over the floor.
Do you know if Bamboo butcher block countertops exist? I've been slowly compiling a "green" wishlist for when my husband and I finally decide to stop renting in a year or two.
I put Marmoleum in my kitchen last year when I remodeled in my 98-year-old house. Marmoleum is more expensive, but I believe it is worth it. I expect to live in my house until I pass to the great beyond, so I even splurged and ordered a border print they will manufacture in a number of patterns to your color specifications. I had found an old border-print linoleum rug under the carpet in the living room when I pulled it out, and wanted to evoke the same feeling in the kitchen floor.
You may pay more now, and I know it's hard when you barely have the money to pay for labor, let alone materials. But for the health of your family, and the planet, I would encourage everyone to make a little extra sacrifice where possible.
I also just installed recycled denim in my attic between the floor joists. I had the blow-in insulation removed, as I wanted to make the space usable, and I didn't wnat my handyman to have to breath the old stuff. The denim was incredibly easy to install and seems to be doing a great job. I also bought a big roll of radiant barrier insulation that I will install under the roof.
I work for the U.S. Green Building Council, the nonprofit organization that created and administers the LEED program. Through the LEED program, we certify buildings only. We have never certified, approved or or endorsed products. Please see our website for more information about the LEED program: www.usgbc.org/leed.
Is there a way to get a correction for today's post? It is a common misconception in the marketplace that LEED certifies products; anything to minimize this misconception would be helpful.
Marmoleum is good albeit expensive, however, be aware that the linseed oil can (and did) create a yellowing effect in the lighter colors of the material. My light blue marbled bathroom flooring has a distinctly amber tone. Had to adjust my expectations and get used to it.
I did see a bamboo butcher block top somewhere...I'll post a link if I can find it.
It's amazing (and a testament to the USGBC's success) that more and more manufacturers now market products as garnering LEED points, but definitely, it can be deceptive.
Some great resources to identify green materials are:
www.buildinggreen.com
www.greenerbuildings.com
www.greenpop.org
www.healthybuilding.net
as good general guides, avoid VOCs, and studies are showing, even more harmful is PVC and plasticizers. GreenPOP is especially cool, as it's the Cradle to Cradle database of C2C products. Not too many there yet, but GreenBlue (a McDonough & Braungart inspired nonprofit) is currently compiling a "Green 2 Green" products database. They describe it as the consumer reports of green products. Hopefully it'll be out soon!
Has anyone tried those cork tiles? That sounds great. They should be alot less harsh on things that plummet to their surface. But do they absorb stains like wine corks do? I hope that someone has tried them because I have 2 bathrooms on hold waiting for my floor decisions.
Thanks.
Dara-
I take responsibility for letting that slip! The tip has been changed for the Tip Library.
For those unfamiliar with the process, while flooring can add to the number of LEED credits accorded to a home (and other buildings), the flooring cannot itself earn credits or certifications through LEED. The rule holds true for other home design products as well.
Please see
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19
for the full scoop.
Jen, are you doing a "Barrier Finish" (more of a polyurathane type varnish) on your floor, or the "Oil Polishing" as described at the Tried and True Wood Finish site?
It sounds like such a big job, and when we do our floors, we'll be doing them ourselves! Goody.
Em...Linseed is good stuff. We use a two-state water based finish for our clients' floors. With reclaimed barnwood flooring, it finishes really awesome, and depending on your preference, you can add a final court for more polish...or keep a more-aged look. For outside wood applications, Australian Timberseed Oil is just fantastic.
And, Dara, hopefully Rick lets you all go to GreenBuild!? The educational sessions this year are really cool...good stuff!
I have two links for the bamboo butcherblock countertops that Evan was looking for. They look amazing:
www.totallybamboo.com and www.greenbuildingsupply.com
Hope this helps!
Oops! It was Danielle that was looking for the countertops. Sorry.
you’re looking for a place to find old Costco Harmonics colors, or looking to sell leftovers from your Harmonics project, I guess that’s where you should go or something.
http://www.flooring4u.org/
Greenandsave.com is the first site to offer ROI rankings for home improvement projects that not only save you money but also help save the environment
http://www.greenandsave.com They have a great section on flooring
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: hp | November 07, 2006 at 07:35 AM