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When we talk about green floors we are not referring to colour but sustainability and this can be looked at from two angles. How durable is the flooring and what materials is it made from?
A long lasting floor will have to be replaced less often which is easier on your pocket especially when you take into consideration that almost half the cost of your new floor will be made up of fitting charges (even if the retailer you choose ‘hides them’ in the overall costs)… a more durable floor will also be easier on the environment because it will not have to be replaced so often which will use less of the world's precious resources and less landfill space.
If that floor is also made from environmentally sound materials then you will have the best of both worlds. Natural, bio-based floor coverings come in many shapes and sizes and an awful lot of them are being used commercially in offices, schools, hotels and businesses. Many firms want to have a clean bill of health these days when it comes to the environment and they are doubly right to do so as products made from naturally occurring materials are often innately hypoallergenic by nature and so work well in a busy setting where there are bound to be allergy sufferers. In other words floor coverings made from organic materials can help to improve the air quality of your working spaces which in turn improves the health of the occupants.
Nowadays the list of floor coverings that are both durable and eco-friendly is quite long and includes seagrass matting, sisal matting and coir matting which is made from coconut husks and backed with rubber, all of which are very on trend in institutional settings right now and they all come in a wide variety of colours and weaves. They are a little complicated to fit but when they are down they add both warmth and texture to the room.
Real wood is also an excellent choice if it is sustainably sourced. It is strong and aesthetically pleasing. This option is especially attractive to those looking to create a biophilic feel to their surroundings. Wood does require some regular maintenance in terms of cleaning, polishing and later on refinishing, but the fact that it can be sanded and varnished means that with good care it will last a lifetime.
Bamboo is often over looked as a flooring option and is also mistaken to be a form of wood when it is in fact a grass. It is sustainable and top quality bamboo can produce wonderfully durable floors that match wood in performance, although the graining is not quite as detailed.
Bamboo floors are available in a variety of colours from a dark walnut finish to ash blond.
Rubber flooring comes in sheets or interlocking tiles and a whole heap of colours and is great for commercial applications, especially in wet situations such as kitchens, showers or changing rooms. Today there are more design options than ever before and although rubber is prone to be a little slippery when wet, this problem can be solved by choosing a design with a textured surface. Rubber although expensive is long lived and so the cost can be spread over many years. The material itself is a great insulator but make sure that you are buying natural rubber derived from latex, not synthetic which is man made. Rubber trees themselves release oxygen and balance carbon dioxide in the air and the runny, milky-white liquid called latex is harvested without having to destroy the plant its self. No wonder rubber is trending as a flooring choice with those who have concern for their customers, employees and the environment we live in.
Linoleum or ‘Lino’ is another largely forgotten flooring product that is extremely suitable for settings with lots of traffic… and many people don’t know that it is made almost entirely of bio-based materials, many of which are renewable resources. Linoleum is made from 97% natural raw materials, 43% of which are recycled and 70% being renewable! The key raw materials used in its production include linseed oil, which comes from the seeds of the flax plant, ‘wood flour’ which is made from waste from the timber industry and grown in controlled forestry plantations, plus jute and limestone. Linoleum is low in emissions and free from plasticizers and synthetic additives. It is also biodegradable and so no need to worry when it is time for it to be replaced. Perhaps the most exciting thing about linoleum is that it is available in a massive selection of colours… some companies offer a pallet of 300 colours or more! So your only difficulty with this flooring solution is that you are spoilt for choice! Additionally there is a range of marbled tiles, which create the more natural look of stone. Perhaps the feature we love the most about linoleum is the flexibility in style. Using special waterjet techniques and laser engraving, linoleum can be cut and styled to produce designs of great intricacy depicting flowers, geometric designs and maps. So this would be a great choice if you wish to incorporate your logo into your new eco floor!
So if you are among those people who are considering their next floor to be an eco-floor then give us a call… we are here to help!
Choose Peter Green Commercial Contracts Department for your Green Floor!
- 22nd April 2022