Sustainable design has been experiencing an enormous rise in popularity in the last two decades and it’s expected that by 2022 more than half of homebuilding will be predominantly eco-friendly oriented. Every year offers new advances both in materials and building technologies, and it’s clear this design is here to stay.
While most people still think that sustainable design is by default too expensive, unattractive and unpractical, modern trends simply prove them wrong. When it comes to flooring options, we’ve seen many flooring choices that are eco-friendly and pleasing to the eye. Whether you’re looking for a carpet or a hard surface, here are several popular trends to consider.
Reclaimed hardwood
The greatest benefit of reclaimed hardwood floor is that it comes from discarded materials recovered from old warehouses, factories, barns, demolished buildings or coal mines. Compared to regular wooden floors, these floors are stronger, more durable and less likely to splinter. Being previously exposed to the elements, it will not have a strong reaction to changing temperatures.
In addition to being a much cheaper alternative to new hardwood, it frequently looks better than new flooring due to its wider rings and unique markings, which also gives it more character and texture.
Vinyl
The most common type of vinyl flooring is linoleum and in comparison to regular traditional vinyl, it uses no harmful and toxic chemicals in the making. It’s produced from natural materials such as dried flax seeds, ground up cork, wood and plant material, which are all sustainably produced and biodegradable.
Ever since its debut in Australia in the 19th century, vinyl flooring has been a popular choice of flooring and it has come a long way since its beginnings and cheap-looking designs. With new, attractive and realistic modern designs and a wide palette of colors, your only concern is the installation. Although it can be done as a DIY project, it might be better if you rely on vinyl flooring experts in Sydney to take care of that so you can achieve the best end results.
Cork
Cork is a natural product obtained from shaving off bark from an oak tree without actually cutting down or even harming the tree. This makes it completely sustainable as the bark will grow back eventually, making it a renewable source of material.
Cork is also a very durable, shock absorbent and warm material, which are excellent qualities that make the floor very low maintenance, comfortable to walk over and warm in the winter. Cork floors come in different colors and textures and allow you to customize the space to your own taste.
Concrete
One of the greenest flooring options that are very low maintenance and composed of purely natural materials is concrete. It’s the coatings applied over concrete that can have an adverse effect on the environment so that’s the aspect to bear in mind. The best option, economically and environmentally, is the polished concrete. In comparison to the traditional epoxy floors, polishing offers more durability and even though it incurs bigger initial costs, its practically non-existent maintenance compensates for it and makes it the most economic investment.
Fortunately, green building practices are becoming much more mainstream than before and the moment things reach a positive turning point, careless ways of the past will become obsolete and primitive.
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