Green Flooring Put to The Test

Having checked out paint for my walls, the next mission in greening my home was to tear up the dated carpets chock-full of two decades worth of bacteria and dirt. My dog sheds enough allergens for me to worry about as it is and brown shag wasn't my idea of a cheerful look! Once I'd exposed the sub flooring, I had to pick among the many eco-friendly flooring options available, searching for the perfect combination of attractiveness, durability and price.

Reclaimed Wood
The first product I tested was reclaimed hardwood, TerraMai's Gold Mix, salvaged from Southeast Asia's railroads and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. There is some mileage, both literal and figurative, on this wood. As tropical hardwood railroad ties are being slowly replaced with concrete ties, the old ties are milled in Asia, then shipped to TerraMai in California. Although it take fuel to get them here, each plank is unique, bearing knots and grain that give it gorgeous rich tones and lines ($14.50-16.50/sq. ft.; terramai.com).

Wood floor finishes can also pose problems: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from solvents such as mineral spirits and petroleum distillates may irritate airways and cause headaches, dizziness and nausea. However, with minimal odor, Bona Kemi's Bonatech Mega Finish Gloss , a low-VOC, waterborne product, provided a beautiful hard finish ($47.87/gallon; onlinefloorstore.com).

Bamboo
The second flooring I tested was bamboo.  Popular due to its relatively low cost, it's widely regarded as environmentally friendly since bamboo is a fast-growing, easily replenished grass.  However, deforestation and pesticide use can be problem with bamboo cultiavtion. Furthermore, some bamboo flooing is finished with high-VOC coatings and adhesives that emit the human carcinogen formaldehyde.  In Yanchi bamboo flooring, though, I found a beautiful selection with an aluminum oxide finish that meets stringent European toxicity standards. The only problem I had was that the flooring scratched easily, a surprise since bamboo is very hard.  According to Build Direct, these are most likely finish scratches, which appear white and can be fixed with a putty pen matched to the color in the flooring. (Keep a little extra bamboo flooring aside after installation to test the putty pen on prior to using it on your floor.) If you have a dog, think twice about bamboo—otherwise it’s a great choice ($1.85 to 3.06/sq. ft.; builddirect.com).

Cork
Cork is another great option, but unfortunately I didn't have a chance to personally test any samples. While slightly more pricey than bamboo, cork is popular because it's a floating floor, requiring no glue or nails, thereby reducing the need for costly professional installation. As architect David Cohen of Princeton, NJ, who installed it in his eco-friendly home, said, "it's one of the few things in the house I [installed] myself; there was very little expertise involved."