Going Green
Choosing the color and material of a new floor in a house is hard enough without considering environmentally friendly materials and manufacturing processes. The plentiful selection in flooring extends in to the realm of "green", with the opportunity to install environmentally friendly floors. Most "green floors" are composed of environmentally friendly products or recycled materials which limit landfill waste.
One Way to Go Green
- Green carpets are composed completely or partially of recycled food and drink containers with no sacrifice in selection and better durability. The fully recycled carpets keep forty food or drink containers out of a landfill with each square yard cut. The resources to create green carpet are also friendly on the environment by using a manufacturing and dying process that is less harmful to the environment and requires less energy than conventional carpet production. The synthetic carpet fibers are also more stain resistant and easier to maintain. Synthetic carpets typically meet a higher air quality standard, but be sure they meet the EPA indoor air quality standards.
- Underlayment, or padding, to provide floor cushioning and noise dampening is needed below the carpet. Some carpet underlayment is made of wool which meets green standards. Wool underlayment is devoid of formaldehyde or any added dyes or chemicals. The benefit with wool is it absorbs odor and keeps the air quality clean. The truly green method would be to invest in a 100% recycled carpet underlayment. This is not a sacrifice in comfort or function. The recycled carpet underlayment has varieties which are more durable and softer than environmentally harsh alternatives.
