You might be wondering how to start selecting the right flooring solution for your particular project. First, consider if you want a soft or hard floor, based on the room's purpose, occupants and primary activities that will take place there. How easy will it be to clean it? Does the floor have the proper aesthetic qualities? These are the types of questions you might ask to help you narrow down the list. If you really want to be minimize your impact, you might find out what kind of chemicals are used to install the floor, or how the flooring is disposed of after its use.¹

While these earth-minded products may seem new and different, many of them look identical to the flooring that we are more familiar with. The idea is that green flooring replaces traditional flooring with not only new materials, but it improves on the environmental impact of traditional styles. For example, wood is not a very eco-friendly material, because improper forestry harms the environment. If you want to put wood floors in your house, look for products that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Logging companies rewarded with this certification have to meet 57 criteria, from limiting pesticide use to protecting local wildlife. All the traditional species are still available with FSC certification, including Oak, Cherry, Maple and many others.²  

There are other familiar flooring solutions available as well. Everyone loves the comfort of a carpeted room and now there are plenty of green carpeting solutions. The carpeting that we are most familiar with often contains high amounts of VOC's (volatile organic compounds) and other chemicals that can be dangerous to your health. Green carpeting alternatives are generally low in VOC's and other chemicals, plus some models feature natural stain-resistance and contain recycled material. Wool, sisal, coconut husk and recycled PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) plastic are some of the items used to lower the environmental impact and to make your home healthier. Make sure to use green padding as well! Linoleum is also a green product since it is made from natural materials like linseed, cork, tree rosin and other non-toxic materials. It is a much better alternative to chemical-ridden vinyl flooring.

If you feel like trying out a new kind of flooring solution, there are plenty of great options available. One popular floor material is cork, which is made from the bark of the cork tree. The tree itself receives minimal damage and the bark grows back to be harvested again in ten years. Cork floors are warm to the touch (compared to hardwoods), a natural sound absorber, and resistant to mold, insects and micro-organisms that cause allergies.² Check out Globus Cork, a company that has created a whole line of cork flooring that includes various patterns and colors (http://www.corkfloor.com/).

Bamboo floors are another good choice. Bamboo, which is actually a grass (not a wood), is a fast-growing resource that requires little fertilizer and pesticide. The flooring is easy to maintain and it looks great!² If you are going for a modern look, or you just want a durable, basic floor, you can use concrete. The material is inexpensive and its surface can be stamped with a pattern or painted. Concrete can also be used outdoors! 

What if you want to build a deck in your backyard? There is a new material that was created to replace traditional wood decks that suffer in wet weather. Known as Trex, this new material uses a combination of reclaimed wood and plastic that is resistant to nasty weather. Instead of having to stain the deck every few years (with toxic chemicals), Trex lasts a lifetime and it aids in the recycling of waste materials. Trex offers a broad range of colors, styles and finishes; plus, it functions like standard lumber.³ Check it out here: http://www.trex.com.

While there are endless options to consider for your new floor, it has never been this easy to make your home look wonderful and minimize your environmental impact as well. Once you figure out the look you want, visit the database to find a retailer near you.

¹ Keeler, Marian. "8 Tips for Selecting Healthy and Environmentally Sound Flooring." 11 Nov.
2005.
² Young, Julie M. "Green Floors: Six Materials to Have Underfoot."
    <http://www.doityourself.com/stry/green-flooring>.
³ Trex. "Product Information." 2007. <http://www.trex.com/products/whatistrex.asp>.