The Benefits of Different Types of Flooring

3 Beautiful and Sustainable Flooring Options for Your Home

30 November 2018

Marian Moreno

When it comes to making design choices for your renovation, you no doubt have a list of criteria that each element must meet. Like many Australians, you may believe that sustainability is one of these criteria in order to create a home that is gentler on the environment. The flooring you choose is one element that is increasingly easy to make informed choices about when it comes to eco-friendly materials. Here are three attractive, functional and sustainable flooring materials that you might like to consider for your home.

1. Timber flooring

Timber flooring isn't a new concept and has been used in homes around the country for centuries. However, it remains a popular choice for many Australian homeowners because it's beautiful, natural and versatile. Timber flooring also holds its own in the sustainability stakes in department compared to many other flooring options.

Timber is a natural and renewable resource that captures and stores problematic carbon from the atmosphere. Timber is also incredibly durable and will last for a lifetime and beyond with the right care. Finally, timber is completely recyclable, which is an important facet of sustainability.

2. Bamboo flooring

Bamboo is fast becoming a mainstay in sustainable construction and building design. It has many applications, but it's most commonly used to create flooring. Bamboo flooring is a beautiful and cost-effective alternative to timber flooring that provides the same natural warmth and colour as timber.

The reason why bamboo is becoming a bastion of the sustainable building arena is due to its inherent ecological credentials. Bamboo grows rapidly and is highly renewable. It doesn't require large areas of land to be produced, its hardy, weed-like structure requires very little water and no fertilisers and it is light and easy to transport.

3. Concrete flooring

Although on first consideration concrete might seem like the antithesis of eco-friendly, it's actually a great choice for sustainable building and flooring. Concrete is strong, durable and completely recyclable. You can also opt for concrete flooring that is composed of crushed, recycled concrete as aggregate to make your new floor even more environmentally friendly.

Concrete flooring has the added advantage of helping to make your home more energy efficient. Your concrete floor doubles as a thermal mass and an incredibly effective insulator. The concrete helps to absorb and store internal heat during the winter months and will help to repel external heat during hot weather. This means you'll use less energy to heat and cool your home.

Share

Search