Eco Friendly Flooring

5 Tips for Eco Friendly Flooring

After my previous articles on bamboo, and bamboo clothing, I’ve had a lot of queries about eco friendly flooring in the home or office.

Bamboo is often touted as being a very eco friendly flooring option.

Is it?

I’ll answer that question, but I’ll also look at the question that I think is even more important.  Plus, I’ll also give you some handy tips on what to look for, if you’re buying bamboo flooring.

Is bamboo eco-friendly flooring?

When considering whether something is eco friendly or not, I always look at it very thoroughly.  I consider:

• What it is made from, and is that material genuinely sustainable
• Is there any recycled content
• How is it manufactured
• How far does it travel to get to your home
• How is it installed
• How is it cleaned
• What does it contribute to indoor air quality
• How is it disposed of, after its useful life.

Here’s how bamboo scores:

Bamboo flooring – Source Material

So we already know about how green bamboo is while it’s growing and how sustainable the product is.  We know that it absorbs high quantities of CO2 and releases oxygen more efficiently than trees.  When it’s made into bamboo flooring, it retains that CO2 and so helps the environment.   And it doesn’t need chemicals or large amounts of water to make it grow.  So top marks for bamboo in that area.

Bamboo flooring – Manufacturing

To manufacture bamboo into flooring strips, it’s cut then boiled in boric acid or lime.  Much less ‘nasty’ than a lot of other manufacturing processes.   Natural bamboo flooring is the colour of beechwood; other colours are created with high heat, which reduces the strength of the product as well as being less green.  Often, adhesive is used, and this may contain formaldehyde.  The amount is considerably less than in particleboards, for example, but it’s still there.  (Environmental Defence warns that formaldehyde can trigger allergies or asthma attacks and is even linked to cancer).  However, formaldehyde-free bamboo flooring is available.

“Solid” bamboo flooring is made from pieces of solid bamboo, glued together.  Woven or strand bamboo is made from shredded bamboo fibres glued together – this takes more manufacturing but results in a harder material.  Engineered bamboo flooring has a different backing, and is probably the least eco friendly bamboo option.  It also is more likely to crack.

Bamboo flooring – Transportation

Transportation is of course the big problem with bamboo.  Most of it is produced in Asia and so gets shipped to where you live, often a long way.  (Can bamboo be grown in America and Europe?  Yes, but apart from climatic issues, harvesting is labour-intensive and many countries cannot compete with the relatively cheap labour in Asia).

Bamboo flooring – Installation

Installation is relatively easy with click-boards, and it can be placed on top of existing flooring if necessary, for less expense and less mess.

Bamboo flooring – Cleaning & Air Quality

Bamboo flooring is very easy to keep clean, and doesn’t need chemicals.  Air quality is excellent if you install formaldehyde-free bamboo flooring.  Even “normal” bamboo flooring offers better air quality than many other flooring types.

Bamboo flooring – End of Life

And because bamboo is a grass, it is bio-degradable at end-of-life.

While not perfect by any means, I do believe bamboo offers an eco-friendly solution

Tips for Buying Bamboo Flooring

1. Always look out for VOC-free or formaldehyde-free bamboo flooring
2. Beech-coloured bamboo flooring is the most eco-friendly because it has not been treated to artificially add color.
3. With the increase in demand for bamboo, some farmers are less than scrupulous in their methods.  However, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) now certifies sustainably and fairly managed bamboo forests, so look out for their logo.
4. Acclimatise the bamboo in your room before installing it
5. If you live in an area with high humidity, bamboo flooring is not ideal.

Is it the Right Question?

I believe bamboo has a rightful place when considering eco friendly flooring.

However, I believe it’s more important to ask the question, what is the most eco friendly flooring material for me to use in MY circumstances and in MY location?

In my next article, I’ll look at wood and other eco friendly flooring options, and see how they compare with bamboo flooring.

Related Articles:

Are carpets and tiles eco friendly flooring options?

What about wood, cork and lino floors?

And stone or concrete floors, are they ‘green’?

Tell me more about bamboo

Bamboo or bamboozled?

Photo Credits: HowStuffWorks and FSC