Here is a good news for you, there are many green healthy flooring options from Hardwood to cork to stone tiles these days so you only need to be able to decide which one gives you better look and also which one suits your budget and of course your lifestyle. So no matter if you’re pulling out an old shag or you have polished that hardwood many times, or you have finally losing the worn-out laminate. What to put underfoot matters here.
Go Hard
Since hard surface flooring is easy to sweep and mop and it won’t attract dust mites or mold, it is considered a great choice for those who suffer from asthma or allergies. But remember that these floors are not all created equal.
According to the well-known and bestselling writer, Eric Corey Freed, who is Portland-based architect, people care more about the look of flooring while there are many other important factors to be considered Since rock provides the great natural sound insulation and it doesn’t reflect the sound like ceramic tile, it is very popular among those who are looking for an especially quiet space. (Wood is found somewhere in the middle).
If you like to walk barefoot easily, then you need to try wood, cork or ceramic tile with radiant heat which is very cozy on toes. If you are searching for a good option to be used in the moisture prone areas like basement or bathroom, you need to forget the hardwood and find a polished concrete, tile or linoleum.
How the floor will be installed is a key that we usually forget about! If you already have a finished floor like hardwood you won’t be able to tile on the top of it with a thick tile, because in this way none of your doors will swing open. All of the baseboard molding must be removed and installed again unless it will look very unusual. The founder of the green design firm organic ARCHITECT Freed says that “so many people do not think of this issue until after they have ordered the tile and it is too late.”
Of course beauty is really important but Freed warns us, as a client, not to only trust our taste and forget other things. He gives us this example: you see this very beautiful dark floor which is made of walnut, and it is being reclaimed form and old bridge, it has its history. It’s very beautiful and you are into it but all your furniture is dark brown leather, so you’re adding dark brown furniture on a dark brown floor, an then suddenly everything disappears.
Freed says that : The owners will understand the room seems very strange but they are not able to find and see the issue unless one expert like an architect or Interior designer comes over and claimed that “yes, you’ve got to get all new furniture.” so I enjoy selecting contrasting flooring on purpose!
Remember that when you look at the examples he adds our eyes are usually 5 feet from the floor so flooring will look very different installation than it does on the close checking . You should think about the texture acoustics coziness warms and even the color because all of these factors play into composing the room.
