ENVIRONENTALLY FRIENDLY FLOORING, P.2

The kind of adhesive you use is also important, says Mark Bisbee, owner of the Virginia-based GreenFloors. http://www.greenfloors.com/ One of the frequent environmental complaints about carpeting is "off-gassing," or the evaporation of chemicals known as VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Most of that can be blamed on adhesives. Bisbee's company has a list of about 20 different kinds of adhesives with low amounts of VOCs. The key is finding the right one, depending on the flooring's backing and the condition of the subfloor. Low-VOC adhesives generally cost no more than than traditional ones.

Another important environmental element is carpet padding. Bisbee estimates that most condos and co-ops don't use padding because it adds a cost element for materials and labor. But padding does lengthen the life of a carpet, an environmental and budget bonus because you have to replace the carpet less often.

Buyers should beware, however, that all padding is not environmentally equal. Recycled padding sounds like a good idea, but Bisbee warns that many recycled products contain parts that came from padding coated with fire-retardant chemicals, another off-gassing culprit. The padding Bisbee recommends is about 75 cents a square foot; traditional padding runs about 50 cents a square foot.

For entryways, stairs and landings, another option is rubber flooring. Natural rubber is harvested from the rubber tree much like maple syrup, making it a renewable resource. Bisbee says it costs between $7 and $10 a square foot.

Other rubber options come from recycled tires. One, called "tire crumb," consists of ground-up tires molded into tiles or rolls. That product can be used in hallways and landings and costs between $6 and $8 a square foot. Another recycled-rubber product is made from strips cut from tires, and runs about $8 to $12 a square foot.

Another option is natural linoleum. Linoleum is made from a combination of natural substances, such as linseed oil, ground limestone, wood and jute, and can go in places where vinyl tile would be considered, such as hallways, laundry rooms and other common areas. It generally lasts about 25 years and costs about $7 a square foot.

Like rubber, cork is a rapidly renewable resource because it can be harvested without killing the tree, says Jennifer Biscoe, marketing director for Bronx-based Globus Cork. Cork flooring is made from the post-industrial waste of the wine-stopper industry, she says. Those leftover materials are ground up, formed into blocks and then sliced into tiles that get coated with a sealant.

Cork, used for decades cork as flooring in libraries and courthouses — one installed in 1917 at Rockefeller University is still in use — dampens sound like carpet and wears better than wood, Biscoe says. It costs about $7 a square foot, and the stains, finishes and adhesives it uses are all water-based to avoid off-gassing. Plus, the material itself is biodegradable. While cork is more commonly used for commercial spaces or unit interiors like bathrooms and kitchens, it could be used for some common areas of condos and co-ops.

Adapted from Habitat January 2008. For the complete article and more, join our Archive >>