These factors should be part of your decision making process when considering which floor coverings that best fit with your eco consciousness.
Transportation
- Be cautious of products that have to be transported long distances. Energy used in the transportation of the product may cancel out any perceived benefits.
- Choose products made or grown within 500 miles of your location.
- Shop locally when possible from vendors that supply locally.
Installation
- Use adhesives with low VOC’s.
- Choose watebased finishes over solvent-based ones.
Use and Maintenance
- Once installed, some floors continue to give off gas compounds. Ventilation of the room will help dispell any off-gassing from products.
- Avoid less durable floors which have to be replaced more frequently. Often the labor cost to install a long lasting floor is the same as for a less durable one.
- Avoid high maintenance floors that need harsh chemicals too keep them clean or polished. The life cycle costs may outweight the original cost of the floorcovering over its lifetime.
- Consider floors that don’t have to be refinished.
End of Life
- What will happen to the floor when it has reached the end of its lifecycle?
- Can the floor be recycled or reused?
- Can the floor be donated to charity?
- In general, synthetic products don’t decay, but they can be recycled.
- Natural products will decompose.