| Green Flooring Choices: Cork or Bamboo? |
| Learn about two of the most popular options for "green" flooring. |
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Just a few years ago, affordable flooring options for the home improvement enthusiast were mostly limited to slow-growing hardwoods, vinyl flooring made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or ceramic tiles. But today alternatives such as bamboo and cork are competitively priced and are more common in home improvement centers. Using sustainable flooring options is a great way to spruce up the house and be environmentally responsible at the same time. With new styles, materials and options hitting the market every year, green flooring can add value, beauty and comfort to your home. By understanding the pros and cons of the various green flooring selections before heading out to the local mega home improvement center, you can make the right choice for your home — and the planet. Bamboo
Thought of as the ultimate in sustainable flooring when it first hit the market, bamboo flooring has had trouble living up to the hype. Pros: Botanically classified as a grass, bamboo is easily processed into flooring that looks quite a bit like hardwood and can be stronger and more durable than oak. It grows faster than harvest demand, which makes it perfectly sustainable, and can be stained to provide an assortment of colors to meet most decorating needs. Bamboo can be grown inexpensively and can be installed by most moderately skilled homeowners using the same techniques as installing traditional hardwood floors, either glued, floated, or stapled. Cons: The bamboo plant takes six years to fully mature and harden to the condition where it is stronger than oak, and many manufacturers don't have the patience to let it age. Discount bamboo flooring is notorious for being easily dented and wearing rough in a short period of time. The immature product can warp in humid conditions, and stains can fade to leave an uneven appearance. A majority of bamboo flooring is imported from China, where warranty claims are difficult to settle and replacement can be troublesome and costly. While quality bamboo is the real deal, it is critical that you purchase from a knowledgeable distributor who knows where the flooring was made and is willing to stand behind the product.
Cork
Like bamboo, cork is gaining favor among homeowners looking for an alternative to hardwood floors. Pros: Cork flooring is made from the leftovers of bottle-stopper cork production. That makes it a recycled product as well as a renewable harvest product. Because of the unique cell structure and organic characteristics of cork, it is soft to tread upon, repels dust and bugs, and makes a great thermal and sound insulator. If properly cared for, cork floors can be incredibly durable and long-lasting. Cork flooring comes in a wide range of patterns and, with either simple tongue and groove panels or 12" x 12" tiles, it is as easy to install as linoleum or vinyl tiles. Cons: By law, the Cork Oak bark from which the flooring materials are made can only be harvested every nine years, which may limit the availability of the product if demand keeps increasing. Almost all cork comes from the area around the Mediterranean, so cork floors probably won't be a "local" product. Care will be needed when cleaning and after installation; most manufacturers recommend a coating of a water base poly urethane. Cork may not be aesthetically appealing for all home owners but is ideal for kid's areas, hallways and game rooms. Cork is exceptionally environmentally responsible and can provide years of quality service to almost any home. When looking for alternatives to traditional wood flooring, both bamboo and cork offer many benefits as well as being affordable, durable, and sustainable products. For homeowners looking for ways to tread lightly on planet, treading green at home is a great place to start. Andrew Hunt is a freelance writer who specializes in green building and energy efficiency topics.
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