New Building Materials That Leave You Floored
New Building Materials That Leave You Floored
by Frank C. Teklits
Cheesy, I know. But the pun was just too easy to pass up, I suppose.When you are building or remodeling a home or office - or even a home office - choosing an environmentally responsible flooring product can make you feel good. No. I mean FEEL good. Carpeting made of synthetic fibers brings unwanted chemicals into your space. And even if you use natural fibers (such as wool), carpet can act as a collection point for many nasty air-borne allergens that you'd probably give the boot (if you knew they were there).So what choices are available to the eco-friendly floor buyer? Well...lots. But since I have limited space here, I'll just give you a brief lowdown on one: Marmoleum.Marmoleum
According to Treehugger.com, Marmoleum is one of the most green flooring choices available. Ingredients include linseed oil, pine rosins, wood flour, and a natural jute backing. Even in disposal, Marmoleum is kind to the earth (it's biodegradable). It is naturally resistant to bacteria and has a life span of up to 40 years. OK...enough with the stats, it's on to the fun stuff.
Marmoleum isn't your folks old version of linoleum. It is available in lots of interesting colors such as bleekerstreet (deep red), golden sunset and van gogh (kind of brown, but cooler). If you feel artistic, you can even create patters and designs with multiple colors.You can probably install it yourself (comes in sheets or tiles). And don't worry about harmful VOC's, since it doesn't require a solvent-based adhesive.To see what it looks like and learn more, you can visit the Marmoleum Store online. So what are you waiting for...step on it! (Sorry, must be something in the water today.)
