The definition of what is green, or environmentally friendly, can vary. At FloorsForLess.com, green means new products created from recycled materials. Why not be a good steward of natural resources, especially when the products are fashionable and priced fairly?
North American Hardwood (Wisconsin): So what makes this so green? Managed forest, about 95% of all our forest generate 4 times the oxegen and clean up 4 times the carbon dioxide as does old growth forests. These are the active growing trees that keep our air clean and fresh. Yes the replacement cycle is 30 to 50 years depending upon species and purpose, but forests manged in the USA are sustainable and we even export wood without loosing any acreage. there is plenty of wood! One of the newest “green” benchmarks is distance raw materials travel to consumers homes. What can be better than a Wisconsin Hardwood Floor. local product, local labor and very competitively priced!
Bamboo: Sure, it’s easy; buy Bamboo, then pat yourself on the back and say “I just saved the earth”. Nothing is that easy. If you really care about the environment and want a durable floor then you will have to really dig for information. One easy rule, if the information is not readily available then the Bamboo is probably not manufactured to standards that make it a truly “green” product. * Unlike North American hardwood that is cut and milled, Bamboo is processed. It is crushed and then glued together. In that process there are many pitfalls.
Eco Supreme: We are proud of this product. This is foundation padding for laminate flooring and engineered float floors, and it is a great noise barrier for hardwood flooring installations. Eco Supreme is made from 95% recycled rubber. It is the best acoustical pad and is naturally anti-microbial. It has an IIC rating of 60 decibels, one of the highest ratings in the market today. It comes in 100 SF rolls that are 48 inches wide.
PVC Tile: This direct glue-down PVC slate look tile and wood plank floor is rated for commercial use. It’s great in basements, laundry rooms, commercial areas, and water problem areas. This product is made from 100% recycled PVC.
Cork: What a great product for Wisconsin! Cork is a great fatigue mat due to the natural characteristics of cork. For a workplace like a kitchen it’s soft under foot, forgiving if you drop something (unlike ceramic tile) and is naturally warmer in our cold Wisconsin winters. Properly harvested, cork recycles itself in 12 years, a great renewable material. Our cork is from Portugal, and cork from Spain and Portugal is noted for it’s higher density and longer life. All of our corks have a water based Urethane wear-layer, so they are safe and easy to maintain.
All the above products are competitively priced.