Green Living
Forget about those dirty footprints. These days, folks are trying to reduce their carbon footprints when it’s time to redo their floors or make selections for a new home.
Hardwoods are the most abundantly renewable flooring material available, according to the National Wood Flooring Association, a Missouri-based organization. So while carpet and other flooring options also have made strides to be more green, looking at hardwoods is a good way to start your search for eco-friendly floors.
And if you’re getting ready to put your home on the market, take note of what’s underneath your feet: 90 percent of real estate agents said homes with wood floors sell faster than those without wood floors, according to a recent NWFA survey.
Here’s a look at three options for your hardwood floors.
Recoating
Recoating doesn’t require you to sand all the way to the floor’s surface, although the top portion of the existing floor is cleaned and lightly sanded. By choosing to use a water-based polyurethane finish and a contractor who has invested in dust containment systems, the process can be more green. Dust containment systems can minimize debris, although the NWFA notes that no system is 100 percent effective (be sure to cover any items that you want to protect from dust).
Water-based polyurethane finishes range from $55 per gallon to $100 per gallon, compared to the mid $20s per gallon for traditional oil-based, or solvent, finish said Michael Purser, owner of The Rosebud Co., an Atlanta-based wood floor finishing and restoration company. A water-based polyurethane finish dries clear and faster (typically in two to three hours compared to eight hours for oil-based finishes), which could reduce labor costs.
Kevin and Chris Talmant chose a water-based polyurethane to redo the floors in their LaVista Park home in DeKalb County, where the previous owners had painted the floor white in the master bedroom. They spent about $4,000, in a couple of phases, to update the floors in the kitchen, living room, dining room and hallway. The couple immediately noticed the water-based polyurethane’s low odor, which made them feel as if they had made a healthier, greener choice for themselves and their pet parrot, Picasso.
“When you come home, you don’t have this horrible oil-based smell in the air,” Kevin said.
Prefinished and engineered flooring
Prefinished and engineered flooring is sanded, stained and finished at the manufacturing plant, according to the World Floor Covering Association, a California-based industry association. The options have grown to include reclaimed oak and pine flooring, which appeal to eco-conscious consumers.
No dust or vapors are brought into the home, which Purser said makes it one of the greenest options available. “You install it. That’s it,” he said. Most of the floors in this category range from $6 to $8 per square foot, although you could expect to pay more for reclaimed floors.
Onsite sanding and finishing
The more pricey and labor-intensive onsite sanding and finishing process, which Purser describes as the “root canal” of new construction or remodeling, has made green gains because of dust containment systems and more water-based polyurethane finishes. Onsite finishing gives homeowners the ability to customize the floor by having it sanded and stained at the home, according to the World Floor Covering Association.
