There are so many different types of flooring, it’s not always easy to know what to choose. Everyone is talking about the environment these days and one of the buzz words is “recycled.” You don’t have to make your own recycled floor tiles but picking recycled flooring materials for that home improvement project will definitely do a lot for the planet. There are a number of companies now offering highly aesthetic floor tiles made from used leather, metal, and glass which can help slow down the massive effects of global warming.
It’s always tempting to use “virgin products” which may even be high in volatile organic compounds because they’re easily available and they’re a tad cheaper (thanks to mass reproduction) than their recycled counterparts, but the extra dollars you’ll be spending will definitely go a long way.
There are popular companies now offering recycled flooring materials to their clients. You can also scour the internet for these clean and green recycled tile floor manufacturers. When you’re shopping for these Earth-friendly tiles, check the post-consumer content. The acceptable level is 55%, and this is the level used by the manufacturers mentioned above. Aside from the tiles themselves, you should also look for environmentally friendly glue. Just ask your local hardware store which brands emit the lowest levels of green house gases. These products should have the EPA label of approval somewhere on their packages.
Installing Recycled Floor Tiles
Once you have your recycled flooring materials and your planet-friendly glue ready, get your chalk lines, cutters and scrapers to begin the installation. Just like “virgin tiles”, the installation process starts by cleaning the area you’re planning to work on. The old flooring should have been peeled off in advance, and the space should be level and free from traces of dirt, glue, and other debris. Then, with the use of the two chalk lines, find the very center of the room or space you’re working one. Adhere the recycled tiles carefully, working from the center outwards. Prepare your clippers and ruler when you reach the edges because you may have to trim some of the tiles to fit the gaps. Allow for 72 hours to pass before treading on your newly installed, Earth friendly flooring.
Recycled Wood Floor
A particularly popular method of using recycled materials that has been in practice for many years is the use of recycled wood flooring. Although the original wood used in early-era buildings was logged in many cases from old-growth forests, the act of re-using them when an old building is being torn down lessens the impact that the clearing will have had on the environment. The old hardwood flooring from older buildings often yields some of the most reliable and attractive floors you could possibly imagine.
There are numerous other materials that may be recycled and by doing so we are reducing the dependence on the creation of new products. Cork, leather floor tiles, rubber flooring, vinyl and even artificial grass may be recycled to be re-used somewhere else.
Every recycled flooring product that is used is one less product that is required to be manufactured.
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