What Are Eco-Friendly Floors

Eco-friendly floors are those floors that are safe and comfortable to your home, and also friendly to the environment. There are a wide variety of floors to choose from. Eco-friendly floors do not deplete the rain forests, and are widely available for clients and manufacturers that are interested in providing home solutions that are beautiful and smartly designed. 

Here are some of the more popular eco-friendly flooring options available on the market today. 

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· Cork – Cork is something most people think of when they think of wine. Cork is a substance made from the bark of a cork tree, often found in the Mediterranean. Because it comes from the bark of the tree, the tree does not have to be cut down to harvest it. Cork is fire resistant, it has anti-microbial properties, and is easy to maintain. It is also a natural insect repellant making it ideal for anyone that wants to enjoy a beautiful home and keep the bugs away. It can suit any design or color scheme in the home, and generally lasts between 10 and 30 years. 

· Bamboo – Bamboo is another natural option. It’s very similar to hardwood, but is lightweight and generally comes in many different hues. You can customize it. Bamboo comes from natural vegetation that takes about three to five years to grow, which is much less time than it takes a tree to grow. 

· Linoleum – Many people think of vinyl when they consider linoleum but the two are very different. Vinyl is a synthetic substance made from harmful chemicals; linoleum is made from cork dust, linseed oil, tree resins and wood flour as well as a few other natural ingredients. It is water resistant and fire resistant. This substance used to be very commonplace as flooring but fell out of favor when vinyl flooring became popular. It is becoming more popular again as consumers seek environmentally friendly types of flooring. 

· Concrete – While it may seem odd, concrete is actually a very popular type of flooring even in residential settings. You can polish it and tint it and use it as your primary floor or cover it if you want with a rug; although after polishing it is beautiful and looks more perfect than tile. It is durable and once put into the floor never needs to be replaced. 

A Guide to Selecting Floors

When it comes to selecting home flooring there is a wealth of different types, styles and selections to choose from. The task may often seem daunting. Depending on the style of home that you have and type of traffic that you expect to come from each room, you have much to think about. 

Here are some important considerations, including the advantages of each. 

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· Hardwood – These floors are among the most popular and often a favorite. Hardwood floors are durable and provide a natural feel. They come in many different styles, and offer you the option of finishing them yourself. 

· Laminate – Laminate is much like hardwood but easier to install and less expensive. Laminate is made from materials that are wood-based and laminated on top of wood grain. These are engineered floors. 

· Bamboo – This is a lightweight floor that is very humidity resistant, but may be more expensive that other options. It is environmentally friendly and looks good in many kitchen areas.

· Linoleum – This is one of the more popular choices particularly as it is a green choice, not one of the choices that depletes the rain forests. It is made of wood flour and rosins. It is made of natural products, and offers bactericidal properties. It is often used in hospitals and clinics. Linoleum is shock resistant and water-resistant, comes in many colors and is easy-to-clean. 

· Tile – Tile is very popular, natural, and comes in many different colors. It is easier to maintain than some other natural products including marble, costs less and is very durable. 

· Vinyl – This is perhaps one of the most affordable options for flooring, often convenient becomes it comes in many self-stick options. The thicker the vinyl you choose, the more durable it is. It is a good choice for high moisture areas.

How to Install Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring can offer your floors a beautiful new look with very minimal effort. Before installing your laminate floors it is important to clean the subfloor and remove all base molding. This prepares the area you plan to install the laminate flooring in. 

You will also want to install a vapor barrier, which needs to be done one row at a time. Start from the longest wall of the room. The manufacturer typically provides directions. Next, be sure to trim door jambs, so the flooring can easily slide under the jamb. The easiest way to do this is by using a flat saw.

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Now you are ready to begin installing the first row of laminate.

Installing the Laminate Flooring

When installing the laminate flooring, it is best to lay planks parallel to the longest wall. When installing your planks, place the first plank along the groove of the plank facing the wall. Use .5” spacers against the wall. Place your first plank against this. The spaces serve to create an expansion gap in the event the floor needs to breathe, so the floor does not warp.

You will cover the gap later with molding. Spacers also provide a base to install against. The spacers should be placed every 1’ along the wall at the edge of the plank of adjoining walls. For each plank that you install, be sure to match the groove and tap each groove into place. You can do this using scrap flooring so that planks are protected. 

All pieces should fit well together without gaps along the lengths of the planks. 

Stagger the joints of your flooring together. When beginning new rows of flooring make sure to offset each row from six to eight inches so the joints at the end are not aligned row-to-row. This can make your floor weak. You will need to trim the last plan to fit, and then install the floor ends and thresholds of your laminate that the floor butts up against. You can then remove your spacers and put base molding in to cover your expansion gaps. 

Types of Wildflowers for the Garden

Nothing says you love gardening more than exotic species of wildflower. Wildflowers themselves are practical and a beautiful addition to any garden. If you plan to plant wildflowers, it is important to understand what a wildflower is.

Wildflowers are flowers that grow naturally, or without any type of cultivation. That is why they are called “wild” flowers. Flowers that are naturally grown within a certain environment are distinctive in that they are “native” to a region.

Most Popular Wildflower

Here is a list of some of the more popular wildflower species for your garden bed.

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Wild Roses 

These beautiful flowers are lovely. These flowers are wild, they grow naturally, and there are more than 100 species throughout the world. You can find wild roses throughout Europe, in Asia, and in the States. Wild Roses have five petals, and most are pink. 

Red Poppy 

The red poppy is perhaps the most common wildflower. It produces very small red flowers. It is common in parts of Asia and North Africa, in Europe and in other regions. It is commonly featured in artwork.

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Black-Eyed Susans 

These unique flowers are probably more popular for their name than for anything else. An old English poem was written about these mysterious yellow flowers; the flower was actually named after a Swedish family, the Rudbecks. Originally considered a weed, the wildflower has been redeemed by gardeners throughout the world.

Lupines  

These unique flowers come in a variety of colors, and look more like small exotic trees than flower. Lupines has small spikes, with leaves shaped like small palms. Lupines come in white, red, blue and even yellow colors. They often grow well in sandy soil, but may sometimes grow in other types of soil. Lupines are a hybrid species of wildflower.