One of the booths we are planning on visiting at this year's K/BIS is GelPro, the anti-fatigue floor mat for kitchens. This gel-filled floor mat relieves pain caused from standing on hard flooring, something well-known to cooks around the world. The mats are available in a variety of colors, fabrics and styles to suit your home's decor. The fact that nearly 40 percent of GelPro's customers purchase multiple mats says something about their quality.
U.S. and Swedish researchers have discovered a surprising link between vinyl flooring and autism in children. In the course of researching allergies and indoor air pollutants, scientists discovered infants and toddlers who "lived in bedrooms with vinyl or PVC flooring were twice as likely to develop autism five years later than those with wood or linoleum flooring." The scientists said the connection was "far from conclusive" and recommended further study. Vinyl floors are made with phthalates, a softener for plastics, which may be emitted into the air from normal wear-and-tear. The controversial chemical was banned by Congress for use in children's products in 2008. In all, researchers identified four environmental factors associated with autism: vinyl flooring, the mother's smoking, family economic problems and poor ventilation in the home. For more information about proper home ventilation and healthy indoor air quality, see the BobVila.com article, "Prescription for a Healthy Home."
For a limited time only, FLOR, the manufacturer of carpet tiles, is offering free shipping on all their products. You may recognize FLOR from our video on installing carpet tiles. As you can see in the video, these modular flooring/carpet tiles install quickly and easily. Give them a try if you are in the market for a new flooring solution.
Most of us agree that cork flooring is beautiful, but is it an environmentally friendly option? According to this article from Mother Earth News, it is with a caveat. Cork flooring is made from tree bark, harvested every nine years. The harvesting does not harm the tree and the forests are prized by generations of families. The downside is the material comes from Europe and the long-distance shipping could potentially offset the environmental benefits. In purely practical terms, cork flooring is waterproof as well as mildew-, mold- and flame-resistant. So, should you go with cork? To make an informed decision, read the full four-page article. It's a worthy read.
Want something better to do with your old carpet than throw it in the dump? A company called Carpet America Recovery Effort, or CARE, has worked in carpet diversion for six years. The joint industry-government effort works to increase the amount of recycling and reuse of post-consumer carpet and reduce the amount headed to our already-overcrowded landfills. The company passed its one-billion pound mark with carpet diversion in 2007. To find carpet reclamation partners in your area, click here.
There are many choices for flooring. Even if you are able to choose the type you want easily, you still have several decisions to make. If you think that hardwood flooring is the way to go, try to think outside of the box a little bit. Remember that maple and cherry hardwoods aren’t your only options. Here are five reasons why bamboo makes a great hardwood floor: 1) The natural grains and patterns provide a warm finish. 2) Bamboo is extremely strong and durable. 3) It is environmentally friendly (it’s an easily renewable resource). 4) It still has great color and style. 5) Bamboo is the newest and coolest floor choice.
In the past, we've written about bamboo being one of the greenest building materials. Now, Slate.com investigates if it really is all that. On the pro side, bamboo grows extremely quickly (three feet in one day in one species), and it does so with a minimum of fertilizers. But, unfortunately, all these benefits can be offset by heedless growing and cultivation. Some producers chop down old woodlands to plant the tree and use lots of fertilizers to speed up the growing process. Homeowners considering bamboo should check with the manufacturer to find out how the source material was raised and whether the floors use low-formaldehyde glue.
