Floor Coverings -   
Flooring Companies                
TRUE LINOLEUM - A SAFE FLOOR

Modern flooring is often made of synthetic materials. Some can emit unhealthy fumes into indoor air. And their adhesives and finishes may compound the problem. These products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contribute to indoor air pollution.

• Vinyl flooring ("linoleum") is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which may emit phthalates. Glues used to fix vinyl flooring may contain solvents, such as toluene and benzene. Subflooring under old vinyl floors may contain asbestos, a known carcinogen. If you decide to replace old vinyl, have a professional do it.

• Hardwood flooring may be treated with pesticides, and chemical finishes emit high levels of VOCs. Additionally, forests worldwide are in serious decline, being harvested at unsustainable rates. Unsustainable forest management is causing biodiversity loss and negatively affecting the economic future of communities around the globe.

Happily, there are many safe alternatives to synthetic and treated flooring. The first rule is to choose natural and untreated materials. These include "true linoleum", untreated hardwood, cork, ceramic tile, marble, and stone slate. For a nursery, resilient flooring (such as true linoleum or cork) is a good alternative to carpeting, absorbing much of the shock of a tumbling baby.

• True linoleum contains natural ingredients including linseed oil from flax, resins from pine trees, wood and cork with fillers made of clay or chalk, and ground stone for colored pigments. It also has a natural jute backing. Check a linoleum sample to make sure that you and your family aren’t sensitive to these natural VOCs.[Top of Page]

• Untreated hardwood flooring. Consumers increasingly have access to sustainably harvested wood. Ask for independently certified wood flooring,a guarantee that the wood was harvested sustainably. Another option is "reclaimed" or "recycled" lumber, wood that’s been salvaged from old buildings, and can be used for floors. "Reclaimed" or "recycled" wood is often quite charming in its appearance.

• Cork flooring is produced from the outer bark of the cork oak, which grows mostly in Portugal or Spain. Cork is a renewable resource, as the time between stripping is regulated by law, so the bark can regenerate. It can be bought in tiles or carpeting sheets made with cork granules and linseed oil, backed with jute canvas. Ask for unfinished tiles and have them sealed with a natural or low-VOC synthetic sealer. Cork tiles are moisture-, rot-, and mold-resistant.

• Purchase marble, slate, and ceramic floor tiles, which emit no volatile chemicals.

Aged Woods, Inc.

CDC Carpets and Interiors

Classic Tile

Colin Campbell and Sons, Ltd.

Conklin’s Authentic Barnwood

Crate & Barrel

Crossroads Recycled Lumber

Dodge-Regupol, Inc.

E.C.O. of New York (Environmental Construction Outfitters)

Eco Design Co./The Natural choice

EcoTimber International

Eco-Wise Environmental Products

Environmental Home Center

Eudora Wood Products

Floorworks

Recycled Lumber Works
596 Park Boulevard
Ukiah, CA 95482
Phone: 707/462-2567
____________________________________________________________
Contributed by Checnet