What Are the Most Allergy-Friendly and Sustainable Choices for Flooring in South Florida?

If someone in your family suffers from any type of allergy, you know that many types of flooring can trap allergens and make symptoms a nightmare. Even if allergies aren’t a special concern, materials that trap allergens also trap dirt and can be made with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene and formaldehyde so it can be hard to keep your home truly clean when these products are part of your décor.

While there are many materials that don’t hold allergens or release VOCs, many people are concerned that the ideal materials might not be sustainable. Do they deplete the environment of natural resources or contribute to worldwide pollution problems? As a luxury home remodeling contractor with decades of experience in South Florida, we know that it is important to take many factors into account before choosing your flooring because replacing it can be a disruptive process in your home. Here are some flooring choices to consider that are both sustainable and allergy-friendly.

Cork Flooring

At first glance, cork doesn’t seem like a material that would be either hypoallergenic or sustainable. It’s porous and comes from slow-growing trees. It seems like it should be one the worst materials for allergy-sufferers and that it would deplete natural resources. But just the opposite is true.

Cork comes from the bark of cork oak trees. It contains suberin, a waxy substance that naturally deters insects and wood rot to protect the trees, so it also deters mold, mildew, and microbes. The surface also does not allow dust or dander to cling. Tens of millions of cells in each cubic inch of cork give the material its soft, resilient quality while providing strength and durability.

While cork is naturally resistant to water, cork flooring can also be sealed after installation so it can be used in rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.

Removing bark from other types of trees would destroy the health of the tree because it would disrupt the flow of sap and allow pests to enter. But cork oak trees grow with a double layer of bark. The outer layer can be harvested without harming the tree. In fact, the longer a cork oak lives, the more harvestable bark it produces. Trees often live more than 150 years.

Moreover, the process of manufacturing cork flooring incorporates cuttings left from the making of wine corks, so it uses rather than produces waste. Cork is also completely biodegradable, producing no harmful impacts on the environment at the end of its usefulness. This makes cork a material that is highly renewable and good for the environment both outside and inside the home.  

Bamboo Flooring

Another surprise addition to the list is bamboo flooring. For years, the production of flooring from bamboo caused serious environmental destruction because the material was harvested from bamboo forests in remote areas, wrecking habitats and requiring extensive transportation networks. However, as the benefits of this type of flooring became widely apparent, farmers in the U.S. began growing bamboo close to home.

While bamboo looks like wood, it is actually a type of grass. So bamboo can grow to maturity in three years compared to the decades required for a hardwood tree to grow. Since most bamboo flooring is now produced from renewable farmed bamboo produced close to home, it has become a very environmentally friendly material.

Despite being made from a grass, bamboo flooring is considerably harder than maple and northern red oak, so it can withstand considerable traffic. In South Florida, for home renovations and additions, bamboo is often a practical and beautiful choice for living rooms, home offices, and open-concept spaces.

Like cork, bamboo naturally resists water and mildew and does not trap allergens. However, some producers use formaldehyde in the manufacturing process, so it is important to check the manufacturing details to avoid bringing this VOC into your home. When you work with a knowledgeable and responsive home contractor, your contractor can help find flooring produced to the right specifications.

Traditional Choices Might Not Be the Best: Tile and Hardwood

For years, allergy sufferers considered that their best two choices for flooring were tile and hardwood. But there are problems with both. The imperfections in hardwood planks that give this flooring such character can also hold allergens and bacteria. If these floors aren’t rigorously maintained, they can become a haven for harmful substances. Moreover, mature trees must be killed and harvested to produce hardwood flooring, and it takes up to 50 years for new trees to reach maturity, depleting forests throughout the world.

Glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles have a surface that won’t harbor allergens, and these materials can be produced sustainably. However, the grout in between tiles can easily accumulate allergens and microbes, so tile is not necessarily the perfect choice for allergy sufferers.

Surprising Alternatives: Linoleum and Carpeting

One alternative flooring that is relatively new on the scene of luxury home remodeling is based on an old, traditional concept: linoleum. The new version is natural or “real” linoleum, made from wood pulp, flax oil, and linseed oil. In recent decades, linoleum was made with vinyl and other synthetic products, but returning to natural products provides a hypoallergenic surface that can be extremely durable and unique.

One final option might seem to be a mistake: carpet. After all, carpet is notorious for holding onto dirt and allergens. However, knowing how much people love the cozy feel that carpeting can bring to a room, manufacturers have developed hypoallergenic varieties that reject the buildup of microbes.

Talk to Marcela Montoya Remodeling About the Right Flooring Choices for your Renovation or Addition

When you embark on a project to remodel or add to your home, you are entitled to work with a contractor who listens to your wishes and creates designs custom-tailored to your goals. At Marcela Montoya Remodeling, we don’t sell pre-packaged plans but instead, start with your goals and build a design that is just for you, from the floor up. 

In our decades of luxury home remodeling, we have developed an understanding of flooring and other materials that are hard to match, and we take the time to share the benefit of our experience as we develop a plan for your project. In the end, the choices are yours, and we work to your satisfaction. We believe you deserve no less. If you’re planning a renovation or addition, schedule a free consultation with Marcela and find out more about the ways we can help you reimagine your home. To set up your free consultation, just call 954-900-9992 or contact us online.