For example, the National Wood Flooring Association looks to the Forest Stewardship Council to certify wood-flooring products as green when the material comes from forests operated under sustainable forest-management practices. Other organizations, such as BuildingGreen Inc., publisher of the GreenSpec Directory and Environmental Building News, qualify and list other green-flooring alternatives, such as natural linoleum, cork and concrete.
Carpeting: The carpet and rug industry uses a labeling system to identify materials with fewer volatile organic compounds in the carpet fiber or in the adhesives used in installation. Such carpeting improves indoor air quality, a major consideration of green building. The Green Label Plus program, directed by the Carpet and Rug Institute, certifies environmentally friendly carpeting products, and received a 2004 certificate of recognition from the California Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award program.
Linoleum: Natural linoleum is widely promoted and rigidly specified in the green building community. Natural linoleum is made primarily from linseed oil, pine resin, sawdust, cork dust, limestone and jute. It is an all-natural alternative to resilient flooring, including sheet vinyl and vinyl composition tile, which are made from polyvinyl chloride. It can get confusing, however, since the word "linoleum" is still used by some people to refer to vinyl flooring.
Wood: Sustainable forest management makes it possible to harvest wood without any serious impact on the environment, because trees are a renewable resource that can be replaced time and time again, according to Ed Korczak, executive director of the National Wood Flooring Association.
Cork: Cork flooring has become popular with environmentalists and designers alike. Cork can be harvested every nine years from the same tree — a much faster rate of renewal than waiting for a seedling to grow large enough to replace another.
Concrete: Yet another option for green flooring is to make the concrete slab the finished floor by using various types of decorative concrete techniques. Besides a concrete floor's obvious attributes of stability and durability, it can contribute to a home's energy efficiency: it absorbs heat during the day and releases it as temperatures drop at night.
Remodelers can even offer several green-flooring surfaces in the same home. A smooth surface, such as wood or concrete, could be used in active living areas and possibly partially covered with area rugs. Natural linoleum could be used in the kitchen, while carpeting is ideal for bedrooms, where it deadens sound and provides a soft, warm surface for bare feet.
