Healthiest Flooring?
QUESTION:
Debra, this is my first visit to your website and I am impressed!
We are confused as to the best type of flooring that is healthier -- carpet, wood, or laminate?
We have a large single living area that is paneled with a browish Ash wood with hints of golden highlights and I have found it difficult to select a wooden floor that really blends well with the lliving area walls. We also have a concrete foundation and the dining area is white ceramic tile that would back up to the wooden flooring.
Health-wise, what type and brand of carpet is best?
Also, what brands of wooden flooring are healthiest? I'd appreciate it if you would mention some brand names of any healthier No-VOC or Low-VOC flooring.
Are there any particular brands of wooden or laminate flooring, or ceramic tile that qualify?
Also, do you have any suggestions about a specific color and brand name of paint that is a light tan/beige that doesn't look grayish or pinkish when put on the wall? Many thanks for your input!
Sammie
POSTED BY SAMMIE :: TEXAS USA :: 10/11/2006 4:25 AM
DEBRA'S ANSWER:
Of all the types of flooring, ceramic tile is by far the healthiest. It is absolutely inert and easy to clean. Here in Florida, many houses have ceramic tile throughout because it also stays cool. You can find ceramic tile at every home improvement store and at specialty tile shops. But that's not appropriate for all homes in every climate.
Next healthiest is hardwood flooring, IF it has a low-VOC finish. For more on wood flooring, see Types of Wood Flooring. There are many resources for low- and no-VOC flooring listed on Debra's List. Just use the big purple SEARCH button on any page and type in "flooring" and you will get this list of flooring results which also includes other blog posts on flooring.
In general, laminate flooring is NOT healthy, as it uses adhesives that release VOCs. However, I just added one brand of laminate flooring that is certified low-VOC to Debra's List--Wilsonart Flooring.
I don't recommend carpet for a lot of reasons--toxicity of the carpet itself, but also toxicity of carpet shampoo, and the fact that they harbor dust, mold, and insects. But there are some natural and low-VOC carpets, which I have listed at Carpet on the Interior Decorating page of Debra's List.
Sorry, I can't answer questions about paint colors! How a color looks on your walls entirely depends on the light in the room. I recommend getting paint color swatches and taping them on the walls until you find the color you like. Also, you can now buy little test containers of paint colors that will give you a good patch of actual paint of that color on the wall.
Debra :-)
