I’ve peeked inside the walls, took a tour of the roof, so now let’s see what’s under our feet. Some of the greenest flooring options are already in common use, and even the least sustainable flooring has greener versions. So before you despair of having a green floor, read on.

Carpet is everywhere, especially in office settings, and most houses have carpet somewhere, at least in the bedrooms. If you want to replace your old carpet with new, there are several questions to consider. What is the carpet made of? Major carpet retailers now offer synthetic carpet lines that contain recycled material, as well as options that have lower VOC emissions. While you might have to look farther afield, there are also carpets made from natural fibers like wool and jute that use natural and no-VOC adhesives. What is the carpet pad made of? While the least expensive pad may use synthetic glue that gives off a lot of VOCs, there are choices that will not harm your indoor air quality. Wool carpet pads are recyclable, odor free, naturally flame retardant, and come from a renewable resource. Synthetic rubber pads are durable, non-toxic, and recyclable. What happens to the old carpet? Some manufacturers will take back the old carpet for recycling, but if they will only dump it in the trash, go to Carpet America Recovery Effort to find a carpet recycling company in your region.

Colorful natural linoleum tiles

If you don’t want carpet, your choices are pretty amazing. Floating hardwood floors can be installed by the homeowners without adhesives. These are sold in interlocking planks that are cut size on site. As with carpet pads, there are choices for floating floor underlayments featuring cork, recycled content, and non-toxic materials. Bamboo floors are a sustainable hardwood option with the same interlocking installation available. Wood floors that don’t interlock should be installed by a professional, but this option allows you to use reclaimed wood from old buildings, as well as sustainably harvested wood. Cork flooring has become more popular, since it cushions your steps, is non-toxic, and is a sustainably harvested material. Cork comes from a special species of oak tree that regrows its cork layer every three years. Another softer floor covering is natural linoleum. Unlike the vinyl floors often called linoleum, natural linoleum is made from linseed oil, tree resin, and other natural materials. It comes in a variety of colors with a wonderful retro feel.

Tile floors have always been popular in the bathroom and kitchen, and homeowners in the warmer parts of the country have used tile throughout the house. It’s tough, easy to clean, great for indoor air quality, and it can be repaired to extend its life. Closely related to fired clay tiles are cast recycled concrete tiles, which can be tinted throughout the tile.

If one of the flooring options I’ve mentioned piqued your interest, there is plenty more information available online. Be ready to try something new and end up with the best floor ever. Meanwhile, if you have made the jump to natural linoleum, cork, bamboo, or one of the other green options, tell me what you think of it!