Sustainable Flooring Buyers Guide
Installing sustainable flooring provides several benefits, including being friendly to the environment, offering long-lasting performance, and appearing in many different designs. Recycled materials may qualify for LEED building points, which is important in certain construction projects. When selecting eco-friendly options for a commercial or residential building, you need manufacturers and suppliers you can trust to deliver high-quality products. At Greatmats, we specialize in finding green, sustainable flooring materials that are safe, long-lasting, and affordable. Perhaps the best compliment our customers give us is that they can achieve sustainability without sacrificing anything when they rely on our flooring.
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Ideas Before You Buy Sustainable Flooring
Tips & considerations for purchasing sustainable flooring:
The following blogs offer tips on what aspects to look for in sustainable flooring before making a purchase. Wherever you plan to use this flooring, these are all important things to learn before making your final decision.- Achieving LEED certification is an important aspect of any construction project that needs to be eco-friendly. Selecting the right flooring materials plays a big role in collecting LEED points, and Greatmats can help. Learn More: Where Do I Find LEED Certified Floor Material and Products?
- Sustainable flooring involves using materials to create products that have a limited negative impact on the environment. They can be recycled materials, or they can be materials that will biodegrade naturally after their lifespan ends and they’re uninstalled. Learn More: What Is Sustainable Flooring, and Why Should You Choose It?
- Green flooring consists of materials that will be ready for recycling at the end of their lifespans. These materials can also be renewable and friendly to the environment, such as cork. Learn More: What Qualifies As Green Flooring?
Top 10 Questions About Sustainable Flooring
Below are the most popular questions we've received about sustainable flooring. Click the question to get a detailed answer and explanation on these topics.- What Is Natural Flooring? Natural floors consist of materials readily found in nature, such as wood, cork, bamboo, or stone. You can also select sustainable flooring that looks like natural materials, such as hardwood veneer planks or stone-look tiles.
- What Are the Top Green Flooring Material Options? Flooring materials that represent eco-friendly options include rubber, cork, natural-fiber carpeting, and linoleum. As long as the flooring consists of primarily natural materials, it generally qualifies as a green option.
- What Are the Pros and Cons of Cork Flooring? Some of the advantages of using cork as a flooring material include its impact resistance, comfort level, and sustainability as a harvested material. Disadvantages of cork flooring include potential damage from dropped objects or spilled water.
- Are Recycled Rubber Playground Mats Safe for Kids? Generally, recycled rubber solid mats and tiles are safe because they have a very limited risk of crumbling and ingestion. Rubber crumbs or mulch are loose materials that could be ingested. Overall, recycled rubber materials are not harmful for kids using playgrounds when used and installed as intended.
- What Is Recycled Rubber Flooring? Recycled rubber flooring is any type of tile, roll, or mat that consists of previously used rubber. Sources for this rubber can be old car tires, uninstalled rubber flooring, and trimmed waste generated while manufacturing rubber flooring and similar products.
- How Is Recycled Rubber Flooring Made? To make rubber flooring, manufacturers might grind the recycled rubber sources into a granular form before creating the new flooring product from that resource. Other manufacturers use a chemical or thermal process to break down the source of recycled rubber before reusing it.
- Is Recycled Rubber Flooring Expensive? Depending on the product you select, recycled rubber flooring can be a budget-friendly option. Some products cost as little as $1 or $2 per square foot. Some options are far more costly, especially extremely thick recycled rubber tiles or mats.
- Are Recycled Tire Mats Good for Outdoor Use? Recycled rubber mats made from vehicular tires sometimes are safe to use outdoors, depending on the design. Certain products are only made for indoor use and may experience color fade or brittle rubber surfaces when left in direct sunlight. Read the product description carefully to find materials that are safe to use outdoors.
- What Are the Differences Between Virgin Rubber and Recycled Rubber Gym Flooring? Recycled rubber gym flooring consists of materials recycled from other rubber products, including tires. Virgin rubber is unprocessed synthetic or natural rubber that generally provides reduced odor compared to recycled rubber.
- What Are the Differences Between Vulcanized and Non-Vulcanized Recycled Rubber Gym Flooring? Vulcanized rubber uses additives and specialized techniques to create a more durable rubber flooring product. Non-vulcanized rubber offers durability, but it may absorb liquids, bacteria, and other substances.
Best Sustainable Flooring Products
FlexeCork Interlocking Cork Rubber Tiles, 1/4 Inch x 3x3 Ft.
Cork and rubber combined create a highly durable flooring product that’s available in our FlexeCork Interlocking Cork Rubber Tiles. These tiles are available in thicknesses of 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inches.
Latvia Cork Laminate Flooring, 1/2 Inch x 35-5/8 x 11-5/8 Inches
Eco-friendly cork is a shock-absorbing flooring material that also provides thermal insulating properties. Our Latvia Cork Laminate Flooring is available in rectangular-shaped planks that are easy to install without needing adhesive.
Cork Underlayment Tiles, 12 mm x 2x3 Ft.
Our Cork Underlayment Tiles offer an eco-friendly option for residential and commercial flooring layouts. It reduces noise and vibration to make the space more comfortable and relaxing.
Geneva Rubber Flooring Rolls, 8 mm
A budget-friendly sustainable flooring option is our Geneva Rubber Flooring Rolls. They are available in a dozen color fleck designs over a black background. All of these rolls are Made in the USA.
Recycled Tire Rubber Floor Tiles, 3/8 x 12x12 Inches
High-traffic areas that need a durable type of sustainable flooring can rely on our Recycled Tire Rubber Floor Tiles. Customers frequently use these tiles in areas like building entrances, airports, and department stores.
Bump Top Black StayLock Tiles, 9/16 Inch x 1x1 Ft.
Our Bump Top Black StayLock Tiles consist of PVC plastic that’s been recycled and formed into a new flooring product. With its handy interlocking-edge pattern, DIYers can install it themselves and save some money.
Style Smart Riverside Peel-and-Stick Carpet Tiles, 3 mm x 18x18 Inches
Finding an eco-friendly carpeting is possible with our Style Smart Riverside Peel-and-Stick Carpet Tiles. They use fibers that consist of recycled purified plastic bottles that will not unravel when used in high-traffic areas. Eight different color options are available.
Sustainable Flooring Customer Installations
Ramsey County Family Service Center
Ramsey County Family Service Center needed a durable entrance tile product. Our Made-in-the-USA entrance tiles were easy to install while consisting of 100% recycled materials. The tiles handled heavy foot traffic, strollers, and carts coming into the building without separating.
Sustainable Building Entrance Tiles: Entrance Linear Tiles
Greatmats’ Customer, Jason Ballard
Jason Ballard needed a flooring option that was safe to use in a basement where problems with dampness sometimes occurred. As an eco-friendly and sustainable flooring option, the Greatmats’ customer service team suggested installing our raised carpet tiles, which use recycled materials to create the comfortable carpet fibers.
Sustainable Flooring for a Wet Basement: Modular Square Carpet Tiles
Rio Gran Dog Boarding and Daycare
Rio Gran Dog Boarding and Daycare needed flooring that was durable enough to stand up to dog nails while also being comfortable during rest time. Our affordable recycled rubber rolls covered the large facility for a reasonable price while being easy to clean.
Sustainable Flooring for Dogs: Geneva Rubber Flooring Rolls
Get Yourself Moving
When opening a personal training gym called Get Yourself Moving, the new owner wanted sustainable flooring with a pleasing design that could handle several different types of workouts. Our recycled rubber flooring rolls are affordable, durable, and look good with embedded color flecks.
Sustainable Fitness Center Flooring: Geneva Rubber Flooring Rolls
Greatmats’ Customer, Ashley Radetich
When opening a personal training gym called Get Yourself Moving, the new owner wanted sustainable flooring with a pleasing design that could handle several different types of workouts. Our recycled rubber flooring rolls are affordable, durable, and look good with embedded color flecks.
Sustainable Home Gym Flooring: Black Orange Peel StayLock Tiles
Sustainable Flooring Installation & Maintenance Videos
How To Install the Recycled Tire Rubber Floor Tiles
How to Clean Rubber Flooring in 4 Easy Steps
How to Install Borders on StayLock Bump Top Tiles