Flooring

Laminate

Wood from sustainable sources, ideally FSC or PEFC certified, is a good flooring material for eco-friendly homeowners.  Wide planks can be sourced at Element7, Siberian Floors, The Natural Wood Floor Company and Ecora.

I've been trialling the Lupe cordless cleaner for two months and I will say that our flat has never had such uncrumby, unmuddy, undusty floors. It is a very good machine. But that should go without saying given its cost.

Choosing a floor for your home can be surprisingly difficult. There’s carpet, wood, stone, ceramic tile, vinyl and resilient flooring...but for those who want an easy maintence smooth floor that doesn’t have joins, and which has strong eco credentials, enter the bio resin poured floor.

This material - which can also be used on walls - is poured to a depth of just 4mm and offers a seamless floor that can flow from room to room. Sweep it and wash it regularly (but use a non soap cleaner) and it’ll reward you with many years’ service. 

For most of us, it's a mixture of self-interest and altruism that's driving us to make eco-friendly choices in how we live. Perhaps we want to upgrade our homes to reduce our monthly utility bills, or eat less red meat to be healthier... whatever the reason it's hard to conclude that carrying on as if climate change isn't happening is a good move. But you don't have to be an eco warrior to be eco friendly, just start with a few small steps, includin these four top solutions: 

1. Insulate to reduce heat loss