We all carry around old words for things. Ice box, tin foil and linoleum are a few that get tossed around my household. We're unlikely to see a return to the days of daily ice deliveries for keeping food cold, and unless you personally remember World War I, you've never seen tin foil. Still, today's tip shows that being old doesn't necessarily mean obsolete. Linoleum has made a strong comeback and is a great green alternative to vinyl flooring.
One of the green flooring companies has a fact sheet on linoleum that explains the natural origins of the materials that make up sheet linoleum and how the lifecycle impacts of this natural floor are good for the environment. Even at the end of the 25 to 40 year life span of this flax seed and rosin product, the environmental consequences are excellent. It turns out that linoleum has the fuel equivalent of coal in an incinerator or can be disposed of bio-degradably in a landfill. You should read the original article to understand all the green facts about linoleum and check out all the great colors and patterns.
In addition to linoleum, other natural floors like cork and bamboo can be produced sustainably and have a much lower impact on our planet than products like PVC vinyl flooring and synthetic carpets. Have a look at all the great products available before you build or remodel.
As for me, in addition to using green flooring products, I'll try not to get on my wife's case when she says tinfoil. She's in the majority. A quick google search shows that tin foil has over three million hits and aluminum foil is only around 2 million. I think it's all about the hat.
Hi Terry,
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