Going green underfoot
You’ve settled on a timber-look floor. But, at the shop, you’re inundated by brands, colours, grains, sizes, finishes and species of wood. There’s also engineered wood, floating wood, reclaimed wood, wood look-alike vinyl and tile, and environmentally sustainable bamboo to choose from. Overwhelmed by choice, you go home and attempt to study the brochures. Sound familiar?
Ronny Matzat, a Brisbane-based, green building designer, architect and founder of DSGN Kartell (a sustainable design collaboration), recommends those considering flooring options start by assessing their individual needs and priorities. “A lot of people go cheap straight away and for the look,” he explains. “They don’t look ahead. That’s very dangerous in terms of sustainability.”
Along with your budget and style preferences, consider function, durability, toxicity, installation, comfort, cleaning and ongoing maintenance, sustainability, your climate and life stage. For instance, if you have young children in the home, something low-tox and hard-wearing is important.
Matzat, who is originally from Germany, strongly advises consumers to consider the health impacts of any flooring products. He warns that Australian industry standards can be misleading and lead to a false sense of security. “There’s a lot of greenwashing out there. The reality is they [manufacturers] fulfil certain numbers
