Even before we all had to spend longer indoors, there was an increasing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of wood floors compared to single use plastic-based floors such as LVT.
We know that well-made wood floors using high quality, environmentally friendly timber are some of the best flooring choices around. A lot of claims are made justifying the use of single-use man-made options, but the reality is that wood floors are much healthier for indoor environments than these plastic-based alternatives. Ted Todd floors more than match up in terms of being durable, hard wearing and easy to maintain, with the added benefit that the whole floor and not just off-cuts can always be re-used or recycled.
And it’s not just what’s visible that should be informing decisions around specifying flooring. Increasingly, companies need to prove their floors are VOC and SVOC free. While there is more awareness of VOCs generally, SVOCs, including phthalates, are notably more harmful. There are currently no legal requirements on these, potentially exposing those who use them to a variety of serious health complications.
We should all commit to lowering these VOC and SVOCs, and by using natural wood in projects, we can achieve just that. Yes, there are already a multitude of factors to consider when selecting the ideal flooring for your design but always be sure to consider the environmental impact behind your choice for a healthier, happier project.
