[SustainableTompkins] Floor covering material

[Margaret McCasland]

The adhesive used with Marmoleum is supposed to be low VOC. Marmoleum 
is a product that gets "greenie" points for LEEDS buildings, when 
installed by a certified installer (such as Bishop's Carpet One). 
Again, I used an independent installer the second time I had it 
installed (my housing complex's choice, but they seemed quite good 
and they used the low VOC adhesive).

Both bamboo and cork may or may not be sustainably harvested, they 
come from very far away, and are usually (perhaps always) glued 
together with formaldehyde. Some kinds of formaldehyde off-gas in 
nastier ways than others, but I passed on both of those.  They sound 
much greener than they are.

At the Health and Sustainability Fair at IC last September, someone 
said that he thought LEED should have demerits for things that have 
drawbacks as well as advantages, so that the TOTAL picture can be 
reflected in a building's rating.  Bamboo and cork both seem to me to 
have more drawbacks than advantages, at least in most cases.  In 
doing a web search, I found articles that said the companies selling 
bamboo and cork often have no idea whether the materials were sourced 
sustainably or not--they're just buying on price. Also that there is 
no meaningful sustainably-harvested certification for bamboo from 
China.  However the bamboo used for floors etc is NOT the kind that 
pandas eat.

Where I didn't put down Marmoleum, I have been painting floors (a 
compromise for sure) and then using room size wool rugs--once the 
paint cures.  What I haven't found is a rug pad that doesn't off-gas 
(latex and vinyl both do) or shred and then shed, as wool does.

You can also buy "reclaimed" wood flooring from a NYS company at Home 
Green Home, which I think is the most sustainable option of all, but 
wood is too thick to help Maura.

Recycled rubber sounds nice, but I haven't looked into its chemical 
stability (off-gassing, etc).

Margaret