Because of our dedication to being environmentally responsible,
Mercer Carpet One has a wide variety of environmentally friendly
floors. We have Cork,
Bamboo, and Linoleum
as well as many products that apply for Carpet One's Green Select
stamp. Green Select products include reclaimed
hardwood flooring, 100%
wool carpet flooring, engineered
hardwood floors, 100%
wool area rugs, and flooring with recycled content. Any
of our flooring specialists are ready with more information on what
"Green" flooring products we offer as well as the criteria used
to discern eco-friendly flooring from the masses.
Cork
Many people think of cork as a relatively new and possibly
unreliable option particularly as a surface flooring material.
And yet, there are examples of Natural Cork floors in public
buildings that were installed over 100-years ago and are still
in use today. The Library of Congress in Washington, DC is
one excellent case.
As knowledge about this flooring product is spreading, Cork
is becoming increasingly popular, for a variety of reasons.
Cork flooring is eco-friendly, as it is harvested harmlessly
from the bark of the cork tree. Grown on farms and harvested
every 9 to 11 years, once the tree has reached maturity, the
financial benefit lies not in felling these trees but in keeping
them alive and in production for generations.
Natural Cork is still harvested by hand in the traditional
method leaving the habitat intact and with minimal impact
on the overall environment. Removal of the bark, known as
"stripping", must be done during the active growing
season, June through August. Using hand tools, a series of
cuts are made in the bark, one at ground level, one just below
the first branches, and two vertical cuts joining these. The
loosened bark is then pried off in two large sheets where
possible and smaller bits if not. Sheets of cork are stacked
and left for days to dry in the sun, before being sent to
factory.
Today, cork flooring is created from the post-industrial by-product
of the bottle-stopper industry. This 'waste' material is ground
up and then formed into sheets using minimal amounts of adhesive
to bind the particles together under high pressure. The size,
quantity, and type of cork granule in conjunction with varying
degrees of pressure make the difference between "bulletin
board" material and material suitable for flooring applications.
Cork has many unique properties that make it especially useful
for flooring.
The cork bark is filled with millions of tiny air cells,
trapped in a dense network of 14-sided cells. This honeycomb
of cells
o
Resists moisture absorption
o
Deadens noise and vibration, and
o
Insulates well.
Cork repels many bugs, including termites, with a naturally occurring
wax substance. The same substance makes cork naturally flame retardant.
Cork's most famous property is the "bounce" of
cork flooring. While not spongy, cork floors have a softer feel
than hardwood, vinyl, and tile. The resiliency of the floor helps
to cushion feet that stand for long hours, and reduces the wear
on the floor.
Bamboo
Bamboo floors have gained in popularity for a variety of
reasons.
Ecologically, bamboo is the ultimate renewable resource. Bamboo,
a species of grass, can be harvested after three years and
requires almost no fertilization or pesticides. Most bamboo
used in flooring comes from mainland China, from an area known
as "The Bamboo Sea." (Don't worry; this is not the
same bamboo that endangered pandas eat, as that bamboo is
a different, mountain-growing species.)
With the growing concern about the environmental footprint
left by bamboo product producers, our supplier, Teragren,
has been working on becoming carbon neutral and is making
great progress.
Bamboo flooring is excellent because it is extremely dense
and durable. Our bamboo flooring averages 25 percent harder
than red oak and 12 percent harder than North American maple.
(Teragren's Synergy strand bamboo flooring is 154 percent
harder than oak.) With a durable wear-layer on top, bamboo
flooring will look great for years. In fact, our bamboo floors
come with a lifetime structural warranty and a 25-year residential
and 5-year commercial finish warranty.
Bamboo
flooring is either left a natural color or is pressure-cooked
to create an amber color. In both cases, the color of the
flooring goes through the entire strip of bamboo, unlike a
color applied to the surface.
We also provide a full spectrum of coordinating flooring,
stair parts and trim, architectural casings, floor vents,
panels, veneer, edge banding and butcher block countertops
to help you complete the design of your home.
Linoleum
Our
linoleum by Marmoleum has been a mainstay flooring for over
100 years because it is one of the few products made from
primarily natural raw materials. It is made up of linseed
oil, rosins, and wood flour, calendared onto a natural jute
backing.
It is a tough yet visually striking linoleum floor, highly
resistant to heavy rolling loads and foot traffic. Because
Marmoleum is a natural organic product, its performance is
enhanced by time, as exposure to air serves to harden and
increase its durability. Although Marmoleum continues to harden
over time, the floor remains quiet and comfortable under foot.
Why Marmoleum?
It's Safe! The first floor to be certified by the Asthma
& Allergy Foundation of America as asthma &
allergy friendly
It's Natural! A sustainable and natural floating floor
It's Fun! 24 colors of panels and squares
It's Comfortable! Very warm and comfortable to walk on
It's Simple! Easy, glue-less installation
It's Serious! Easy to clean and naturallybacteriostatic
S u p p l i e r s
Below are the websites of our suppliers that
we find are the most useful in choosing a floor.
Mercer Carpet provides professional installation
of sustainable flooring throughout Maryland Carroll County (Sykesville,
Eldersburg, Westminster), Howard County (Ellicott City, Columbia,
Clarksville), Baltimore County (Randallstown, Reisterstown, Owings
Mills, Pikesville, Catonsville), Frederick County MD and York and
Adams County in Southeern Pennsylvania, PA