Eco-friendly materials are one of the biggest and fastest-growing trends within interior design. If you choose to opt for a ‘greener’ choice when it comes to your home’s flooring, you’ll be helping to ensure the future of our planet as these types of materials is more sustainable compared with man-made textiles. Ceramic floor tiles are just one of the many green alternatives out there.
For thousands of years, builders and decorators have chosen ceramic tiles for their construction and DIY projects due to the many benefits they offer. You may also be surprised to hear that they are also one of the most environmentally-friendly products you can opt for when redecorating your flooring.
Type, colour and space
Tiles have been commonplace for homes across the world for centuries, but nowadays, more and more people are using them to decorate and add a splash of colour to a room. Instead of being used for just your home’s bathroom floor, trends in interior design have seen people using floor tiles to other rooms such as kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms.
Aside from being used as flooring, tiles are now being incorporated onto walls such as hallways and even as splashbacks. There are a variety of options for your floor tile of choice. Tiles come in all sorts of different types and colours, and you also need to consider how they will fit into the room you want them placed in.
The type, colour and design of the floor tile you pick will likely depend on the room you are choosing to decorate. There are all sorts of different finishes you can apply, such as marble, wood and stone effects. Whatever look you want in your room, you can bet that there will be a type of tile to suit.
Durability
If you’re after a tile that is durable, keeps its pattern, but also has a funky finish, then it’s important to pick your choice of tile wisely, rather than throwing on any old random material on your floor.
For example, perhaps you want a geometrical type of finish on the flooring of your hallway, but one that will keep the pattern intact over the years of use. Encaustic tiles aren’t patterned in the glaze but instead in different colours of clay, meaning that the design remains, even as the tile wears down. Tiles are great for durability, but also longevity. Unlike carpet or vinyl, it’ll be a while before you have to replace properly installed tiles. They can last a lifetime when looked after!
Think outside the box with colours and patterns.
Tiles allow you to get creative with your flooring space! For example, creating a ‘rug’ using ceramic tiles can be a great way to create spaces in your home that will add colour and interest. Alternatively, floor tiles can also be a great way to create a waterproof area on a wooden floor, such as for a standalone bath in a bedroom.
With tiles, the design possibilities really are endless!
Why opt for a more eco-friendly floor tile for your home?
You might be wondering why you should consider picking an eco-friendly ceramic tile for your chosen room’s flooring, over a carpet or laminate option? Take a look at just some of the benefits they can bring to your home and the environment.
Life cycle
As mentioned above, ceramic tiles are one of the more durable and long-lasting tile options you can choose for your floor.
Because you are not replacing them as frequently as you would with a carpet, this longevity reduces time, money and resources spent on extracting raw material, manufacturing, transportation, installation, demolition and disposal requirements. All of these contribute to the effect we are having on our climate and natural landscape.
Air quality
Ceramic tile doesn’t absorb volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other contaminants. VOCs contribute to a wide variety of health problems and are a significant cause of ‘sick building syndrome.’ Because ceramic tiles are fired in kilns to very high temperatures, there are no volatile organics that can be released into the air we breathe.
Likewise, the lack of VOCs in ceramic tiles means that they inhibit the growth of mould, mildew and fungus! That’s why you’ll often find ceramic tiles in bathrooms where bacteria and fungus are natural habitats.
Maintenance
With ceramic tiles, there’s no need to use chemicals, waxes, strippers, solvents or shampoo that add to the level of toxic cleaning products being flushed down the drain and into the Earth’s ecosystem. They can be cleaned using nothing but warm water and pH-neutral cleaners.
Where can you buy eco-friendly ceramic tiles?
There are plenty of online stockists out there that are supplying eco-friendly tiles. One company that offers eco-friendly ceramics is Porcelanosa, who have created a ceramic parquet that is made from 95% recycled materials. Their tile is designed to reflect the textures and grains of natural wood with the technical properties of ceramic!
Lots of manufacturers are building better tiles today with processes that are greener and better raw materials. If you’re looking to make an impact on your carbon footprint reduction, then opt for a ceramic tile for your interior design!
