FLOR modular tiles- a personal review

You see them everywhere... from magazines like dwell to Ikea catalogs, FLOR modular tiles are the in thing for any modern space. I always thought FLOR products were cool looking when I saw them, but I didn't really get interested in them until I saw that FLOR products are green products in accordance with LEED and Build It Green standards; carrying a sign-off from Green Label Plus. With FLOR's use of recycled and renewable materials and their "Return and Recycle Program" FLOR modular carpet tiles are much more than an innovative designer flooring.

To get a closer look and feel for FLOR's products I decided to place an order for some samples of their different carpet tiles ranging from super shaggy, "Shaggy Sheep" to the much more basic, "Fez".

I have to admit I had a lot of fun with the samples... I did everything from spill stuff on them to see how easy they were to clean, to cutting and ripping them to test the durability. I really liked the results I saw, these carpet tiles could really be worth their weight in a multitude of circumstances. Being that you piece together this flooring with multiple tiles, it would be simple to take care of spills by removing the effected tiles, cleaning them, and putting them right back after they dry. Liquid spills will not permeate through the backing of these tiles so you don't have to worry about spreading. The tiles work quite well with vacuums and brooms, but I did have a negative experience with the "Shaggy Sheep" tile. The "Shaggy Sheep" tile has a very long, twisted shag that really sheds under certain conditions. Heavy traffic, strong vacuum suction, and pets do not mix with the "Shaggy Sheep". This tile gets very messy, leaving fibers all over the place to pick up and the tiles themselves are not easy to clean like the others I tested. Besides the shag, the overall experience was very positive.

FLOR has a lot of different choices when it comes to their products. They have all different colors, patterns, textures, and even carpet tiles for different places such as outdoors and commercial settings. FLOR modular carpet tiles are made in the US and have a decent price point in comparison to high-end area rugs and designer carpeting; along with the assurance that the products are certifiably green.

If you're interested in FLOR modular carpet tiles or would like to make a purchase, please check out their website:

http://www.flor.com/service/flor/index.html

Where to buy locally in the Sacramento Valley:

Lumens Light + Living, 2028 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814- 916.444.5585
http://www.lumens.com/

Some area Lowe's retail stores
http://www.lowes.com/

Or you can buy direct from FLOR and have them shipped...FLOR has programs in place to offset CO2 and fossil fuel and energy usage to minimize environmental impact. Go check it out...

Cork: the other great wood...

Let's face it... bamboo is every where! I think companies are making everything out of bamboo these days just to say they're being "green". Bamboo is a great wood and I highly recommend it, but sometimes it's nice to venture out of the old comfort zone. Why not cork? No, we're not talking about recycling wine corks, we're talking about a highly renewable wood that is fabricated utilizing the bark of the Cork Oak tree. A Cork tree doesn't even have to be cut down to get the wood, the wood is derived from a bark peeling process that allows for the tree to eventually regenerate just like shearing a sheep for it's wool. Check out this video clip:



I'm a big fan of cork! It's a very versatile wood that can be used for flooring, paneling, furniture, underlayment, acoustics, and too many other products I don't have space to list. Cork is a very resilient wood that makes great flooring for it's ability to bounce back to form and it's noise dampening properties. I am personally a huge fan of cork's natural hypoallergenic make up and decided to install a floating cork floor in my guest bathroom:



With today's market cork is available in a wide range of patterns and tones, tiles and planks, and forms and thicknesses. Although cork and bamboo are not completely interchangeable; they should both be considered when looking for "green" flooring or wall paneling choices.
When purchasing cork it is imperative that you do your due diligence and make sure that the cork has not been treated with any VOC compounds... some lower grade, inexpensive cork has been treated therefore cancelling out cork's environmental and sustainable qualities. Below is a list of local Sacramento Valley businesses who sell cork products, make sure you check them out:
Green Sacramento, Sacramento- 916.448.8109,
http://www.greensacramento.com/floors_cork.html
Lumber Liquidators, Sacramento- 916.369.7300,
http://www.lumberliquidators.com/catalog/thumbnail.jsp?categoryId=448&sectionId=2&sort=TA&subCategoryId=0&ref=By%20Category;274500007
Simple Floors, Sacramento- 916.363.6211,
http://www.simplefloors.com/products/Cork-Flooring/category6.aspx
Carpeteria, multiple locations,
http://www.carpeteria.com/Sacramento/contentpage.aspx?Id=3084
There are many more to choose from, but I'm not going to list them all. It's very easy to find cork flooring, but harder to locate cork sheets.