A quick guide to healthy and sustainable flooring options

When it comes to creating a home that truly supports your lifestyle, your flooring plays a much bigger role than you might think. It sets the tone for how a space feels, how easy it is to live in, and even how healthy your home environment is. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. In this quick guide, we walk you through the most common flooring types, highlighting the key considerations around health, environmental impact, and practicality—so you can feel confident in making a choice that feels good in every way:

Laminate

Laminate is made from compressed wood layers with a printed, and often textured, surface to resemble wood. This is a popular option for those on a low budget or when low maintenance is a main priority. Whilst they are more scratch-resistant than other timber flooring options, they can't be refinished - so if they do scratch, the floorboard will need to be replaced instead. Depending on the level of wear of your flooring, this can give them a fairly short life-span compared to other flooring options. The adhesives used between the layers can also contain VOC's (see below for a link to our blog post about this!) so it's important to ensure you are selecting a product with low-VOCs.

Hybrid Timber Floorboards

Hybrid floorboards are a combination of laminate and vinyl floorboards - having the appearance of a laminate but with the added advantage of being water resistant. Like laminate, they can also contain adhesives that emit VOC's, and can have a short life-span if scratched badly. However, where laminates are not moisture resistant and will also need replacing if they absorb moisture, hybrid floorings have the advantage of doing well in areas with a lot of moisture.

Vinyl

Vinyl is the most water-resistant of the timber-look options - however, can also emit the most amount of VOCs are they are usually a petrolium based product. It is therefore important to do your research to select a company committed to low VOCs. Vinyl can be popular as it is incredibly durable and very easy to maintain, making it an attractive product for high traffic areas and spaces with high moisture levels. Vinyl comes in different sizes and shapes, such as planks, tiles or sheets. As well as timber-look patterns, they also come in many other patterns to imitate stone, polished concrete or tiles.

Engineered Timber Floorboards

Engineered timber flooring has a layer of real timber at the top with layers of a plywood substrate below. Because of this, engineered timber floorboards will give you the same appearance as solid timber but with a lower price tag. However, unlike solid timber flooring, you can't refinish the surface multiple times because the top layer is generally only 4-6mm thick. This makes the lifespan of an engineered timber floorboard much longer than laminate, but not as long as solid hardwood. Engineered floorboards can also contain VOC's in their adhesives, but many companies produce low-VOC floorboards.

Hardwood Floorboards

Hardwood floorboards are made from solid timber, and are the most sustainable option for timber flooring. They are very durable and can be sanded back and refinished multiple times, giving them a long lifespan. However, it's important to note that some sealants can emit VOCs so it's important to check this when refinishing the flooring. It's also important to be aware that hardwood flooring can react to its surrounding, such as moisture and sunlight, and change slightly overtime. Choose FSC- or PEFC-certified species and locally sourced where possible.

Tiles

With so many different patterns, colours and sizes to choose from, tiles can be a great option for any space in your home. Quality porcelain, terrazzo and natural stone tiles are durable, water resistant, and non-toxic. However, they don't tend to be as popular for main living areas as they lack the warmth and softness of a timber floorboard. Whilst tiles have a long lifespan, the grout can become a problem if not maintained well, and may require re-grouting over time.

Polished Concrete

Polished concrete is very durable, non-toxic, water resistant (once sealed), and has no grout lines, making it very easy to maintain. Similar to tiles, polished concrete has the same disadvantage of lacking the warmth and softness of timber. However, polished concrete has great thermal mass, making it ideal for passive solar design. This means that it has the ability to absorb and store heat during the day, and will then slowly release this heat as the temperature cools - helping to regulate your indoor temperature at night.

Carpet Carpet is a very popular choice for bedrooms, lounges and rumpuses due to the comfort and warmth that it adds to the space. It also has the added advantage of being a great insulator, both for noise and temperature. Carpet comes in either natural (wool) or synthetic (nylon) fibres. Whilst synthetic options might last better in high-traffic areas, they also contain VOCs as it is a petroleum based product. Synthetic carpets are also non-biodegradable and the manufacturing process requires a significant use of energy. On the other hand, wool is biodegradable, non-toxic, naturally flame-retardant and hypoallergenic.

Choosing flooring isn’t just about looks—it’s about how it supports your daily life, your wellbeing, and your long-term vision for your home. Whether you're drawn to the warmth of timber, the durability of tiles, or the effortless elegance of polished concrete, there’s a solution that aligns with your values and lifestyle.

Have a wonderful week!

Nina xx