GO NA Jason Spangler, Wagner Meters’ flooring sales manager talks us through the benefits of natura
The major trend for bringing nature and sustainable elements into building design continues to grow as specifiers and building owners look to create healthier spaces. It therefore makes sense that more and more people are turning to natural floorcoverings.
Natural materials are often more environmentally friendly in the way they’re harvested and manufactured. Hard natural floors are durable and resilient so with proper care, will last for decades – with the possibility to to re-sand and finish over the years making it easy to change the look of the floor without replacing.
The warmth and classic elegance that natural floorcoverings provide can serve to create some truly breathtaking first impressions in any commercial or living space.
As natural flooring doesn’t hold pollutants or allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, pollen, it makes an obvious choice for hospitality settings, workspaces and homes. Not only this, but natural flooring can add value to a property.
THE ISSUE WITH MOISTURE Some natural flooring material — including wood, cork, and bamboo — is hygroscopic. This means they act something like a sponge. They’re able to both absorb moisture from the environment and release moisture back into the environment.
18 | NATURAL FLOORING
When these natural flooring materials have less moisture than the surrounding environment, they will absorb moisture. When they have more moisture than the environment, they will release it back into the environment. When this happens, the natural flooring material will either physically expand or shrink in size. When it absorbs moisture, it expands, and when it releases moisture, it shrinks. And when natural flooring physically shrinks or expands too much, you could end up with problems.
BAMBOO People think of bamboo as wood. However, it’s actually a grass. It’s also an environmentally-friendly renewable resource because it quickly grows to maturity in just three to five years. Durable and easy to maintain with an appearance similar to hardwood, it lends a touch of elegance to any space.
While bamboo is more resistant to moisture than your average hardwood, too much moisture can cause problems like warping and mould growth. If it’s installed in a humid environment, the moisture in the air will cause the individual pieces to swell and if it’s placed in a dry environment the pieces will shrink. If this happens, the bamboo could crack, deform, or show gaps in between the pieces.
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