As time goes on, more and more Americans suffer from allergies and while some of those allergies are from outdoor allergens such as pollen, weeds or mold, some allergies come right from your own home. The most common allergens found in a home include dust mites, mold, and pet dander. Reducing places where those kinds of allergens can settle will not only improve your home's air quality, but it will also reduce allergy symptoms. What can you do to reduce allergens in your home? Start with your home's flooring.
Some types of flooring contains volatile organic compounds, known as VOC's in the flooring industry. Those compounds can trigger allergies in some people. People with asthma that are exposed to VOC's typically have more frequent asthma attacks. However, today many manufacturers deal VOC-free products. What flooring is best for allergy sufferers? Here's a list:
(1) Hardwood: As a Palatine Hardwood flooring company that has been in the hardwood floor installation and hardwood floor refinishing business for over 25 years, we strongly believe hardwood flooring has many benefits. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, hardwood flooring is great flooring to install for allergy sufferers. The hard surface of hardwood flooring leaves no room for any dust or allergens to hide.
(2) Cork: Cork provides a plethora of benefits for allergy sufferers. First, it is antimicrobial. Naturally occuring substance Suberin is found in Cork flooring. The substance reduces growth of mold, bacteria and multiple other allergens. While it is a rather porous material, its hard finish makes it hard for allergens to collect inside of it. A lot of homeowners say it is very easy flooring to clean.
(3) Stone tile: Not all stone tile makes for good flooring for allergy sufferers, but this all depends on the type of stone tile. Typically, the smoother the tile the less likely it will be that it will harbor allergens. If the tile is porous, it has more of a chance of holding onto allergens. Pick a tile that is more polished as opposed to tile that is natural looking.
(4) Laminate: Laminate flooring, like tile, is not always the best choice for allergen reduction, but it can be a good choice depending on how it was manufactured. Laminate flooring is typically manufactured by taking multiple layers of wood composite and gluing them together. The problem is that VOCs, as previously mentioned, could be in the adhesive used in creating the laminate flooring. As mentioned before, many manufacturers are aware of this and stay away from adhesives with VOCs. Like hardwood flooring, laminate flooring provides similar benefits.
(5) Bamboo: Bamboo flooring is a great choice of flooring for allergy sufferers. It provides similar properties of hard flooring and won't provide a home for dust or other allergens. Bamboo flooring is water resistant, which is another great benefit. Like laminates, manufacturing is important with this type of flooring since VOCs may be present.
If you have comment or questions on anything hardwood flooring related, feel free to comment below or contact us.
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