Marmoleum Green Flooring: Benefits

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In an effort to keep you up to speed on the latest green materials I’ll occasionally write about various green items so you can get a real world perspective on them (e.g. cork).  Today, the topic is green flooring and marmoleum specifically.

Marmoleum is a lot like linoleum but better. Now before you reach for your Brady Bunch lunchbox and run away you should give marmoleum a quick look. Marmoleum comes in tons of bright colors and faux finishes and is a great non-toxic alternative flooring material.  Made from pine tree rosins, wood flour and linseed oil, this flooring is healthy, safe and beautiful for any of your rehabs. It’s a tough yet visually beautiful floor covering, resistant to stains and tearing.

Key benefits of Marmoleum:

1. Long-lasting
2. Easy to maintain
3. Made of all-natural materials
4. No VOCS or toxic chemicals
5. Naturally antibacterial, great for counter-tops as well as floors
6. Inexpensive

Marmoleum is made from the  linoleum manufacturing process that has changed little since the invention of linoleum in 1860 in England. Since marmoleum is a natural organic product, its performance is enhanced by time, as exposure to air serves to harden and increase its durability.

Who knew?

Although Marmoleum continues to harden over time, the floor remains quiet and comfortable under foot. Marmoleum floors are also installed with solvent free adhesives, keeping harmful VOC’s out of living environments. This flooring is very durable because the color pigments carry through to the backing.  It’s also great for counter-tops because it’s naturally antibacterial.  Unlike vinyl, it is anti-static and does not attract dirt.

One of the great things about marmoleum is that is very easy to install for your contractors or handymen. It installs just like linoleum and doesn’t require any specific skills or expertise to lay it down.  Because of the variety of colors and styles available it also adds a nice touch of luxury on your projects.

In addition it’s a very marketable ‘green’ feature to have in a home.  If you do choose to use marmoleum, you should market it is a either a ‘hypo-allergenic’ floor OR ‘all-natural, non-toxic’ floor.  Those terms test the best and hold the highest values with target home buyers/renters.

Photo: Ecohaus

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.