Eco-Friendly Kitchen Floor Before and After
2 Materials
$2000
3 Days
Advanced
Our kitchen floor has been an eyesore since the day we moved in. But all of the other house projects seemed to take precedence. When we finally got around to updating the floor, we wanted a material that was eco-friendly and all-natural. You will never believe what we used! This eco-friendly kitchen floor before and after is a must-see. You won’t believe your eyes!
There are no words to describe our disdain for this floor. The sub-floor was never set, so it had a little slant to it. Meaning… if you spilled a liquid on one side of the floor, it would end up on the other side. The tiles were cracked. It was also permanently dirty. Like the ground in dirt that no amount of cleaning will remove. It was gross. And embarrassing.
We wanted to pick a greener floor option. Vinyl (PVC) was completely out. It may contain phthalates, lead, and other harmful chemicals which may be linked to asthma, learning disabilities, and cancer, to name a few. Plus, it can off-gas VOC’s for up to 20 years. No thank you!
Ceramic tile was our first and only option for awhile. It’s all-natural, but I had read unsubstantiated claims about lead being added to the glaze. I wasn’t sure if ceramic tile was for us, and I wanted to do some more research to find an alternative.
The backsplash and granite countertops have a cream color, mixed with browns and grays. APC Cork had so many color options to choose from! We picked the darker floor to balance the backsplash and counters. Our kitchen has 10 full-height windows, 2 skylights, and a glass door, so it gets plenty of light. No worries about the darker floor, it’s still a bright and cheery kitchen!
Our contractor said it was pretty easy to install. I was expecting the worst, as a kitchen floor reno can be extremely invasive, but the installation went quickly and no issues whatsoever.
We’re finally here! It’s the big TA-DA! We are in love with our new floor! It’s gorgeous. It’s easy to clean. And we sleep well at night knowing we made a good choice for protecting the health of our family and also the planet.
Want to see the entire before and after and all of the photos and learn more about the benefits of cork flooring? Click on the link below and head over to the blog to check it out. Be sure to let us know what you think! XOXO
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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