Green Floors We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of eco-friendly flooring products and installation practices.  Whether you are looking for that unique "statement" floor or just a more renewable hardwood, we can help you out. Step Ahead has the products and installation know-how you need to make your home beautifully earth-friendly. Alternative materials Many new, all-natural flooring materials (and some very old ones) are not only ecologically sound but are also quite stunning.  All of these products are based on renewable, abundant, and natural materials. Bamboo - The clean, classic look of bamboo is a fantastic alternative to hardwood.  Bamboo grows extremely quickly, which makes it a very earth-friendly floor.  With multiple stain colors, grain patterns, and plank dimensions, bamboo can complement almost any decor. Cork - Cork is amazingly soft and surprisingly resilient.  Harvesting cork involves peeling the bark off the tree -- no trees are cut for cork floors.  It is great on your feet, legs, and back, which makes it great for kitchens, playrooms, and bedrooms.   Cork has such a rich range of colors and textures that the looks may surprise you. Linoleum (Marmoluem) - Linoleum is a natural product made from linseed oil, wood flour, rosin, jute and limestone.  It has an amazing range of colors and textures that fit anywhere from classic kitchens to commercial hallways.  Hardwood Not all hardwoods are created ecologically equal, so choosing the right one can be a challenge.  Step Ahead can help you find hardwoods that are both beautiful and earth-friendly. Forest Stewardship Council - The FSC is an organization that certifies the source of wood products and promotes responsible forestry, so you know that your floors were grown and harvested renewably. Many "inexpensive" exotic woods are gathered in ways that cause habitat destruction, erosion, and displacement.  We seek to exclusively offer hardwoods that have FSC certification.  Recycled (Reclaimed) Hardwoods - Whether you are looking for wood recovered from old buildings,  "swamp oak" found in flooded forests, or engineered woods that use recycled materials, Step Ahead has what you are looking for.  Carpet From recyclable carpets to zero-emissions manufacturing, carpets have emerged as a great eco-friendly flooring material.  With so many colors and styles to choose from, Step Ahead can provide you with the education and selection you need. Wool, SmartStrand, and Other Ecofriendly Yarns - Many of our carpets are made using wool, post-consumer plastic bottles, and 100% recyclable nylon.  Solid Core Carpet Padding - Step Ahead offers foam and rubber core carpet padding with low VOCs (no off-gassing) and lifetime warranties.  This padding is perfect for people with allergies, pets, or moist, cold subfloors. Laminate Laminate floors are also so eco-friendly that they deserve a second look. The newest laminate floors are so realistic that, once installed in your home, even professional contractors will have trouble telling the difference between your floor and hardwood. And since laminate floors are incredibly durable, they last for 20 years or more and almost never need replacing. Laminate floors are a great alternative to hardwood, especially the exotic and endangered species of woods.  Laminate floors have low VOCs (no off-gassing) and are made of wood pulp (like paper), so they can be manufactured very efficiently.  And, as with our hardwoods, we seek to exclusively offer laminates that have FSC certification for their wood pulp.

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