Sustainable Flooring is a great Investment

When you are looking at modular homes in Billings, you have a variety of options.  All of the homes that we sell here are Big Sky Homes are fully customizable (with the exception of the previously owned stock that we occasionally have available).  That means you get to pick exactly how your final home looks and feels.  One way to do that is to have sustainable flooring installed.

Sustainable Flooring

If you have a particular brand or style of flooring that you want in the home, we may not be able to get that installed before delivery.  In this case, you can have the home delivered without that flooring, and then using a contractor of your choice, have the flooring installed.

Here are a few options when it comes to utilizing sustainable flooring.

 

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo stained espresso color

When most people think of sustainable flooring materials, they think of bamboo.  Bamboo is technically a grass; however, most consider it to be a tree.  It is fast growing (bamboo in tropical regions can grow as much as 36 inches in a 24 hour period), which makes it highly sustainable.

The biggest problem with using bamboo as a building material is the environmental cost of transport.  The time it takes to harvest, flatten, dry, and transport drives up the cost.  While bamboo is cheaper than most hardwood floors, it is more expensive than laminate.

 

Cork Flooring

Cork Oak sustainable flooringCork is most often found stopping up wine bottles.  This soft wood is generally not thought of as a flooring material.  But it is an incredible product.  The cork is actually the bark of the cork oak.  The bark is peeled off the tree, leaving the tree unharmed (the bark grows back).  The cork can be used for a variety of products including flooring.

Cork is softer than most materials, but that actually gives it some great properties.  Cork flooring can “bounce” back and won’t dent like other woods.  It is warmer and a better insulator.  It can also help to dampen sounds.

 

Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed Wood Billings MontanaA big trend in the design world currently is the use of reclaimed wood.  Everything from old hardwood floors, to barnwood, to pallets, people love reusing supplies.  Those wood products can be turned into flooring that has magnificent and unique characteristics!

The problem, however, is that harvesting reclaimed wood is labor intensive.  This means that if you want a floor made from reclaimed wood, you will likely have to pay a considerable sum.  That’s the price many associate with using sustainable flooring materials.

 

Recycled Materials

Recycled Materials for sustainable flooringReusing materials doesn’t just stop at wood though.  Did you know that flooring can be made from just about any material you can think of?  Metal, rubber, wood, plastic, vinyl, glass, and more, can all be turned into flooring.

Now these materials aren’t considered your normal flooring materials.  And because of that, you might have trouble tracking them down and getting someone to install them for you.  But if you have your heart set on a completely sustainable home; then using recycled flooring materials might be in line with your goals!

 

Big Sky Homes Provides Affordable Housing

When you are looking for an affordable place to live, think of Big Sky Homes first!  Keep in mind that if you start upgrading to some of these sustainable flooring materials, you might find that the price shoots up rapidly too.

You don’t have to upgrade your floors right away!  For now, buy a home at a great price.  Then when the mortgage is paid off sooner rather than later, upgrade to sustainable floors of your choice.

Come check us out at 750 Parkway Lane in Billings to see all the options for affordable homes in Billings!

[googleMap name=”Big Sky Homes” description=”Big Sky Homes in Billings” width=”700″ height=”400″]750 Parkway Lane Billings, MT 59101[/googleMap]