Our basement floor is exposed concrete.  We did this because I have experienced many basements that smell like mold and that make my eyes itch for days.  Water has a tendency to find its way into basements, and if it gets under carpet, it does not dry out and can get moldy.  We are lucky enough to have in-floor heat in our concrete floor, which makes it much more comfortable in the winter and helps dry it out in the event any water makes its way in.

Our basement is also our arts and crafts/kids’ play area.  Exposed concrete is not that fun to play on!  So, we started looking for carpet.  We did have an area rug, but it did not look good.  Wall-to-wall carpeting would defeat the whole purpose of the concrete floor.  What to do?  FLOR carpet tile was the best solution for us.  It can cover the room wall-to-wall, but any 19”x19” tile can be pulled up if it is stained or damaged.  It is also really easy to install.

I have long admired FLOR as a company.  With CEO Ray Anderson, it is one of the most sustainable companies in the United States and certainly the most sustainable carpet company.  Their goal is to actually be restorative to the environment at some point in the future.  We had bought FLOR tiles in the past.  When we were finished with them, the company sent us packaging and free shipping labels to send our tiles back to them, which they would reuse in their products.

My only issue with these tiles is their line of wool products.  I prefer wool because it is a natural, renewable material, and it is also the softest.  However, the backing of the wool tiles is not a natural product, so it fits into what architect William McDonough calls a “monstrous hybrid” — a mix of natural, renewable, biodegradable materials with “technical nutrients” such as plastics (also recyclable, but it needs to be recycled separately from biodegradable materials).  The other issue with the wool tiles for me is that they stink.  I think they must use some sort of adhesive that binds the wool to the backing — not necessary in the entirely polyester carpet tiles.   So we opted for the 100% aquafil nylon carpet tile, made from 40%-42% post-industrial recycled content.  I would much prefer post-consumer recycled content, but at least they are headed that direction.  And it does not stink one bit!