Eco build on a budget

When we started this project we understood that at certain times the best environmental option and our meagre budget would clash and we would have to compromise. Well, this is one of those times. When we got planning permission for the extension, one of the conditions was that the floor of the kitchen would be concrete. Given that we were building down a level and the Perth area is liable to flooding, we conceded on this point but decided to make it feature. When the concrete was poured, we scattered recycled glass chuckies with a view to sanding them down and sealing to create a funky kitchen floor.

That was Plan A. Being, admittedly, novices at this we misjudged the timing and added the glass too late. As the concrete dried, the chuckies rose to the surface and our perfectly flat floor became pocked. We cleared the loose chuckies and held out hope that the remaining ones were deeper set and would shine up nicely when sanded. But we underestimated the power of glass. It wouldn’t be accurate to say that they broke the industrial strength sander but they certainly held their own. When we gave up on it as a bad job we were left with a green and grey lunar landscape.

One evening, while wilfing on the internet, I stumbled upon our Plan B - a clear resin floor covering with recycled glass screed in a choice of colours, pre-mixed and ready to pour. And then I lost it. We have wasted many hours online searching for this site (which I could have sworn I’d bookmarked) to no avail. If anyone out there knows of which I speak, please let us know and soon. We haven’t quite given up hope, but we’re close.

We started researching alternatives and came up with Plan C – marmoleum. Linoleum, marmoleum’s more industrial cousin, is often used as a generic term for vinyl but they couldn’t be more different. Vinyl is basically plastic so it uses petroleum products in its manufacture and will never biodegrade. While often used as a more allergy-friendly replacement for carpet, it is not recommended by the British Allergy Foundation because of the harmful chemicals it contains. Linoleum on the other hand is made from all natural materials – the word lino comes from linseed. It is everything that vinyl isn’t but to the casual observer there is no obvious difference once laid. This is where the budget comes in – the difference is in the price. Not only is marmoleum more expensive, it is much trickier to fit and requires specialist tools.

Now, Donald’s Dad is in the trade and he has very generously offered to provide our flooring – which makes a big difference to our budget. He was happy to source cork flooring for the kids’ rooms – cork being possibly the most sustainable floor covering there is (more on which later). He was able to source marmoleum (it is manufactured in Fife) but it was a big ask – he hadn’t fitted it before and didn’t have the tools. So we looked for Plan D – would the cork work in the kitchen? No, he said, not where it’s likely to get wet. Plan E was recycled plastic tiles but we couldn’t find them in anything other than bright industrial colours. As the floor was so uneven, before we could lay anything we had to use a self-levelling screed which raised the level of the floor. This meant we couldn’t consider local stone or tiles as it would make the floor too high. And then there was vinyl.

Even if someone out there comes good with the recycled glass resin, it’s too late now that the screed is laid. We have made our compromise, chosen a vinyl that looks vaguely like stone and Donald’s Dad has ordered it. We console ourselves with the thoughts that a/ this means we will finally be able to install our kitchen and b/ as easy to fit as it is, vinyl is also easy to remove should we find our dream floor in the future. There are now vinyl recycling schemes so it won’t end up in landfill or we could freecycle it.

We are very happy with the kids’ floors. Cork has a bad name due to the dodgy ’70s tiles we all grew up with but it has since undergone something of a reinvention. It is now available in a variety of natural shades and patterns and is laid in click-lock planks (like laminate). It is soft and bouncy underfoot, making it ideal for the rough and tumble of kids, and it has great sound insulation. Where cork stands out from other wood flooring is its sustainability. Our cork flooring comes from Portuguese Cork Oak. The trees are not harvested but coppiced which means that new growth is removed to make the cork while the tree is left to grow and absorb carbon – a bit ‘eating your cake and having it too’. We’ll post photos of the cork when its laid. Once the flooring is down it will really start to feel like home.