Research shows flooring can affect health. Healthy alternatives in laminate and hardwood flooring for the home are readily available for people who suffer from allergies and asthma or anyone wanting to improve the quality of their home environment to keep health problems at bay.
(PRWeb) December 12, 2006 -- There is new research that gives even greater evidence that the type of flooring in a home can make a difference in your health. A study supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) shows that there are bacterial chemicals, called endotoxins. These endotoxins are a by product of bacteria which is found everywhere in the home. "When we analyzed the dust samples, we found that kitchen and living room floors had the highest concentrations of endotoxin," said Darryl C. Zeldin, M.D., a Senior Investigator at NIEHS. "However, when we looked at where the health impact of the dust was the most significant, we found that the likelihood of having recent asthma symptoms was nearly three times greater among individuals with exposure to high levels of endotoxin in the bedroom."
Perhaps the most offensive in this area is wall-to-wall carpeting. Carpets harbor dust and other pollutants that are not readily cleaned out even with the most powerful vacuum cleaners. Dust mites are quite prevalent in carpeting and, even though they don't bite, they do leave droppings known as mite allergens. They live up to about 3 months and produce up to 300 eggs over this period of time. No matter how much one vacuums, the mites remain in the carpet, tightly clinging to the carpet fibers.
So, what are the alternatives? Jeff Blackburn, Technical Advisor at AffordaFloors.com says that "Healthy choices in flooring are readily available. Hard surface flooring is the type of flooring you want to look at, such as bamboo, cork, hardwood and laminate flooring. Most of these types of floors have very little off-gassing because they use mostly if not all natural materials in their production. Hard surface flooring is also much easier to clean and doesn't harbor harmful bacteria and dust mites."
Another benefit of some these types of floors such as bamboo and cork flooring is that they are made from ecologically sustainable plants, so their harvesting is not harmful to the environment. They are also hypoallergenic and resistant to pests. Even the clear finish that is applied is usually a water-based non-toxic finish.
So check out some of the hard-surface laminate and hardwood flooring options and give your allergies a rest.
AffordaFloors is a leading seller of hardwood and laminate flooring. For more information on flooring products call 1-866-356-6789 or visit www.affordafloors.com
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