Wooden parquet and PVC flooring, which is the most sustainable floor compared?

Flooring made of PVC or other synthetic materials is often used to achieve the wood parquet effect at cheap prices, but is it really that cost-effective to use?

You should know, however, that there are parquet floors that are more sustainable than others. In this article you will find out what aspects to dwell on to choose the most eco-friendly one. But if we were to compare PVC and other synthetic materials with a real wood parquet, which one would be the most sustainable? It must be premised that when we think about safeguarding the environment, we have to take into account not only the type of material to be used but also its disposal.

When it comes to furnishing an apartment or office, the choice between wood or PVC parquet flooring is often a matter of aesthetics and price. For some time now, however, the sustainability aspect has become a real criterion for choice. Consumers have an increasing tendency to discard environmentally unfriendly choices and prefer instead those that are more environmentally friendly.

Too often this topic is underestimated because it is part of a process that we commonly do not experience firsthand. However, it is important to ask ourselves what will happen to the material we choose for our flooring, how and if it will be reused, or whether disposing of it would create harm to the air we breathe and the land in which we live.

Wood flooring: a natural and renewable choice

Wooden parquet is often the first choice of those furnishing a room mainly because of its charm, the warm atmosphere it exudes, and its thermal and acoustic insulation. If we were to look at it from the aspect of its sustainability, this depends heavily on theorigin of the wood. The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood flooring that Berti Pavimenti Legno has, or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), is a responsible choice. These certificates guarantee that the wood comes from ecologically managed forests and ensure that the wood is carefully grown both environmentally, socially and economically.

PSC AND PEFC certifications are important not only for environmental protection, regarding the preservation of biodiversity, ecosystems and water resources, but also for social rights i.e., respect for the rights of local communities and workers, and on traceability, i.e., certifying that the wood used is traceable from origin to final product.

Regarding disposal, on the other hand, wood is a biodegradable material and does not produce environmental damage during its disposal. In reality, however, wood is recycled and can be reused; for example, solid wood can be easily sanded and refinished several times increasing its useful life.

PVC and synthetics

PVC flooring and other synthetic materials are often used to cover wetter rooms because they resist water better. But that is not the only aspect to consider if you want to floor an apartment, store or office. Processing PVC and disposing of it can release harmful and noxious substances into the environment, both for the environment itself and for human beings. In addition, if sustainability is part of the criteria for choice, it is good to know that there are alternatives. For lining rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens, for example, you can carry out a specific treatment to make the wood more water-resistant, or you could opt for teak or iroko wood, which are known not only for their refined aesthetics but also for their resistance to moisture due to their natural characteristics.

You might also be interested in: Antique Iroko

Differences between wood and PVC parquet flooring

Below is a table comparing parquet and PVC to better understand the differences and, based on the criteria, evaluate the characteristics to consider when choosing between wood or PVC.

Criterion	Parquet wood flooring	PVC and synthetics
Origin	Natural and renewable	Oil Derivatives
Duration	Up to 50 years with maintenance	10-20 years, then to be replaced
Maintenance	More challenging	Easy
Sustainability	Biodegradable, certifiable	Difficult to replicate

To finish up then, a PVC floor is certainly cheaper than a wood floor, but you will still have to replace it periodically, initiating the inevitable environmentally harmful process of disposal and unfortunately, non-reuse.

You might also be interested in: Berti Advises: can I put hardwood floor in the bathroom? Is wood flooring okay in the kitchen?