Flooring Choices: A Guide to Allergy and Asthma-Friendly Options

Home Sweet Home! Your haven from the day’s hustle and bustle, your child’s merry world, and an escape for the family from the outside world. But for allergic residents, even their home can be a place of despair.

More than 50 million people in the US suffer from allergies every year. Allergies are incurable, faced by children and adults, and are the 6th leading cause of chronic suffering.

You can eat an allergen or inhale it into your lungs; some reach your body from a simple touch. The result: a reaction that causes irritated throat, itchy eyes, runny nose, coughing, and sneezing. Some cases are severe, resulting in asthma attacks, breathing problems, low blood pressure, rashes, hives, and even death. You cannot cure allergies, but preventing them is crucial for well-being.

We understand that creating an allergy-proof home from the ground up is no joke unless you have enough capital to spare. However, there are several easy ways to improve your setting, and flooring is one of them.

Today, we focus on recommending the best flooring materials to reduce the chances of allergies to a bare minimum. What flooring should you choose for combating allergic triggers?

What Should an Anti-Allergic Floor Be Like?

Soft surfaces are the worst choice for your home. So, opt for hard floors and stay away from rugs. It means no carpet flooring for you.

Carpet is a good flooring choice, but not if you have allergies. It traps dirt, dust mites, and mold. You cannot get rid of them even with HEPA vacuuming. Additionally, choose natural flooring instead of chemical-laced artificial materials. Now, let’s explore the suitable options.

Stone and Tile:

They have been a perfect choice for people seeking stylish, durable, and variety in their flooring.

Since they have a smooth finish, they are hypoallergenic. However, note that natural stone, porous tiles, or tiles with rough edges can trap dust, dirt, mold, and other allergens in the holes and gaps. You may choose granite or marble flooring for they look beautiful and are allergen-friendly, but they can be slippery.

Irrespective of the stone or tile you choose, consider the adhesive and grout for VOC content; go for one with lower quantities. You should seal the tile and grout properly, clean them regularly, and reseal them when needed. It will help prevent dust, dirt, and other allergens from entering the porous surface.

Concrete:

It may not be the first thing to come to your mind when looking for allergy-free options because concrete soaks up water, so it must absorb allergens too. But no, there is far more to it than meets the eye.

Although concrete emits VOCs, they are drastically lower than most building products. What you have to do is ensure the concrete is made with low-VOC products before finishing and sealed with a VOC-free or low-VOC sealer for extended life.

Concrete offers an endless choice of colors and finishes, whereas its maintenance requirements are low. You can keep it looking and feeling new with only a dust mop and finish-friendly floor cleaner.

Solid Hardwood:

Hardwood flooring is popular. It has been consistently favored by home and business owners alike for hundreds of years. The material is extremely durable, versatile, attractive, and can be refinished. Also, it is allergy-friendly.

With proper installation and sealing done with an allergy-friendly polyurethane-style clearcoat, it does not attract and trap microorganisms like dust mites, dirt, or other allergens. You can easily remove mold, dust, dander, and hair by regularly cleaning with a dust mop and hardwood floor cleaner.

Since you can refinish it, it can last long and, as a natural resource, contains minimal VOCs. Consider VOC-free adhesive and finish coat because they typically have plenty of it.

Laminate and Vinyl:

Laminate and vinyl flooring is almost as robust as solid hardwood. However, they are not entirely allergen-free materials. Yeah, they do not trap allergens like carpets and are easy to clean.

Luxury vinyl plank and tile have set the trend in recent years with an array of enticing colors and patterns. Vinyl is allergy-friendly and, as a strong material, easy to remove dirt, dust, and debris. However, like solid wood, check the VOC content of the material and the adhesive. Choose high-quality vinyl products for durability and minimal VOC content.

On the other hand, laminate is man-made and has little natural materials, but most laminate planks need click-lock and floating installation. Since this method removes the need for adhesives, you have an upper hand.

Final Words

There you have it, the best allergy-friendly flooring options you can consider. We recommend you talk to your flooring specialist to help determine the best option. If you are doing everything yourself, avoid soft surfaces and go for natural products like hardwood, cork, concrete, or tile.