Natural Flooring
Natural flooring: solutions and coverings for a unique decor
Today's floor coverings have come a long way, with solutions based on natural plant fibres that are both ecological and economical. These coverings can be used to create unique room atmospheres, to decorate your home or to offer a design in keeping with your professional activity. A closer look at floor coverings with natural effects: their technical characteristics, installation and maintenance.
Natural floors: technical typology
There are many types of natural flooring. These products are made from a plant fibre that is woven, glued or dyed to achieve the desired effect.
Natural floors offer a host of advantages, including thermal and acoustic insulation, fire protection and environmental protection. Highly environmentally-friendly, these floors are available in rolls and can be cut to any size.
Natural flooring: sisal
Sisal is a natural floor covering that is very much in vogue because of its technical and aesthetic advantages. This fibre comes from the agave plant, a subtropical cactus. Sisal is highly resistant to wear and tear, giving a modern, refined look. It can also be tinted to match different atmospheres. However, it is advisable to keep to natural shades close to creamy white, its natural colour.
Sisal is popular because of its practicality - it's easy to lay and cut by the metre, and dust can't get trapped in its tightly-woven fibres. Nevertheless, it is a natural floor covering that is highly resistant to damp, water and stains. We therefore recommend it for intimate rooms, such as bedrooms.
Seagrass: a well-known natural flooring
Already widely used in France, seagrass is a natural flooring derived from aquatic plants in the Asia-Pacific region. It is therefore water-resistant and very easy to maintain. Seagrass should even be moistened from time to time to prevent it from becoming brittle. Resistant to wear and stains, it has an irregular appearance due to its special weave.
Coconut: an ultra-resistant plant fibre
Natural coir flooring is woven from the plant fibres of the coconut. Antibacterial, it is ultra-resistant to stains and wear. A natural barrier to dust, it is extremely resistant to water and damp, so is not suitable for kitchens or bathrooms. Fragile, it's a floor that must be cleaned with a specific product.
Choosing natural flooring
Natural floors are particularly suitable for indoor spaces. They give a more modern, up-to-date look and feel than traditional floor coverings such as carpet, parquet or linoleum.
To know which floor covering to choose and select the right fibre for your needs, it's important to determine the density of the covering that will suit you. The density depends on the weave, which can be linear or irregular depending on the original plant fibre.
Remember to adapt the covering to the use of the room. For example, if you're thinking of laying a natural floor in a reception hall or high-traffic area, you're better off opting for coir or sisal. A coir floor is perfect for an entrance or a colour scheme, while sisal with its flat weave is best used on a roll in a large room. For example, if the room is damp, it is advisable to opt for sea rush and check that the space is properly ventilated.
Style and decor: make good use of natural flooring
Each type of natural floor offers unique visual and decorative aspects. Colours range from beige to green, creating a warm or exotic ambience in any room. Thanks to the unique weaving rhythm of natural plant fibres, floors can adopt specific visual patterns.
For example, the tight, linear weave of coir gives it a raw look that's perfect for an adult bedroom. Thanks to its soft colours, sea rush can be used to create a chic, ethnic living room. We recommend using sisal for offices because of its sometimes prickly appearance due to the natural properties of the fibre.