In an effort to move forward with some interior framing I've been investigating flooring materials this week, though it's been a bit tricky. Wood? Thickness, cost and (mostly) weight are challenging aspects. Vinyl? Doesn't evoke great thoughts. Carpet? Yuck. Tile? Not great with movement.
I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I much prefer true wood. There are some REALLY great vinyl planks out there that mimic wood without the extra weight or thickness however the cost is just unrealistic in this application (Shaw Floors makes a really believable LVT product but you can't get it for any less than $4/sf - a $400 floor just isn't on the table). I was left foraging through Craigslist for shipping pallets. The revelation came when I found these - the wall crating attached to the pallets. The wood was easily half the thickness and a fraction of the weight, it had varying tones, and it was FREE! Brief research showed that they came from a domestic manufacturer located in Vermont and were used to ship wood stoves. Pesticides are less used in domestic shipping so given that the company was fairly local I asked a few questions and left the rest to good faith that these were safe.
Conclusion: I was wrong. A pretty unpromising-looking cut on my hand from disassembly the night before led me to make a few phone calls and the manufacturer eventually confirmed the possible use of pesticides. Wood floor, no more.
Currently recollecting from my disappointment and back to brainstorming.
