Sea Grass Carpets and Rugs

Green flooring is the new craze in interior design circles. Awareness about ecological footprints and the impact of lifestyles on resource utilization is rising. An increasing number of individuals and businesses are opting for measures to minimize their impact on mother earth. Renewable materials therefore find more favor than the old favorites like vinyl and stone.

Sea grass is a unique material made from a monocot plant that grows in paddy fields between rows of rice. The water used for rice cultivation is also used for growing sea grass. Unlike hardwood flooring which is also renewable, no additional land resources are needed for seagrass cultivation. Sea grass like, bamboo flooring is biologically a grass. The paddy fields where it grows need to be flooded with sea water during the growth cycle of seagrass hence the name. Seagrass is available in a range of rugs, runners, and carpets that you can choose from.

Properties of Seagrass Flooring

• Unlike coir, jute and sisal, seagrass is a soft material. You would love walking barefoot on this soft flooring.
• Seagrass is difficult to color. It is therefore available in its natural shades of green and light brown.
• A seagrass floor is not uniform in its color and pattern. It may not be geometrically perfect, but is definitely picture perfect.
• Seagrass spends a major portion of its life submerged in water. It is therefore naturally water and stain resistant. If you are looking for a stain resistant carpet, seagrass could be the ideal choice.
• Sea grass does not involve dedicated land use, is easy to process and does not need to be stained. It is therefore one of the lowest cost natural flooring material available.
• Sea grass flooring is anti static. It is therefore ideal for rooms with computers.
• Seagrass flooring is tough and is easy to clean making it a good choice for heavy traffic areas.

Disadvantages of Seagrass

Sea grass is resistant to moisture but prolonged moisture will lead to development of mold and may damage the carpet. Seagrass is therefore not suitable for outdoor use or in areas like the basement, kitchen and bathroom that might see a lot of water spillage.

Seagrass is not a prudent choice for stairs. The naturally smooth fiber may become slippery after it has been polished by walking. This could cause accidental falls.

Installing Seagrass Carpet

Seagrass carpets can be installed directly over the floor or over an underlay if you so desire. Seagrass carpets with a latex backing are more stable and less prone to napping and creeping. When installing seagrass it is important to ensure the proper orientation of the carpet widths. A professional installer is highly recommended as seams are more visible in a seagrass carpet than they would be in a carpet like Berber.

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.