Office Carpeting

Offices typically have a lot more carpeting as a percentage of surface area than homes. So, the 'Sick Building' syndrome in part comes from trapping the toxins in the carpet fibers. According to the EPA, indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air, in part because of the chemicals used in the office construction process.

Pick carpet that is natural or made from recycled fibers, and consider air filters, especially if you do not have operable windows in your office. Many of the eco-friendly carpets are not only made from recycled materials, but they have less of the toxic chemicals which helps the overall environment as well as your indoor environment. The savings often come in the form of health, because you will spend less money on allergy medicine, doctors visits, and long-term healthcare. A very good quality nylon carpet, with good padding and expert installation, should cost between $25 and $30 a yard.

The ROI Calculation is based on typical carpet at about $27.50 / sq. yard vs. toxic free recycled or all natural carpet at $36 / sq. yd for one 300 sq. ft. room (33 Yards of Carpet). If just one of your employees needs to go to the doctor, or even take a half day off due to the unseen air quality of your office, the loss in productivity is dramatically more than the extra cost for the right type of carpet. The ROI Calculation is based on the need for two to go to the doctor each year, where a co-payment may be $25 each, or if you had to buy any respiratory medicine you'll save. Long term health is not even factored into the savings.