As electricity prices continue to climb and homeowners continue to look at new ways to reduce energy consumption and environmental footprint, now is a good time to look at the most energy efficient flooring options for your home. 

Whether you’re looking to re-do your existing floors, or you’re about to start a new home build – it’s important to understand how your flooring contributes to your energy use.

For those residing in North Queensland, the warm tropical climate presents a different set of considerations for keeping the home both cool and comfortable. Reducing our energy consumption means creating a space that keeps heat out, and ideally, does not need to rely so heavily on air conditioning to keep cool. Exploring passive energy efficiency techniques – like the materials used (flooring) in your home – can make a big difference to how we use heating and cooling appliances in our homes.

Style and taste are subjective and will come down to personal preferences. But if you’re looking to create a truly energy-efficient home, here are the flooring materials – ranked from most energy efficient to least energy efficient – that you should be considering.

Tiles, concrete and stone

Polished concrete, tiles, and stone fall into the same category when we talk about thermal efficient flooring.

For new homes, there’s no getting around the fact that concrete floors can look fantastic. Not only that, but they are also cost-efficient to install, require minimal maintenance when compared to carpet and wood, and are a great option for households with pets. 

First, the good stuff. Tiles, concrete and stone are a great summer-time flooring material, especially so in the humid North QLD climate. Inherently cooler, concrete and tiles keep the home cool through summer and mean using the AC less to keep the home cool.

Tiles, concrete and stone are great at dissipating heat rather than retaining it, which makes them feel cool to the touch during colder seasons. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing when temperatures in North QLD, but are something to consider for our friends south from here.  

Tiles, Concrete & Stone Pros

• Great for the warm tropical climate
• Easy to maintain and clean
• Child and pet friendly

Tiles, Concrete & Stone Cons

• Doesn’t retain heat well 
• Cold to touch in the colder months

Carpet

Where heat is not a major concern, carpet remains one of the most popular flooring options over the last decade or so — especially in bedrooms where comfort is paramount. When it comes to energy efficient flooring for home in colder climates, it’s hard to beat carpet.

Carpet is widely recognised as the most energy efficient flooring option because it traps heat in the cooler months. For anyone that has had carpet in their home in winter, they’ll know that in addition to feeling great under your feet on those colder days, it also does a good job of keeping your place warmer for longer.

The flip side of the equation is that carpet can trap heat in the warmer months. For homes subject to direct sunlight throughout the days in summer, you’ll notice that the carpet traps the heat more than other surfaces. As a result, you may find yourself running the AC for slightly longer in some rooms to offset the ‘trapped heat’ in the warmer months.

Carpet Pros

• High thermos efficiency rating
• Soft underfoot
• Cost-efficient to install
• Longevity when properly maintained
• Reduce heating bills in winter
• Quiet, sound absorbing properties

Carpet Cons 

• Can wear quickly with high traffic
• Kids and pets don’t mix well with carpet
• Looks – subjective, of course
• Can trap heat in the warmer months

Wood/Timber

As an all-year-round flooring material, it’s hard to go past wood or timber flooring.

Wooden floorboards and hardwood are amongst the most popular flooring options for new home builders. Wood is such a popular option for flooring for one very good reason – it looks great in just about any home.

Wood is the second most efficient flooring material on our list thanks to the natural thermal properties that absorb heat more than other surfaces. Hardwood floors tend to absorb and retain heat better than most ‘synthetic’ or stone surfaces and can help to retain heat in the colder months. While the thermal properties of wood are never going to live up to carpet, this is certainly offset in the warmer months where wood is much more comfortable underfoot and retains far less heat than carpet.

Wood Pros

• Looks great in almost any room
• Easy to maintain and less prone to stain
• Child and pet friendly (mind the claws)
• Retains less heat than carpet in the warmer months 

Wood Cons

• High upfront cost to install
• Requires maintenance and care