"Sometimes you just gotta nudge them a bit to get past the default options..."
Yeah, I totally get that. Had a similar experience when we redid our kitchen cabinets last year. The rep kept pushing their regular varnishes, and when I asked about eco-friendly finishes, he just stared at me blankly for a sec. Once we got past that awkward pause, he actually got pretty into it and showed me some plant-based finishes they were trialing. Turned out great, by the way.
Makes me wonder though—do suppliers default to familiar products because they're genuinely unaware of greener alternatives, or is it just a habit of convenience? Maybe it's a bit of both. Either way, it's probably worth gently pushing back every now and then, just to see what's really out there. Has anyone else had luck with lesser-known sustainable options for flooring or insulation? Curious how widespread this issue really is...
Had a similar thing happen when we were looking into insulation. The contractor kept steering us toward fiberglass because "that's what everyone uses," but when I asked about recycled denim or cellulose, he seemed genuinely surprised. After a bit of back-and-forth, he admitted he'd never actually installed denim insulation but was open to trying it out. Worked great in the end—quiet, warm, and no itchy fibers everywhere. Maybe it's just easier to stick with what's familiar until someone asks differently?
Good call on the denim insulation. I've recommended cellulose and denim to clients before, and most contractors aren't resistant—they just haven't had much experience with it. Fiberglass is familiar, cheap, and easy to source, so it's the default. But once they try alternatives and see how well they perform (and how much nicer they are to handle), they're usually pretty open-minded. Sometimes it just takes one homeowner pushing gently for something different to shift the norm a bit...
We went with cellulose insulation after doing some digging ourselves. At first, our contractor was hesitant—he'd never used it before—but once we walked him through the benefits step-by-step and he saw how easy it was to install, he warmed right up to it. Sometimes it's just about breaking that comfort zone...
Did you notice any difference in soundproofing with cellulose? I've recommended it a few times for clients concerned about noise, and they've generally been happy. Curious if your experience matches up...
