Can Hardwood Flooring Be Green?

Hardwood flooring has gotten a reputation for not being very environmentally friendly. The main complaint is that hardwood flooring is made by chopping down trees, which contributes to further deforestation. That further deforestation threatens wetlands, natural habitats, and carbon sequestration. However, there are ways that you can still have a hardwood floor installation with a very minimal carbon footprint. 1 - Sustainable Hardwood You’ll likely hear about sustainable hardwood, but what does that mean? It can mean many things. Typically, it means that the hardwood is cut from an area that can quickly replace the lost tree. For example, some hardwoods grow much faster than others. If a forest is quickly growing large trees, then cutting down trees for hardwood flooring will have a minimal impact. Also, there are offsets. This could mean that the lumber company that cuts down a tree replaces that tree with a sapling. Some of them even plant two trees for each one they cut down. 2 - Reclaimed Wood Reclaimed hardwood floors are floors that are made from hardwood that has already been in use. The roof supports for an old barn, for example, can be milled into hardwood flooring planks. Also, an old hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished to be used as your hardwood floor. When properly maintained, wood will last for decades in great shape. That means that you can get a brand new floor without a single tree being chopped down. 3 - Stains and Finishes One of the main concerns about hardwood flooring is actually the stain and the paint that is used. Oftentimes, they will employ volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can harm the environment. Fortunately, there are companies that sell low- or no-VOC products that will do the job just as well. Oftentimes, these products are water-based instead of oil-based and contain fewer harmful chemicals. 4 - Salvaged Wood Flooring Salvaged wood flooring might sound like reclaimed wood, but it is actually different. In some situations, a tree might need to be salvaged. If a tree is diseased, dead, or endangering the surrounding area, it might be chopped down. In other cases, some trees are cut down to allow other trees to grow unimpeded. When those trees are used for their wood, it is often called salvaged wood. Since they were going to be cut down anyway, it carries a much smaller ecological impact. These four options can make your hardwood flooring more sustainable and less harmful to the environment.