Energy Smart Design

The good news for homeowners who develop a liking of the durability, feel and look of hardwood is that they no longer have to forego these features while doing their bits to save the earth.

While sustainable hardwood offers a noble alternative to the environmental conscious consumers, the industry itself is not able to escape from shady business practices.  Some of these may include illegal logging, use of dangerous pesticides and premature cutting down of the wood before it reaches its prime. It is thus important for potential wood flooring buyers to be guided against such unscrupulous activities.  One sure bet is to count on FSC (short for Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (short for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative).  These two organizations issue labels on products from businesses that conform to logging guidelines.  SFI is a strong advocate of beneficial coexistence of our environment and businesses: a responsible attitude and behavior towards the environment would bring profit to all, i.e. shareholders, manufacturers, landowners, customers, environment and the generations to come.  It balances the commercial harvesting of trees while preserving air quality, water, soil, plants and wildlife.

FSC concerns itself with world forest management, based on economy, social and environmental factors.  The label will serve as a guide if a particular wood flooring business has acquired its products through the legal means.

 

This originates from wood structure that has served its usefulness, but has since been reworked to produce flooring material. For example, timber and cherry beams of old bridge and barns are known to be the common sources of reclaimed wood.

 

Reclaimed wood is also available in many patterns and styles, such as ash, maple, rustic oak and walnut, and it can complement rooms very well.

 

 

This resembles hardwood in terms of looks but excels in versatility and durability.  It is similar to plywood due to its laminated form factor.  Fastgrowth wood (e.g. aspen) usually makes the base lamination while the slow-growth hardwood goes on to top as veneer.  It is no doubt an efficient design but check the corresponding wood floor guide to make sure of low-urea formaldehyde glues and low-VOC finishes.  The laminations on this floor type would help to prevent "movement" as compared to that of solid wood.

 

 

This is a newcomer into the flooring market.  As suggested by the name, this type of wood grows on plantation, thus playing a major part in preserving the ecosystem. The wood is a hybrid of two eucalyptus trees and has no gum pockets, holes and knots.

 

 

Durability -- The inhabitants of the house, and by extension, their belongings and activities, place a constant load on the flooring.  There is no one flooring type that fits all, as the lifestyle of individual families and the functional purposes of individual rooms would all have an influence on the flooring choice.  Wooden structure may make great flooring for living areas such as hallways, living room and kitchen but it is a bad choice for wet areas or places with a lot of moisture such as bathrooms.  The water content or moisture would cause staining, warping and buckling on certain hardwoods.

 

Comfort -- Flooring inside your household will stay where it is for many years to come, so it is important for you to decide on material that is comfortable for you to stand on or walking around.  If you live in a place where cold climate stretches for many months, it may be more desirable to have either maple or oak hardwood over the hard, cold concrete floor.  If your household is installed with radiant floor heating, this floor advice may become less of a consideration.

 

Safety -- Be aware of the emission of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that is typically associated with wood floor finishing and carpets.  VOCs have been widely known to affect your health, so the wise thing to do is go for a flooring type that is VOC free.

 

Natural -- As much as possible, reject flooring type, especially carpet that is manufactured with chemicals.

 

Non-petroleum-based -- Certain carpet manufacturers add petrochemical materials (like plastics) into the carpet padding.  Preference should be given to carpet without padding or at least pick the padding type that is made of recycled materials.

 

No adhesive -- There are flooring types that do not require application of adhesives like chemical-based glues, which qualify them for being environmentally sustainable.  In fact there are lots of low-VOC water-based glues to fix your carpet (or you can buy carpet that does not require any glue).

 

Recyclable -- If your flooring is due for major rework, we strongly advise that the replacement flooring be made of recyclable material. Take the opportunity to go eco-friendly.