Hardwood Floors | Environmentally Smart or Not?

When building or remodeling a home, many want to keep things as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible without sacrificing quality or style. You could assume that Hardwood floors aren’t an environmentally friendly option, but you might be surprised to find out why they could be a smart option for your green home.

Sustainably Harvested Wood

You may have a grim image in your head when thinking of hardwood flooring, something like in The Lorax where they chop down every single last tree to make a profit. This is so not the case, sustainably harvested wood is basically where one tree gets cut down, but several are planted in replacement of it. There are also other sources of sustainable wood, such as reclaimed wood. Many old homes have hardwood flooring that’s been replaced but the flooring has been salvaged. One company we love working with in Austin that uses reclaimed, salvaged wood is This Old Wood.

Long Lasting

Hardwood Floors are incredibly long lasting and as we mentioned, can be salvaged in many cases. Making them a much greener option that something artificial like laminate or vinyl flooring. Some well maintained wood floors can last decades. We’ve refinished some jobs here in Austin of White oak flooring that was installed in 1920. Not only is that a fantastic investment for your home, but is great for the environment.

Manufactured Environmentally Friendly

Manufacturing Hardwood floors is a low energy process, requires a very low amount of raw material and produces little to almost no waste. Many pieces of wood that isn’t used can be reused for something else. In comparison to vinyl or laminate flooring, these artificial flooring options require much more raw material and produce a lot more waste, also contain harmful chemicals that can cause problems for people with respiratory problems.

Resand and Finish for a New Look

Instead of ripping out hardwood floors years later, they’re something that can be updated, made fresh and back on trend. Something you can’t do with tile, carpet or laminate flooring. Most Hardwood Flooring Finishes are now made very eco friendly with little to no VOC’s.

Environmentally Friendly? YES!

In a quick response, Yes! Hardwood Flooring is an environmentally smart choice for your home or space. If you chose sustainably sourced, they’ll last a long time, using very little energy and raw materials, can be salvaged and made new. We love working with such a beautiful natural material that’s also a great option for those eco-conscious individuals!