Hardwood Flooring is Eco-Friendly

The nature of trends is that they don’t last. However, rising concerns over environmental issues indicate that “being green” has surpassed the “trend” stage and has now become a way of life for many consumers. There is evidence of this in our grocery stores with organic and natural foods displays, on packaging for brand name products, advertising “all-natural” or “no hormones,” and in the wave of community recycling programs for everything from paper to children’s toys to furniture - not to mention the free-cycling sites on the internet. So it is now safe to say that "being green" is not a “trend." It is a movement.

The move to environmental responsibility has reached the hardwood flooring industry as well.

Hardwood flooring is, in itself, green. It’s green because it already has the potential to be timeless - used forever as long as it’s maintained properly. It’s made from all-natural renewable resources. Manufacturers around the hardwood flooring industry are making an even bigger push to create flooring products with less waste and longer life. For example, engineered hardwood flooring continues to gain in popularity with consumers. It is a preferred flooring option in most every residential sector. In response to this increasing demand, manufacturers are creating engineered flooring that provides solutions to contractors’ and consumers’ concerns associated with construction, styling, performance and installation. In addition to coming from managed forests, some of these new engineered flooring products are produced with up to two-thirds less harvested wood than with typical wood flooring options. Manufacturers are using the dense inner layers of wood fiber, which are created as by-products from the manufacturing of other products like sawmill by-products. Otherwise these fibers would be thrown away, burned or put into landfills. An example of this extremely eco-friendly product, that showcases unsurpassed structural integrity, impact resistance and moisture tolerance, is Shaw’s EnviroCore ™ - used in their Epic engineered hardwood collection.

We’ve come to a time where “what’s old is new again." And it’s becoming increasingly popular, and important. Reclaimed wood flooring manufacturers are turning old timbers into beautiful wood flooring. Consumers appreciate the reclaimed flooring for its character and time-worn look. And they feel good about choosing a floor with minimal environmental impact.

Whether you are buying new, refinishing old, or reclaiming and reusing, being aware of how your flooring decision effects the environment is important. As the move to go green continues, many hardwood flooring manufacturers will only continue to offer more options to their customers. And GateWood Floors will be here to guide you along the way.