You don’t have to sacrifice the style and look you want in your home to be sustainable and eco-friendly. While it may be surprising, hardwood flooring is one of the most sustainable building resources you can use. So when someone criticizes your stunning Barnum hardwood floors by saying you should “save the trees,” show them the reasons below why hardwood is the greenest choice for flooring.
Sustainably Sourced
“Sustainable” means that something is able to be maintained at a certain rate or level. So, when trees are harvested with sustainability as a priority, it has a very minimal impact on the environment. At Barnum, one of our main sources of lumber is Hickman Woods, a sustainable and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forester. The FSC certification guarantees the sustainable management of forests. So when you have your new hardwood flooring installed by Barnum, you can know that the wood was harvested correctly.
Cleaner Manufacturing
A lot of the manufacturing processes for non-wood floor coverings can result in waste and leftover materials, and the chemicals used in processing can hurt the environment. Also, wood doesn’t require nearly as much energy to produce in comparison to carpet, LVT, and tile.
Since wood is a renewable resource, any excess wood or sawdust left from production can be reused instead of thrown away or wasted.
Long Lasting
With Barnum’s proper care and maintenance, wood floors can last significantly longer than LVT, laminate, or carpet. Hardwood floors are also extremely durable and usually don’t show the everyday wear and tear that many other flooring options are prone to.
While fads come and go, hardwood floors remain an ongoing, sought-out trend. Unlike other floor coverings that have to be removed and disposed of, hardwood floors can be refinished to produce a completely new look. And while they may not be the cheapest option initially, the fact that you won’t ever have to replace hardwood floors in your life will save you money in the long run.
Improve Air Quality
Many people believe that wood floors are effective at improving indoor air quality. Hardwood floors are hypoallergenic since they don’t harbor microorganisms or pesticides tracked from outdoors as other flooring options—like carpet—do. This makes hardwoods great for those with allergies and asthma.
Because trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, they’re considered a carbon-neutral product. Even after trees are cut down and manufactured, they remain carbon-neutral. This, coupled with sustainable harvesting, creates a very low environmental impact.
Reusable
Hardwood flooring is one of the few options that can be used more than once for floors or other building projects. If they need a refresh, they can be sanded and refinished to match any renovation to your home or newly added hardwood flooring.
Even if the wood is too damaged to be used for flooring, there are so many ways to recycle and reuse it for furniture, accent walls, and decoration. At Barnum Floors, we use all scrapes from installations, tear-outs, and tread building to heat part of their shop during the winter months in a wood-burning stove.
Get Sustainable Flooring from Barnum
Thanks to our partnership with Hickman Woods, we guarantee sustainably forested hardwood flooring with every new installation. If you’re ready to make the switch to healthier and greener flooring, call Barnum today! We offer a variety of options when it comes to wood types and colors, along with expertise in creating any design you envision.
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