Is sustainability is one of your top priorities when selecting materials to use for building or renovating your home? If so, there are 6 excellent reasons to consider installing hardwood flooring. Wood is definitely one of your most sustainable choices of flooring materials, and it offers you many benefits over carpeting or other materials.
1. Given the Right Care and Maintenance, Hardwood Floors Will Outlast Other Types of Floors
If you install hardwood flooring in your home, it’s a lifetime investment; the floor is likely to outlast you assuming you maintain it well. This longevity makes hardwood flooring ideal from the perspective of its sustainability. It’s a far greener choice than carpeting or any other type of flooring that would need frequent replacement.
2. Wood Is an Easily Renewable Resource
When more wood is needed, trees can easily be planted. The renewable nature of wood is one of the characteristics contributing to its status as an ideal material to use in flooring and other applications. However, it is important to ensure you’re working with wood that was sustainably harvested, particularly if you are installing hardwood flooring made from an exotic species of wood such as Brazilian cherry or Brazilian ipe.
3. Wood Is Natural and Non-Toxic
There are many toxic building materials in current use, but wood is not one of them. Wood is a natural product. Homeowners who install wood flooring can choose how they would like to finish it; for those who prefer to avoid chemicals, there are natural oil and wax finishes that can be applied. Those who don’t have cause to avoid chemical finishes also have plenty of options.
4. Wood Is Biodegradable
Once your wood flooring is installed, you’re probably not going to want to rip it out and dispose of it. However, if you do need to remove the wood flooring at some future date, it’s comforting to know that the wood is biodegradable and won’t need any special handling. It will break down in the environment easily and will not clog a landfill for centuries after its disposal.
5. Wood Waste From Flooring Does Not Create Environmental Hazards
There are plenty of building materials such as PVC and lead that can create environmental hazards under certain circumstances, but thankfully, wood is not one of them.
6. Wood Waste From Flooring Can Be Used for Manufacturing Other Products
Manufacturers are finding creative ways to use wood waste for manufacturing a wide range of different products including medium density fiberboard furniture and housewares. Since there are readily available outlets for getting rid of wood waste, it’s less likely that the wood waste from flooring will end up clogging landfills in the short term.
Pondering these 6 considerations brings you to the conclusion that wood flooring is clearly an outstanding choice from a sustainability perspective. Compared to carpet, wood has a longer upfront lifespan, and it’s easier to dispose of when the time comes that it has outlived its usefulness. Visit Relative Space if you want to find more resources and information.