Environmental Issue's FAQ's about hardwood flooring

Q - How often must wood flooring be replaced once installed?

A - Wood flooring might need replacing every 100 years. The Historic Bacon’s Castle in Virginia has wood flooring that is more than three centuries old and counting. Wood floors can look beautiful for many lifetimes with simple care and maintenance. The surface of the wood floors can be rejuvenated with sanding and refinishing, instead of laying down an entire new floor when the original is worn. If floors are refinished by a wood floor professional, they only nee done every 10-15 years, that’s 10-12 times during a floor’s life. Wood flooring is completely biodegradable when its useful life is over.

Q - Is there available recycled wood flooring??

A - Wood can be salvaged and recycled from many different sources, including old wooden ships, barns, and factories. Logs that sank years ago from logging operations are now being recovered by many companies and are being used to create different and unique flooring. Another growing segment is wood being recovered from riverbeds by the wood flooring industry. From warehouses and factories constructed during the late 1800s and early 1900s, long-leaf pine is reclaimed and today’s only significant source for heartwood. Cypress, hemlock, chestnut, poplar, and walnut are other options.

Q - How does wood flooring promote a healthy indoor environment?

A - It has been proven by tests conducted by leading allergists that wood floors provide a healthier environment for allergy sufferers. Wood does not harbor irritating micro-organisms or dust, and that is good news for the millions of people that suffer from this and for those that suffer from sensitivity to toxins and chemicals.

Q - During the havesting and manufacturing of wood flooring, is the natural environment protected?

A - Hardwood is sustainable and more commercially available now than ever before. It is far from a depleting resource. More wood is added in new growth each year, than what is harvested on the 486 million acres of forestland in the United States that is classified as commercial. 86 percent more wood is added annually for hardwood species in net growth than what is removed through harvesting. For construction adhesives, manufacturers of glue-down flooring meet Clean Air Act standards. A Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs), is a national environmental standard that is anticipated in the next few years, but many manufacturers are already offering VOC compliant wood flooring products on the market today.