- Wood is a natural product in a diverse selection of colors
and grain patterns.
Who hasn’t marveled at the beauty of a home with
a fine wood floor? It’s in our nature to love trees,
to harvest them and to replant them. Wood is a part of
our lives and our homes. There are more choices now than
ever before… a wood floor for every taste.
- Wood is the easiest floor to clean, requiring far less
chemicals.
Whenever someone says, “I think tile or carpet
might be easier to clean,” I point to my wood floor
cleaning tools. With only a swivel mop and sometimes a
non-aerosol spray, I can clean my wood floor in less than
half the time it takes to vacuum, scrub or shampoo other
floor coverings. Wood doesn’t trap dust and fumes
like carpet and doesn’t grow mold in the grout like
tile. Best yet, fewer chemicals are needed.
- It’s the best choice for the environment. Production
is cleaner than alternatives.
Wood production is much cleaner than other building materials.
Steel manufacturing results in 40 times more pollutants
than manufacturing wood. Concrete requires 6 times more
and brick four times. Steel releases 3 times more carbon
dioxide into the enviroment and concrete even more. Wood
sends less solid waste to the landfill than manufacturing
steel or concrete. Finally, wood is more energy efficient.
The cellular structure of wood traps air, giving it superior
insulating properties. It takes 15 inches of concrete
to equal the insulation qualities of just one inch of
wood.
- You can redecorate by changing your wood floor with stains,
faux finishes and inlays.
You can easily and cost-efficiently change the entire
look of a wood floor from time to time with stains, paints
and inlays.
- Wood is a smart investment.
There is no depreciation on a wood floor. In fact, it
usually increases the resale value of a home. Real wood
floors offer beauty for a lifetime — or longer!
Every day people continue to walk on wood floors that
are as old as our nation. For example, the floors in the
White House, Washington’s Mount Vernon and Jefferson’s
Monticello are still beautiful and practical today. Carpet
is replaced 3 to 6 times before most solid wood floors
ever need repair. Thus, wood floors cost less long term
and add value to your home.
- Finishes can be easily repaired or reapplied.
As long as maintenance procedures have been followed,
wood floors can be refinished instead of adding to the
landfill (as happens with some other floor coverings).
Our industry helps to preserve what is already there…
the finest form of recycling.
- Wood floors give a little on your spine and legs and are
better for your joints.
Don’t be surprised if your doctor recommends a
wood floor for your spine and joints. Wood gives a little
and is easier on your legs and feet. Have you ever noticed
that your feet get tired faster if you are standing on
stone or tile than if you are standing on wood?
- Wood is an ideal choice for people with allergies.
We spend 90 percent of our time indoors so your choice
of flooring can be important. Wood is the floor of choice
for anyone with allergies. It will not harbor dust mites
or mold and does not trap dust or fumes. Some researchers
believe the dust mite could be responsible for increasing
asthma occurrence. According to the American Lung Association,
wood floors in the bedroom and other main living areas
can improve air quality.
- Wood floor sales return more money back to the wood industry
to support good forest management.
Wood floors are a high-end use of forest products and
can provide more profit, thereby ensuring the perpetuation
of the forest. Many developing countries today rely on
timber for export earnings, yet the greatest threat to
primary forests in these countries is conversion to other
forms of land use. Using exotic species for wood floors
is a good way to value the wood highly and encourage reforestation
for continued income production.
- Wood is our greatest renewable resource.
North America has more than 70 percent of the forest
cover that was here in the 1600’s. Plus many exotic
woods come from certified sustainable forests.In North
America we produce more wood than any other place on the
planet! According to the World Resources Institute report,
our continent was unusual in that it increased tree cover
in the 1990s. In other words, we grow more than we cut.
North America is also becoming known as a ‘carbon
sink’. Scientists have shown that young trees use
more carbon dioxide than older trees , much like younger
animals need more food.
