What is sustainable flooring?
This week we will be covering a trend that has been a popular topic of discussion for the past three decades: environmental sustainability. However, we will specifically be covering the 2024 flooring trend of sustainable flooring. Make sure to catch up on our earlier blogs here if you haven’t already.
I’m sure you’re probably thinking: what exactly is sustainable flooring? Sustainable flooring is produced from sustainable materials, as well as by a sustainable process, that reduces demands on ecosystems during its life-cycle. According to the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA.org), hardwood flooring is the most abundantly renewable flooring material available. The reason for this is that sustainable forest management makes it possible to harvest wood without any serious impact on the environment, because trees are a renewable resource that can be replaced time and time again.
Its important to note that the hardwood flooring process is more sustainable than alternatives. In this process, logs are sawn into lumber, the lumber is milled into flooring, and in the case of Gaylord Hardwood Flooring a 0% VOC (volatile organic compounds) finish is then applied. Hardwood flooring takes less water and energy to produce than any other flooring option. The only by-product is sawdust, which can be made into wood pellets or used for horse bedding among other things. Furthermore, indoor air quality can improve with the installation of hardwood floors.
At Gaylord Hardwood Flooring, we believe in educating consumers before they make flooring choices. If choosing a green flooring product is important to you, read on to find out more about sustainable hardwood; a product that will last a lifetime without negatively impacting our environment.
Gaylord Hardwood Flooring’s commitment to environmental sustainability
Gaylord Hardwood Flooring made the decision to discontinue the manufacturing and production of exotic wood species in 2017. In the past, we offered exotic hardwood species such as Sucupira, also known as Brazillian Walnut; Tigerwood, also known as Brazillian Koa; Cumaru, also known as Brazilian Teak; and Jatoba, also known as Brazilian Cherry.
In a recent video, Greg Gaylord explains why the company shifted away from working with exotic hardwoods. He details that the hardwood flooring company wanted to focus on sourcing and manufacturing all hardwood products within a 300-mile radius of their Tweed, Ontario showroom. The reason for this is because when buying wood from Brazil, despite it being FSC-certified, it can be difficult to determine where the wood originated. Additionally, the environmental impact of shipping products from South America was of concern. The Tweed native goes on to note that he loves the idea of a supplier taking him into the woods to show him a log that will be made into Gaylord Hardwood Flooring.
We shifted to low sheen wire brushed flooring in domestic species like Ash and Maple. While these flooring options are not as hard as exotic woods like Jatoba, they perform much better in our Canadian climate.
Final thoughts
If you’re considering using exotic species for your next project, its important to understand the impact this will have on the environment. For instance, the majority of bamboo timber comes from China where existing forests have been cleared to make way for bamboo plantations. The deforestation leads to soil erosion and loss of habitat for flora and fauna, which is then compounded by the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.
A product’s biggest impact on the environment is the issue of shipping. The environmental impact of shipping Canadian hardwood flooring in Canada is minimal compared to shipping bamboo flooring from China. That is why we have a selection of domestic hardwoods that would make great alternatives to exotic species. For your next project, consider using White Oak, Ash, Maple, Hickory, or Red Oak. Both the environment, and Gaylord Hardwood Flooring will thank you.