All About Eco-Friendly Wood Floors

Now that you're an empty nester, you're ready to tap into your savings to tackle a few key updates to your home, including new flooring. You're especially interested in eco-friendly wood flooring since it’s not only better for the planet but also better for your long-term health. But where do you even start? 

First, let's understand what "eco-friendly flooring" even means. To you, it's probably all about reducing your footprint, using less, and avoiding harmful chemicals. But there are a few other related factors, like whether the wood is sustainably sourced and how long it takes to regenerate. The US Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) does all the legwork for you, investigating the products and how they're made. Only when a product meets its strict standards does it earn the FSC-certified stamp of approval. So anytime you see this nonprofit's logo, you can rest assured knowing it's a quality eco-friendly floor. 

You can also rely on your local Flooring America expert to explain, clarify, and even locate eco-friendly wood floors that meet the specific needs of your family. 

Sustainable Flooring Options

Have your pick from three types of sustainable flooring: 

• FSC certified wood - The FSC certification logo identifies sustainable hardwood that meets important, environmentally friendly criteria. The most common green wood flooring species include ash, oak, birch, and walnut, all of which are resilient, durable choices that are ethically produced. 
• Bamboo - Though it's commonly thought of as a hardwood because of its similar look, bamboo is actually a hardy grass. If you've had a patch of bamboo growing in your backyard, you already know how resilient and fast-growing it is. This regenerable species can also be found with the FSC-certified logo. 
• Cork - Made from the bark of trees, cork provides a dense, spongy flooring that works fabulously in areas where you may be standing a lot, like kitchens. It's considered eco-friendly largely because the tree bark grows back within 3 years, which is a fraction of the time it takes most hardwood species to grow enough to be harvested for flooring. 

Appearance

Looking for a beautifully light brown oak or a golden-hued birch to brighten up your cozy living room? Or how about a mocha-colored walnut to add drama to your traditionally-designed office? With the help of the FSC-certified logo and even eco-friendly stains, you can easily find eco-friendly wood flooring that will stun houseguests without damaging the planet. 

If you're intrigued by the scratch resistance of bamboo, you'll be glad to hear thatthe naturally blond bamboo flooring can be painted or stained to complement your home's style. And the same with cork flooring, which can absorb dyes and stains to adapt to the look and feel you want from your new eco-friendly flooring. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Eco-Friendly Flooring Options

Finding yourself stuck between one sustainable flooring option and another? A breakdown of eco-friendly flooring pros and cons may help you make a decision. 

Each of the sustainable flooring options has the benefit of helping the environment, but there are other considerations, too. 

• Cork flooring feels softer and offers more cushion underfoot than any other eco-friendly flooring. It also dampens noise and acts as a natural insulator. But this isn't the green flooring option for you if you've got pets. Their nails can easily catch, hurting both them and the cork floor. 
• Bamboo floors are a great sustainable solution, especially if you need to install over a subfloor or withstand temperatures that fluctuate regularly. But bamboo isn't entirely scratch or water-resistant, plus its distinctive look might not complement your family's design style. 
• Solid hardwood floors last an incredibly long time —longer than any other green flooring. You've got all kinds of looks you can go for, too, thanks to the unique hues and grain patterns of different hardwood species. Eco-friendly wood flooring doesn't do well with moisture, though. Humid conditions or periods of moisture can lead to damage, like buckling and warping. 

Durability of Green Wood Flooring

Solid hardwood floors of all varieties age beautifully after decades of traffic and wear in your home. But the hardwood species you ultimately choose will play a big part in just how durable your new eco-friendly floors are. Maple, hickory, ash, and white oak are your densest and therefore most durable eco-friendly flooring options.

If you've got a pet-friendly home where scratching is a concern, bamboo flooring may be the eco-friendly flooring option for you. It's denser than most commercially available hardwoods and is really difficult to scratch. That means it's the perfect choice if you have an erratic dog or cat who never misses the opportunity to zoom around the house!

How to Maintain Eco-Friendly Wood Floors

Keeping your sustainable flooring in good shape is the least you can do after all the research and work you put into picking them out! Luckily, the work to maintain them is pretty straightforward. Eco-friendly wood floors need regular sweeping or vacuuming to remove accumulated dirt and debris. Cork and bamboo have the same cleaning requirements, too. No matter which eco-friendly flooring material you end up with, always follow the manufacturer's instructions to get the best clean and overall life. 

Lifespan and Installation

You're interested in eco-friendly wood flooring but before you take the plunge, you want to know what to expect. More specifically, how long until you'll need to shop for new floors again? It depends on the type of eco-friendly flooring you went with. The good news is that solid hardwood flooring of any kind lasts an incredibly long time—think lifetimes! At least they can under the right conditions. Other sustainable flooring options like cork and bamboo don't last quite as long, but they still give you years of service before they need replacing. 

One of the key factors that determine just how long your green flooring will last is installation. If a sustainable floor isn't installed correctly, it can take years off its life and lead to issues like warping or buckling. Opting for an experienced installer is the best decision you can make to set your floors up for long-term success. You'll not only get gorgeous new floors in no time, but you can rest assured the warranty is still intact.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are hardwood floors eco-friendly? You can absolutely find eco-friendly wood flooring options, but not all hardwood floors are inherently eco-friendly. In order to make this distinction, the product must meet the US Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) set of standards, which takes into account several factors like protecting wildlife and the well-being of forest workers. Look for the FSC certification logo to easily identify sustainable flooring in hardwood. 
• Which type of wood is the most environmentally friendly? FSC-certified oak and white ash are two of the more eco-friendly wood flooring options because they're incredibly durable and meet FSC's standards. Bamboo is considered the most environmentally friendly since it regrows quickly and is incredibly durable, but technically it’s a wood-like grass and not an actual hardwood.