Sustainable living means a sustainable home—and a sustainable home consists of sustainable building materials. There are many ways you can incorporate greener materials into your home or business, but one of the best places to start is with your flooring. A sustainable floor consists of natural, renewable materials that last for a long time. Clean manufacturing processes and a lack of harmful emissions are also great traits to have.
At the same time, you don’t want to sacrifice style or quality when you purchase environmentally friendly products. Thankfully, you don’t have to. Engineered wood flooring meets all the above requirements, and more. With eco-conscious sourcing and manufacturing, long-lasting quality, and the beauty of real hardwood flooring, engineered hardwood stands out among other flooring products. Learn why engineered wood flooring is a sustainable choice with this rundown of all its remarkable, eco-friendly traits.
The Natural Choice
Engineered wood flooring consists entirely of natural materials, which means it lasts longer, looks better, and is better for the environment. There are two main components of engineered wood: the veneer and the core. The veneer consists of real solid hardwood that comes straight from the trees. Engineered hardwood’s core varies by product and manufacturer. It might consist of plywood, medium-density fiberboard, or high-density fiberboard. While these materials vary slightly, they all come from natural wood products. Many manufacturers even use recycled pieces of wood in their cores, thus eliminating waste in the manufacturing process and crafting an even more sustainable product.
Engineered Hardwood Uses Less Trees
Solid hardwood also uses real wood, so why is engineered wood flooring a more sustainable choice? The answer lies in the veneer. While solid hardwood uses traditional wood all the way through, engineered wood only has a thin veneer of traditional wood on top of its plywood or fiberboard core. This means less traditional wood goes into each board, which means manufacturers don’t have to cut down as many trees.
In addition to preserving the forests, engineered hardwood’s veneer and core create an incredibly durable and stable product. The plywood or fiberboard core handles moisture and natural expansion and contraction better than solid wood. Meanwhile, the solid wood veneer gives every board the gorgeous and classic appearance of solid hardwood. When you choose engineered hardwood, you get the beauty of traditional wood flooring and the satisfaction of a durable and sustainable resource. It’s the best of both worlds!
Sustainable Harvesting and Manufacturing Methods
The specific harvesting and manufacturing methods that go into your engineered wood flooring vary depending on the company you buy from. Generally speaking, many manufacturers—including our team at From the Forest—have a serious commitment to the environment. These companies source their wood from managed forests and plant saplings to make up for the trees that they cut down. Plus, many engineered wood flooring manufacturers take care to use smaller trees. This preserves older growths and encourages healthy forest regeneration.
On top of these sustainable harvesting practices, the manufacturing process for engineered wood is more eco-friendly than other flooring products. Because wood is a natural product, manufacturers don’t need to use harmful chemicals in the creation process. Additionally, wood flooring takes much less energy to produce than other options like linoleum or carpet. Perhaps best of all, the manufacturing process creates very little waste. Wood chips, sawdust, and other byproducts of engineered wood flooring are ingredients for composite products like paper. Other wood scraps can go into a burn pile as clean bioenergy. With all the ways to use wood byproducts, manufacturers get to minimize waste and make the most of every tree they cut down.
Better Air Quality
When looking for sustainable flooring, you also need to think about chemical emissions and air quality. Wood is a carbon-neutral product, which means it has a low environmental impact throughout its lifespan. Wood floors are also hypoallergenic. Unlike carpet, you don’t have to worry about pollen, pet dander, or other allergens lingering in your floors and worsening the air quality of your home.
You can make your wood floors more eco-friendly by looking for CARB-compliant options with low VOC levels. Products that meet these requirements contain minimal amounts of chemicals, which means they don’t release harmful toxins into the air before, during, or after installation. On top of that, choosing a chemical-free installation method—such as floating your floors instead of gluing them—will also cut down on the harmful chemicals your floors emit.
Longer-Lasting Floors
As with all products, longer-lasting floors are better for the environment. Materials that fade, get dirty, or show too much wear and tear over time require repairs or replacements much faster than engineered hardwood. This means tearing up and throwing out the old flooring—which creates waste—and installing new flooring. This isn’t just worse for the environment—it also takes its toll on your wallet.
With the right care and maintenance, engineered wood flooring can last for decades. This means fewer replacements, less waste, and a more cost-effective product overall. If your wood floors start to look dull or gather too many scratches, you can often refinish them instead of completely replacing them. Plus, you can choose environmentally friendly finishes or stains for an even greener product.
The From the Forest Promise
At From the Forest, we believe sustainability is a necessary part of quality. When you purchase our engineered wood flooring products, you purchase ethically sourced and responsibly made flooring that’s both good for you and the environment. All of our products and materials come from the United States, which lowers carbon emissions from shipping. Even better, our flooring has zero added formaldehyde and VOCs, making it the healthy choice for your home or business. We also pride ourselves on our ethical sourcing practices. By partnering with managed forests and suppliers that invest in reforestation, we know that every board comes from a place of care and responsibility.
If you’re looking for a modern engineered wood flooring product that you can feel good about, check out the beautiful selections at From the Forest. The only thing that outshines our care for the environment is our commitment to every customer who reaches out. With friendly service, passion for the job, and some of the highest-quality products on the market, we have everything you need to choose the perfect flooring option for your next project.
