The Environmental Impact of Wood Floors is Minimal

If you are looking for products for your home that will reduce your impact on the environment, look no further than real wood floors. Wood floors are a flooring option that has little impact on the environment in terms of raw materials, and in terms of the natural resources required to harvest the trees and manufacture the lumber into a finished product.

The National Wood Flooring Association conducted a life cycle analysis of solid wood flooring, from its beginning as a seedling in the forest to harvest, from harvest to manufacture, from manufacture to installation, and from installation to end of life when the material was no longer useful as flooring. The report found that of all flooring products available, wood floors came from the only renewable raw material: trees. In addition, the process of manufacturing the lumber into flooring uses less water and energy to produce than other flooring options. In many cases, the waste material not used in the final product is often recycled for other uses. The water is reused in boilers to help heat the manufacturing facilities, and the wood and sawdust not used for the final product is often burned to provide energy for the manufacturing process. In other words, very little waste material ends up in the landfill, and the minimal material that does find its way there is totally biodegradable.

To learn more about the environmental benefits of wood flooring, visit the National Wood Flooring Association's web site at www.woodfloors.org.