The environmental movement has gained momentum over the past few years, resulting in growing pressure on the construction and design industries from consumers demanding environmentally friendly products. In particular, there has been a movement to preserve forests and jungles by making more efficient use of hardwood; here are the factors to consider when looking for an environmentally friendly wood floor.

Hardwood Certification

Determine whether the hardwood is certified as being from a managed sustainable forest. Hardwood certification takes place in the forestry management and raw material procurement stages. Two prominent organizations that promote responsible stewardship of the world's forests are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), established in 1990, and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes Council (PEFC) founded in 1999. Both organizations help set international standards for responsible forest management and work with independent third party organizations who can certify forest managers and forest product producers. The FSC and PEFC also provide international recognition through special product labels with their respective logos, allowing consumers to choose products that support the growth of responsible forest management worldwide.

Product Choice

A new generation of hardwood flooring products have been developed that make more efficient use of wood then traditional solid wood floors: Engineered Hardwood Flooring. There are two main types of engineered hardwood flooring; glue down engineered and floating engineered. Glue down engineered hardwood is a revolutionary two-layer floor consisting of a sawn hardwood wear layer, usually 2mm to 5mm thick, supported by a multi-layer plywood support. Floating engineered hardwood is constructed from a top hardwood layer with either 1 or 2 support layers of plywood or high or medium density fibreboard (HDF/MDF). Higher quality engineered floors use marine birch plywood for the support layers, because it is dimensionally more stable then other plywood. As a result, engineered hardwood floors are more stable than solid wood and can be installed in places where solid wood usually cannot, such as condominiums, basements and over radiant heat systems. The use of a plywood or fibreboard support layer is important because hardwoods typically come from trees that can take over 150 years to mature, whereas marine birch comes from trees that grow more quickly. Therefore, a more efficient use of hardwoods in an engineered floor takes substantially less hardwood to cover the same area as with a solid wood.

Finish

Most hardwood flooring comes pre-finished from the manufacturer, meaning that the floor is already protected with a top layer and no sanding or finishing is required on site. However, not all finishes are made the same. Manufacturers sometimes use harmful chemicals to treat the hardwood surface. Look for finishes that are formaldehyde free, solvent free and non-toxic. As part of a trend to produce a more natural product, some manufacturers have started offering natural oil and wax finishes. Some finishes are made using 100% natural plant oils and wax, so they are safe for the environment. Oil and wax finishes can also be repaired more easily during regular maintenance.

In addition to product characteristics, it is also important to consider the manufacturer and their operation. The ISO 14000/14001 program was developed to examine the production process and enables manufacturers to minimize how operations negatively affect the environment. ISO 14000 is a series of international standards on environmental management and ISO 14001 specifies the actual requirements that must be achieved for an environmental management system so that a manufacturer can be certified by an independent third party. Therefore, manufacturers who are ISO 14001 certified have an effective environmental management system in place and comply with environmental laws and regulations.

By selecting a hardwood floor that meets all these criteria, you can enjoy your new floor knowing that you have selected a product that is environmentally friendly.

This article was provided by European Flooring. European Flooring offers many environmentally friendly flooring options, including Listone Giordano, the world's premier engineered glue-down hardwood floor and Natif, a finish that contains a mixture of oils and waxes. Find out more information about environmentally flooring products at the company's website .