From the sheer durability to the classic look so many homeowners want these days, hardwood flooring is a top choice for many who are building or remodeling. It doesn’t come without drawbacks, though, and sustainability concerns are one of the biggest. If you’re worried about how green your choice is before your hardwood floor installation appointment, a closer look at today’s flooring choices might put your mind at ease.

Look At Your Local Options

There may have been a time when hardwood flooring meant your choices were limited, but that time certainly isn’t now. A bit of research will quickly tell you which suppliers offer the option of hardwood flooring that has been harvested near you. Many of them also replant trees within your region the moment they’re harvested, so you’re getting a floor that helped to replant an entire forest.

Remember, The Forest Stewardship Council is Working for You

While not all of the lumber in hardwood floors comes from sustainably managed forests, much of it does, and checking with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) can help you make sure you’re getting wood that was planted in an FSC-certified forest that cares about biodiversity, water, and air quality.

It’s All About the Pattern

Want a unique look that actually helps the environment? Pattern planking is the way to get it. It means getting hardwood flooring that uses as much of a tree as humanly possible because planks are cut in different widths to maximize it.

Various Wood Choices May Help

Getting the wood floor look can mean going with a different kind of wood than you’d initially considered. For example, cork is a great choice because it has some properties traditional wood doesn’t – it’s hypoallergenic and fire-resistant – and it’s made with the bark from the cork oak tree which renews itself every three years. Bamboo is another great choice, as it makes floors more resistant to water and mildew.

Sustainability and hardwood floor installation can go hand in hand, but you need to do a bit of research to help ensure you’re getting exactly what you want.