Green is the new standard for wood flooring in Boulder County

By L.L. Charles

The “greening” of our homes can seem a bit complicated at times, with talk of “high R’s” and “low e’s” and such.

But mostly, it’s about making simple changes in how we live in our homes. Want an example? It’s right under your feet. It’s your floor.

“Wood flooring brings an aesthetic plus to your home,” says Clarence Harrison, owner of WoodWise Hardwood Floors in Boulder, who has been installing and refinishing Front Range floors for more than 20 years. “A wood floor is easy to maintain and has a long life.” But choosing the wood, installation methods and finishes each has an impact, he explains, and an opportunity to do the Right Thing.

Actually, several right things, it turns out. “Most wood flooring is derived from hardwood trees. When we use hardwood purchased domestically, this helps stimulate the economy where it is locally harvested and it is milled,” Harrison explains. “Oak is the most plentifully farmed hardwood in the nation, and we use it in over half of all our installations. It has the integrity and beauty that makes it a favorite.

“We also install reclaimed wood flooring, which helps conservation by returning re-milled, salvaged timbers to use and keeps materials out of the waste stream. Plus, it has zero impact on living trees.”

We know we want sustainably harvested wood, right? But what does that mean, and how can we be sure? “Look for the FSC stamp on wood products,” Harrison advises. “The Forest Stewardship Council is a professional organization that uses stringent chain of custody rules on wood products to ensure they are properly sourced. Wood producers must meet 57 different criteria, including protection of wildlife and minimal use of pesticides. Of all the green flooring certifications, FSC is the gold standard.”

But there’s more, Harrison cautions. “Even sustainable products like bamboo and cork have to be shipped long distances, from Asia, Central and South America. That creates a huge carbon footprint. We feel that choosing domestically harvested, FSC-certified wood flooring is the most environmentally responsible approach. It’s the one we take at WoodWise.”

Bamboo flooring has become very popular, and because it is a fast-growing wood source, it is considered by many to be “sustainable.” But, in addition to its transportation footprint, some of the sources for bamboo do not pass FSC scrutiny, Harrison cautions.

OK, we’ve chosen properly sourced wood, and we’re ready to bring it all home. Let’s look at how the installation and care of your floor impact your personal space.

As you might expect, installing a wood floor can create a lot of dust and sawdust. Most installers leave a “brown cloud” behind – suspended particulates that can take days to settle, and never get completely cleaned from your home.
WoodWise uses a unique dustless process that captures the dust right away at ground level, keeping it out of your home’s nooks and crannies. “This is an important advantage we offer,” Harrison says. “We keep 99 percent of the dust from reaching your home’s surface areas. You don’t want all the dust in your air, or in the duct work. I’m a runner, and I don’t want that stuff in my lungs – or yours!”

Finishing your floor is another area where WoodWise reduces the environmental impact. Few wood finishes are truly environmentally friendly, and the solvents used in most products can give off toxic fumes for months after application. “Natural oils look great, but they don’t hold up,” Harrison explains. “For most applications, water-based finishes are the best way to go. They have really improved in terms of ease of application and durability, and there aren’t any toxic ingredients. I think oil-based finishes may be phased out as more viable ecological alternatives come to market.”

Harrison also pays attention to what happens with leftover materials from a WoodWise installation. Smaller pieces of desirable hardwoods are snapped up by a craftsman who turns them into even more desirable artisan boxes. “We have a guy that comes in once a month and picks up dust and scraps. He mixes this with ground-up pallets to make pellet fuel for wood stoves.”

Step up to a green floor! Contact WoodWise Hardwood Floors at 303.442.7777 or visit www.WoodWiseBoulder.com.

Scridb filter