Environmental Benefits of Hardwood Flooring

Does hardwood flooring really have a positive impact on our Health and Environment?

Your home is your identity and when you consider home interiors, all should be as beautiful as the outside of your home.  Many interior designers are choosing wood flooring as their preference for elegance and style, but not only because of it’s look. Hardwood flooring has extensive health and environmental benefits.

Hardwood flooring is by far the most popular choice of flooring not only because it is attractive and durable, but also easy to clean and maintain, allowing a warm feel to your home.

The following environmental benefits are just some of the important factors that have made hardwood flooring the most preferred choice:

Wood Harvest

Though the term ‘hardwood flooring’ implies the cruel practice of cutting down trees that can lead to deforestation if poorly controlled. Many are not directly aware that the annual net growth of trees from which hardwood is sourced is much greater than the annual harvest. Hence, if you are someone who loves the environment as much as you love your hardwood floors, you need not fret over the thought that it contributes to deforestation.

Energy Saving

Hardwood flooring can also be the chosen flooring option for your home as it consumes less energy. Since you save on energy utilisation, you directly contribute to energy conservation and this goes without saying that saving energy contributes towards a greener environment. How many times in 50 years would you replace your carpet, compared to wood flooring which can be rejuventated?

Air Condition

Wooden or hardwood flooring also comes with the added advantage of improving the quality of indoor air. This is essential in most houses because people, especially children and the eldely are sometimes susceptible to many air-borne diseases and allergies that might stem from dust stored within your home carpets. With hardwood floors this chance can be negated.

Carbon Neutral

Also it needs to be kept in mind that since wood is a natural product which is carbon neutral; it can produce oxygen in the growth cycle and store carbon in its service life.

Even after you have exhausted the use of hardwood floors, it can still be used and recycled.

Durability

Hardwood floors are known for their longevity, which is about 75 years plus, and when you decide to install hardwood floors in your home, you take a prudent decision as it does not require replacing as often as any other kind of flooring option. Again this reduces carbon footprints being repeated regularly.

Regeneration

When you anaylise and calculate how many trees have to be cut to provide beautiful solid hardwood flooring for people, you have to keep in mind that once the trees are cut to provide wood, you would not need to cut another for at least a hundred years. Simple mathematics tells us that this makes hardwood floors accessible to all, yet gentle on the environment.

The facts regarding hardwood floors, as discussed above are enough to persuade anyone to try hardwood flooring in their homes too. The beauty aside, you can be sure that it is healthy for you and the environment.