Sustainable Flooring Options: FSC Certified North American Hardwood

Posted on August 7, 2008
Tag(s): Green Furnishings, Green Building, Going Green | | Email this

With several beautiful species of woods to choose from right here in North America, like Maple, Hickory, Walnut, Oak, and Antique Pine, it’s easy to make an environmentally-friendly choice when looking for long-lasting, durable hardwood flooring.

FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council) woods are the ultimate eco-conscious option and are grown and harvested in a responsible manner. Those grown and sold to consumers in North America also minimize pollution via reduced shipping routes.

The Forest Stewardship Council is a non-profit, independent, third-party verifier of sustainably managed forests and forestry products. It certifies the “Chain of Custody” (from the forest to the final finished product) of the wood. Be aware that some companies boast FSC “Chain of Custody” certification, which only gives them the right to buy and sell FSC-certified wood. The FSC label, on the wood itself, assures consumers that the wood products they buy were grown and harvested in a way that protects forests for the long term.

Another important consideration of hardwood flooring, is to be sure the adhesives used to manufacture or install is formaldehyde-free and VOC-free so that it does not off-gas into the home.

So what’s the difference between engineered and solid wood flooring? Engineered wood has a surface layer of high-quality hardwood that is bonded to two wood sub-layers (rubberwood makes a good, sustainable core). Cross-ply construction makes the product more stable than solid wood. Look for thick wear-layers (3.6 mm, just over .14″) to allow for re-sanding of the floor as needed in the future. It’s a good idea to purchase pre-finished floors to keep the installation process easy. Engineered floors can be nailed down, glued down, or floated. When an underlayment floor pad is needed, look for those that do not emit formaldehyde and are made with recycled content. Eco-Timber offers this type.

Solid hardwood flooring is just that–solid wood throughout, typically in 3/4″ or 5/16″ thicknesses which allows for refinishing of the floors over time. It has tongue and groove sides to join the boards together. They are susceptible to expansion and contraction due to humidity changes in the home. To accommodate this movement, these floors are installed with a 5/8″ to 3/4″ gap around the perimeter of the floor along the wall and the gap is covered up by the baseboard and shoe molding. The 3/4″ wood floors require a specialized tool for nailing the boards together. The thinner 5/16″ wood floor is installed using staples or glue.

Other sustainable hardwood options include: reclaimed wood flooring which is typically remilled from tight-grained, old-growth lumber from deconstructed buildings, or is salvaged from water ways or urban areas. Forest salvage wood is cut from standing dead or wind-fallen trees.

One more thing to keep in mind is the hardness of the wood which will help it resist scratches and indentations. According to About.com, “The relative hardness of wood species is measured using what is called a Janka Hardness Rating. This test measures the force needed to embed a steel ball (.444 inch in diameter) to half its diameter in the piece of wood being tested, with the rating measured in pounds of force per square inch. So with this rating system, the higher the number the harder the wood.”

Here are some Janka ratings: Hickory 1820, Hard Maple 1450, White Oak 1360, Red Oak 1290, Heart Pine 1225, Black Walnut 1010, Black Cherry 950, Southern Yellow Long Leaf Pine 870.