| Vol. 7 | No. 3 | Summer 2005 |
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Close to Home
Forest-Friendly Flooring |
Flooring is just one of the choices facing someone building a new home or an addition to an existing home, but it’s a choice that gives environmentally conscious consumers pause. Many people like the look of wood floors, for example, and may not want to use carpet or tile in certain rooms. But the harvesting of wood has implications for both climate change and biodiversity.
Deforestation accounts for approximately 20 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions worldwide—more than the amount generated in the United States each year by burning fossil fuels. In addition, conventional logging methods pollute local air and water supplies and damage natural habitats. Together, deforestation and destructive logging are the most significant cause of species extinction worldwide. Is it possible to enjoy the beauty and durability of wood floors in your home while conserving forest resources?
Guilt-free Wood
You might consider using reclaimed wood that has been salvaged from old houses, factories, and schools or milled from trees that fell during storms. It can lend a rustic or antique look to your home with its unique grain, color, and markings. One drawback is the price, which is about double the three to six dollars per square foot that new wood costs. Be sure to buy enough for your entire project, since reclaimed wood can be hard to match.
How can you be sure the wood you order is reclaimed and not newly harvested timber from old-growth forests? Look for wood certified by the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program.
If you prefer the look of new hardwood floors, or reclaimed wood doesn’t fit your budget, choose wood bearing the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo. FSC-certified wood comes from well-managed forests and is sustainably harvested. You’ll pay 5 to 15 percent more compared with regular wood.
Natural Alternatives
If you’re willing to forego wood entirely but don’t want to sacrifice its natural appearance, durability, and maintenance, consider bamboo or cork flooring.
Bamboo, a fast-growing grass, offers the look and durability of hardwood and can be used in any room where wood floors would normally be used. Bamboo costs approximately four to eight dollars per square foot, and ranges in shade from light straw to deep caramel. Formaldehyde-based glues are often used in the manufacturing process but formaldehyde-free bamboo is available.
Cork, most often associated with wine bottles and bulletin boards, is a good flooring material for several reasons. It costs about the same as hardwood, is easy on the feet because it “gives” under pressure (a plus for the avid home cook), and its natural insulating properties can help reduce heating and cooling costs. As with bamboo, look for floor tiles and planks that are formaldehyde-free and sealed with a water-based varnish.
Other sustainable flooring options include recycled glass, rubber, linoleum, and stone. Ask your local flooring supplier for details, or visit the GreenHomeGuide website at www.greenhomeguide.com/index.php/plain/519.
Also in this issue of Earthwise:
Dialogue
I'd like to learn more about organic farming,antibiotics use in livestock, and pesticides. Can you recommend a resource?
