Hardwood Alternatives for a Reduced Carbon Footprint

The Viking Craftsman is an incredibly experienced remodeling service with a thorough knowledge of all kinds of material options available to you. More and more customers today are interested in reducing their carbon footprint and remodeling more responsibly. Flooring materials are among the most fundamentally important choices to be made, and what one chooses can have a big impact on their carbon footprint. Here are a few popular sustainable flooring options.FSC Certified WoodLook for the FSC certified seal of approval when browsing flooring materials. The Forest Stewardship Council has set up guidelines for companies to adhere to when harvesting their wood, in order to be considered an eco-friendly product. Repurposed wood is wood that is to be recycled by being reused, and is also a fantastic way to go green. And engineered woods are not only more cost-effective, but are a greener flooring alternative to hardwood, as only the outer layer of engineered woods is comprised of actual wood.CorkThe same material used to make bottle corks and bulletin boards can make for quite the environmentally friendly flooring! Cork is harvested by hand, from the outermost layers of the Cork Oak tree. The tree is not cut down when harvested, and is left to continue to grow more material. You will enjoy the insulating and acoustical qualities (absorbs sound) of this durable flooring.Coconut PalmCoconut Palm is a highly durable material that is harvested from the abundant Palm tree. A great quality that all of the alternative flooring options share, is that they don’t require high-maintenance chemical cleaning solutions to keep them looking their best. This is great for the environment and your family’s health.BambooBamboo is one of the most popular alternative flooring options out there. It is incredibly durable and comes in a variety of shades. By default, bamboo is a light almost vanilla colored plant, but can be boiled into richer shades of brown and still maintain the hardness of traditional hardwoods. Bamboo grows in only a short 3-7 years, while the Oak tree (for traditional hardwood oak floors) takes over 120 years before it is mature enough for harvest. ¹The Viking Craftsman is well-versed in materials, among many other things, for your home remodeling project. We can help you remodel your home, using environmentally friendly materials. Give our remodeling service a call today and let’s talk about your project!Source(s):http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/bamboo-flooring.htm