Is there anyone who doesn’t admire the warmth and beauty that oak or walnut flooring adds to a home? When you also consider that a hardwood floor may well last for the life of the structure, that it increases the market value of the home and creates a healthier environment for our families, it would appear to be an easy choice.
There is, however, another concern. We’re not simply homeowners. We are citizens of the world and, for most of us, it is no longer possible to ignore the footprint that we leave. The wood that ends up on our living room floor came from a forest of hardwoods. Whether that forest was in Kentucky or Brazil, removing trees has an environmental impact. Irresponsible logging practices are far more prevalent than consumers would like to believe. While a more in depth discussion will be left for another time, the bottom line is that everyone is responsible for thoroughly researching the source of the material they purchase and the companies with whom they do business. Check their websites. Search Google for complaints or articles on their operations. This is the only planet we have — let’s take care of it.
Fortunately, there is another avenue that you can take. You can install incredibly beautiful solid walnut flooring throughout your entire house and not one tree has to be cut down. Environmentally conscious people all over the world have turned to reclaimed wood. This is the process of finding old houses, barns, log cabins and other structures, many built in the 1800′s or even earlier, dismantling and recycling the wood.
There’s a lot of labor required once a suitable structure has been located. They call it “weathered” for a reason! These buildings have endured sun, rain, wind, drought and whatever else Mother Nature could throw at them. Each board has to be carefully removed and examined. Any evidence of rot or insect damage has to be eradicated. All of the nails and hinges and any other hardware have to be removed, while keeping further damage to a minimum in the process. Then it’s necessary to make sure there isn’t any lingering moisture or dormant insect life, so it all has to be kiln-dried.
All of the effort is more than worth it. The finished product is not only stronger and more stable than freshly milled timber but it has a look and character that simply can not be duplicated. Each plank has a history and while we may not ever know its story, we can appreciate the value it brings to our home. That value and the knowledge that our choice was a responsible one will be there to greet us every time we walk into the room.
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