When buying wooden flooring consumers are showing more and more concern for environmental sustainability of products. Current trading practices do not always provide the consumers with real evidence that the product has not been sourced from either irresponsible or illegal logging. Organizations like the FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) work actively to promote and govern many of the world’s loggers, but many more slip through the net. Although governing and legislating bodies in the country of origin are the ones responsible for eliminating such practices, the supply of wood is driven by a growing demand for more diverse and affordable products. It is ultimately the consumer who will bring change by insisting on purchasing wood floors and other related products that are manufactured with sustainability in mind.
Sustainable products do not necessarily need to break the bank. Although, in many cases, there will be a slight premium for FSC certified products, consumers should take comfort in the chain of custody that comes with the rubber stamp. Responsible wood floor suppliers should be able to offer a range of proven sustainable products to their clients and should discard products that come from a dubious source. They should also be in a position to offer alternatives to some of the endangered wood types. Oak is a good example of an abundant raw material that can be “worked” to achieve stunning results. Smoking (Fuming), Thermo-Treating (Baking), Ageing and Distressing can all produce diverse finishes. In addition stains and coloured oils available can achieve the desired effect.
Engineered flooring can also provide a solution as the manufacturing process usually uses as little as one-fifth of the amount of hardwood as a solid floor. The process used to produce the veneer layer on an engineered board yields massively more square metres of material per cubic metre of lumber than solid production, therefore helping reduce forest footprint. It is however worth considering the wood used for the base of any engineered board and ensuring that this also is sourced correctly.
At Ecora we are working hard to bring sustainable materials to the consumer at competitive prices. Our range includes both FSC certified and non certified products, in both solid and engineered format. Although difficult to guarantee the full chain of custody without certification, we endeavour to work with manufacturers and suppliers of non FSC products to offer environmentally sound solutions. With this in mind we are able to introduce a new range of Forest Friendly, 15mm multilayer (4mm Top Layer) Engineered flooring with the following benefits:
1. The Peeling/Slicing process used in production yields up to 1500m2 of veneer per m3 of lumber, higher than any other process.
2. The Poplar wood used to manufacture the base of the wood floor is a fast growing species (8-12 years per generation) and is a “farmed” not a “forested” wood.
3. The floors have a 30 Year Guarantee which means that nearly 4 generations of re-growth can occur during this time.
We also complement our flooring range with Eco-Friendly Wood Oils as well as our own Zero VOC Emulsion Paint range which is suitable for walls, joinery, concrete and more. Our Eco Paint are certified to BS EN71 Part 2 & 3.
If you would like to know more about this article or if you require additional information about any of the flooring or paint we supply please give us a call us on 020 7148 5265 or stop by our Showroom in Belsize Park. It will be our pleasure to help you.
www.ecora.co.uk wood floor eco paint
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