Hardwood flooring has long been prized for its beauty, warmth and versatility. It's at home in any style home, from an Arts and Crafts bungalow to a modern loft. If your home has wood flooring that's seen better days, look into whether it can be refinished before you decide to replace it. If you do want to install new wood flooring, the greenest products are made from FSC certified or reclaimed wood.
Wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) comes from forests managed in accordance with stringent sustainable forestry practices. Buying wood products with the FSC logo gives you assurance that the wood came from forests managed in a way that protects the long-term availability of wood resources, the health of forest ecosystems, and the sustainability of local economies.
Reclaimed wood flooring comes from sources such as old buildings and other structures. It can be finished to look like new wood or left with its natural blemishes. Buying flooring products made from salvaged wood instead of virgin wood reduces resource consumption and landfill deposits. Flooring made from reclaimed wood is often very beautiful, even when marked with old nail holes or other signs of age.
There are many reclaimed hardwoods available for flooring (some made from very high quality old-growth hardwoods). Some softwood species such as Douglas fir are also used for reclaimed flooring; be aware that softwood scratches and dents more readily than hardwood.
The Green Product Directory showcases wood flooring products from FSC certified trees grown in the United States. We also feature a selection of wood flooring products reclaimed from sources in the western United States. (The Green Product Directory is geared toward Californians; residents of other areas are encouraged to seek out reclaimed wood products from their region.)