Installing a hardwood floor represents a major investment of time and money. Whether you do the work yourself or hire a contractor, preserving the shine and veneer of the most-punished surface in the home is a top priority.

Wood treatments often contain toxic ingredients, such as toluene, which is hardly the sort of stuff you want toddlers or pets crawling over, so consider this factor when selecting a top coat for wooden flooring.

In general, the darker the stain; the more natural the formula will be, as the most toxic substances in wood sealers and protectors are employed to preserve a transparent finish. Natural oils and pigments, especially those approved for use in the food industry, are to be preferred over synthetic blends which are not appropriate for human consumption. After all, even if you don’t plan to dine on the floor, shouldn’t it be fit to eat off of anyhow?

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Sometimes, a perfectly good floor needs a facelift. Maybe the rains came before you could protect your porch or you had a big moving in party before you properly sealed your living room floor. Perhaps you inherited your flooring from someone who failed to take proper care of the hardwood floor and it is looking dull and scratched.

Frequently all you need is a good polishing and the wood will look good as new. A simple test with a few drops water will let you know whether advanced measures are warranted. If a drop of water beads and rolls, your surface is still in good condition. If it beads before soaking in slowly, you can get away with a good cleaning and polishing.

On the other hand, if the floor absorbs the water immediately, the wood fibers are exposed to the elements, putting your floor at risk for warping and further damage. In this case you are in need of a refinishing or replacement.

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Yesterday’s builders had available whatever options they could create with an axe, a bow saw, and some sandpaper. As hardware stores became more frequent, the selection expanded to include dimensional lumber, what we think of as traditional square-edged boards, and carpentry became divorced from logging.

Since then, wood materials providers have stepped up to the challenge of supplying the home builder with a product which more closely matches the needs of each project. If you are replacing one of these early floors, you are quite well aware why: floors crafted from traditional planks have decidedly uneven results. There may be spots where neighboring planks have a slightly different idea of how high the floor should be, gaps around the edges, or, worst of all, moisture buckling from years of exposure to the elements.

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Hardwood is nature’s finest building material. Strong, durable, and readily shaped and molded, technology has not been able to match the exquisite qualities of rich hewn lumber, and timbered cherry, oak, and other traditional species remain the source of choice for twenty-first century builders.

Harvesting trees was once a relatively harmless activity, and logging could be maintained on a small, local scale without measurable impact on the forests. However, as the human population explodes, and the global demand for lumber rises, deforestation is rapidly becoming a concern. Increasingly, builders and suppliers are turning to more sustainable methods, in order to ensure that future generations not only have wood for building, but vibrant groves of old-growth woodlands and clean air to breathe as well.

The best answer to this challenge has been the tree farm, an innovation which economically replaces native timbering with an eye toward the times ahead. Not only do these farms prevent the denuding of critical habitats, by planting exotic species such as teak, they have actually reduced the cost of these woods which once had to be exported from remote tropical locations.

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When planning a wooden flooring project, your choice of materials will be affected by a variety of considerations: appearance, durability, ease of transportation, and of course cost. Modern builders must also confront another tough question: are my materials contributing to deforestation and other damage to the ecosystem?

Hardwood floors are elegant and traditional, but in today’s environment, hardwood lumber is not necessarily the most practical option for new construction or remodeling projects. As concern grows for the loss of natural forests due to timbering, more and more builders and home improvement hobbyists are turning to lighter, more sustainable alternatives.

Fortunately, using premium products such as Supreme Bamboo from Eco-World, you won’t have to sacrifice either quality or your budget to go green with your wooden flooring project. Bamboo is an excellent option for ecology-minded builders, since it is lighter than tree-derived lumber, reducing transportation costs, and can be harvested with minimal impact on the environment.

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