THE SCOOP ON FLOORING CERTIFICATION

WHAT IS A CERTIFIED WOOD FLOOR?

IS YOUR WOOD FLOORING CERTIFIED?

Certifying wood products began in the early nineties as an effort to identify and promote materials produced by ecologically reputable companies. Acme Lumber might sell plywood ten miles away that looks just like what they have on shelves at the Home Depot, but the product at Home Depot costs a little more and has a stamp on it that says, FSC Certified.

Well, who is the FSC? What exactly do they certify? And are they connected in any way to the SFI or the CSA? Are they BFFs?

FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, and according to an article by the National Wood FlooringAssociation, the FSC is the most recognized of the three major certification program sponsors. The others are the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI), and the Canadian Standards Association.

All three support programs to maintain forestry stewardship standards within the industry, but FSC was developed first and has garnered the support of most of the major environmental organizations, including The World Wildlife Fund and Sierra Club. And while the FSC is the governing body for the certification standards, it is necessary that they contract with third-party auditors and site examiners like Smartwood and Scientific Certification Systems.

The SFI organization got its origins in 1994 from the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), a group that seeks to maintain standards in the paper industry. The Initiative is mandatory for members of the AF&PA, and is regulated by the Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB).

In Canada, the Canadian Standards Association provides certification and standards testing on wood products all over the world, and is responsible for the National Standard for Sustainable Forest Management of Canada.

As you can tell, each organization is committed to the same end: creating and maintaining sustainable forest land. Sustainable Forestry refers to sustained yields combined with efforts to maintain biodiversity within forest ecosystems.

Critics of the standards systems say that they represent significant disparities in the way they evaluate such important issues as clear-cutting, pesticides, and use of old growth trees. But others say that the systems are basically the same, and that any differences are purely political.

Either way you look at it, consumers have a clear-cut choice to make: pay more for the certified product, or pay less for less certainty about the way the wood product was made.

To see hardwood flooring products please click here.

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2. Focus on Flooring!

Good, well maintained flooring can set a positive tone for the entire intirior of your home.

“Like paint, flooring can help creat an impression of spaciousness and airiness,” Nickell says. Weather it’s floating laminate flor, tile, or a natural “green” alternative, lighter tone flooring can make formerly drab areas appear modern and streamlined,”

Engineered Wood Floor Blog

Engineered wood floors are often misconstrued as something of lesser quality than solid hard wood floors. This is not true. Engineered wood floors actually involve a lot of science and skill in their preparations. They are mostly comprised of at wear layer (between 1 and 3mm thick) and 7 layers of plywood. A good engineered wood floor will have a thicker wear layer. The wear layer is typically what determines the cost of your engineered wood floor, as well as the lifetime. That is to say how long the floor will last you. I would hope to get at least 25 years out of any wood floor. A standard 2mm engineered wood floor will have 25 years in it for sure, and at least one resurfacing. When i floor is resurfaced, it is sanded smooth, then refinished with a fresh layer of polyurethane. This process should add another good 25 years at least to your flooring. So when you purchase your engineered wood floors, make sure you know how thick the wear layer is and how long  the finish is guaranteed to last. Wholesale Woodfloor Warehouse is a distributor of many fine floors, but the happen to carry all Max Windsor engineered wood floors at the lowest possible prices.

wholesale Woodfloor Warehouse is Having A Sale

This weekend at Wholesale Woodfloor Warehouse there will be an Independence Day SALE.  These guys have an airplane hangar full of inventory that is priced to move.  I mean you just can’t find deals like this. They have engineered flooring starting at .99c. They have laminate flooring starting at .79c, and solid bamboo flooring at $1.89!!! This place has unheard of deals, and ultra low prices. Plus they have most of their inventory IN STOCK, and if it isn’t stocked it usually comes in the next day. So, if you’re in or around the Long Beach, or Sacramento areas do yourself a favor, and go find at deal at Wholesale Woodfloor Warehouse.

Are you going to put flooring down in your new home? Are you in the middle of a remodel? Did you take advantage of government tax breaks and purchase a house to flip? Let us help you to add value to that home. A solid food floor raises the resale value of your home more so than any other type of floor covering.  Not only that, wood floors can last forever! Exotic wood floors can be up to 185% harder than an Oak floor, did you know that? Are you looking for something environmentally friendly? Well, a bamboo floor can be harvested in 4 to 8 years! That means no forest need to cut down, yes that’s renewable flooring, and it’s very inexpensive. Not to mention the fact that it makes for beautiful flooring.  Do you have a concrete slab, and need to utilize a glue down application? Well you can get engineered flooring made with real wood veneer top. This product is amazing; it uses less wood for the flooring, while still providing the natural beauty, and desirability of a true hardwood floor. Is laminate flooring a good choice? Well, more and more people are turning to laminate flooring as lumber prices continue to grow, and focus on the environment becomes more and more relevant. Laminate floors don’t require special logging, and don’t use real wood. Laminate floors can’t be resurfaced, but a good flooring installer can come in and replace the damaged isolated boards. Furthermore, laminate floors can be up to 3 dollars a square foot cheaper than a true solid hardwood floor, or even certain engineered wood floors. This means you can get more bang for your buck. Why else? To be totally honest, laminate floors are great do it yourself projects. Snap together seams and pre attached padding, makes this a super easy application. And finally, the look of laminate floors has improved dramatically over the last 20 years, you can now have a computer generated image of wood, beautifully designed on each board, tricking even the trained eye into believing its looking at a real hardwood floor. Laminate floors = today’s economic 

Wood Floors

Wood floors are a valuable addition to any home or office. They have proven to be healthier than carpet, and have a much longer expected life than any other floor covering option. Additionally laminate floors have also come onto the market strong as a positive alternative to true hard wood floors.  Today many laminated floors are so good that they are almost indecipherable from a real ¾ solid plank. Not to mention the fact that a good laminated floor is far more inexpensive that real wood.

Despite pricing, and improvements in laminate technology, hard wood floors still remain the most desirable floor covering. The natural beauty and color, as well as the god given individuality of every piece, assures that it will remain the best option for flooring in any setting. 

Laminate Floors

BUYING A LAMINATE FLOOR:

Laminate flooring offers the look of hardwood or stone flooring, but without the expense and required maintenance.

Laminate flooring usually is made from high-density fiber or wood particles, with a laminate overlay that is designed to look like wood or stone. A clear, hard layer is placed on top, giving the laminate floor its durability. Laminate flooring has become a popular way to update the look of a home.

Pros of Laminate Floors

Price and Installation
Laminate flooring is cheaper and easier to install than hardwood flooring. Prices range from about $1.50 per sq. ft. to $3 per sq. ft, but you can find better deals from wholesalers and from online distributors. Laminate flooring can be placed on top of almost any existing floor, excluding carpet, and several manufacturers offer a glue-free, tongue-and-groove system. The interlocking planks make it an easy installation for weekend warriors and it can be uninstalled without damaging the laminate or the original flooring underneath.

Durability
Laminate flooring works well in high-traffic areas and homes with pets. It is scratch-resistant, durable and easy to clean. Just use a dust mop or a mop dampened with water. Most manufacturers offer at least a 10-year warranty on their product.

Resale Value
Laminate flooring can add to the resale value of your home. Most home buyers are looking for hardwood floors instead of carpet. Laminate gives you the wood look for less and can make your home look more open and modern. It also is environmentally friendly because it uses less wood – if any – in its construction.

Cons of Laminate Floors


Noise
Laminate flooring does not absorb sound well and can have a hollow sound when you walk on it, particularly in high heels. Using an acoustic underlay will help reduce the noise, but it still may be a nuisance. Laminate also lacks the visual warmth of other materials, including hardwood.

Buyers Know It’s Not Hardwood
Although laminate floors will increase a home’s value compared to wall-to-wall carpeting, hardwood floors will increase it even more. Buyers generally can tell the difference between laminate and hardwood or stone, and they prefer natural materials.

Design Options
Another drawback is that the look of the flooring is set by the manufacturer. Color and sheen cannot be customized so choices are limited, and a buyer may not like your selection. Hardwood floors can be sanded and re-stained.

Warping
The materials in laminate flooring are moisture resistant, but the floors can warp in high-moisture areas. There is a debate over whether it should be installed in kitchens and bathrooms or other rooms that are exposed to heavy water or steam. Most manufactures warn that laminate flooring will be damaged by standing pools of water. This is true of other materials as well, but hardwood floors may be able to be sanded and refinished. Laminate floors would have to be replaced. The material is still relatively new, so it isn’t clear how this type of flooring will hold up over time.

Before You Buy
Homeowners thinking about buying laminate floors should visit a few stores before making a decision. Talk with a store associate and research the different manufacturers. Some companies use different materials or construction methods